Talk on saltwater crocs at Borneo Cultures Museum this weekend

KUCHING: The Borneo Cultures Museum here will host a talk on saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus), at its auditorium this Sunday (Feb 18).

The session on ‘Crocodiles: Myths, Superstitions and Realities’ will be facilitated by Dr Ipoi Datan, who will share with the participants his decades of expertise and his exploration of crocodile symbolism.

The scholar is a Lun Bawang native from Lawas, with a PhD in Etho-Archaeology from the Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang, and has extensive experience as an archaeologist at the Sarawak Museum.

His current role as a research officer at the Majlis Adat Istiadat Sarawak gives him a uniquely position to shed light over the multifaceted significance of crocodiles in indigenous communities.

Throughout his career, Ipoi has been deeply involved in preserving and promoting Sarawak’s cultural heritage and served as the archaeologist at the Sarawak Museum in 1982, later becoming its deputy director from 1998 to 2008, and subsequently, the director from 2009 to 2018.

Currently, the academician continues to contribute his expertise as an advisory panel member for Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and as an expert for archaeology for ICOMOS Missions.

Attendees will have the opportunity to gain insight into the origins of crocodile myths and superstitions among communities such as the Ibans, the Lun Bawang, and the Malays, and the reptile’s enduring relevance in modern society.

Registration can be done online via https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScS_ NPEE36WLxftzfjd-eYVxvgLQuckEdJ8J4VTWJausJloKw/viewform.