Kenyah is one of the original tribes that reside in the interior areas of the districts of Baram and Belaga in Sarawak. According to history, the Kenyah community originated from the Usun Apau highlands around 1400 A.D.  This tribe started to divide into smaller tribes (sub-tribe) around 1400-1600 A.D. that are, among them, the Kenyahs of Badeng, Jambok, Lepo’ Tau, Lepo’ Maut, Uma’ Bakah, Lebu’ Kulit, and Sambop. Every fraction of the tribe too owns different language usage,

Rajah James Brooke’s reign divided further the Kenyah tribe that there are still that maintained to live at the Usun Apau highlands, at the upstream of Batang Baram, Balui, Tinjar areas and interior of Batang Rajang.

The Kenyah tribe is renowned as experts in the art of special handicraft and have unique traditional costume, as well as owns different attire patterns according to the sub-tribe. This traditional costume as designed by them is regarded as their social status.

After the Kenyah went through various obstructions to maintain their tribe in Sarawak, eventually they managed to egress from the political turmoil of divide and rule and now they live peacefully. However, the tribe’s division resulted in them respectively owning different background, traditional costume, economy and language. Nevertheless, they still remain included in the same cluster of the Kenyah tribe.

The Kenyah community are really talented in the arts. On their traditional costume are many attractive patterns and colours. At the tribe’s village there are various paintings of Kenyah motifs on the wall, especially in the village head’s house where splendidly displayed are Kenyah paintings made as traditional decoration. They are also active paddy farmers since decades ago.