ABSTRACT The documentation of the oral traditions of non-literate indigenous communities is a vital aspect of the preservation and survival of indigenous knowledge, culture and tradition. In this article, we discuss tekná, an oral tradition of the Kayan people in Sarawak. Here we trace not only the historical background of tekná, but also explore its current status and practices among the Kayan. We present an example of tekná sung by a Kayan elder. This forms the basis for a discussion about how the tekná is performed, sung, and narrated, as well as the possible meanings and interpretations that can be gleaned from this tekná. Finally, we suggest approaches to documenting oral traditions like tekná that show promise for the preservation of this fragile oral tradition for future generations of Kayan.

中文翻译：

---

Tekná – 马来西亚婆罗洲沙捞越克彦人中一种正在消失的口述传统

摘要 对不识字的土著社区口述传统的记录是保护和保存土著知识、文化和传统的一个重要方面。在这篇文章中，我们讨论了 tekná，这是砂拉越克扬人的口头传统。在这里，我们不仅追溯了 tekná 的历史背景，而且还探讨了它在 Kayan 中的现状和实践。我们展示了一位克彦长老唱的 tekná 的例子。这构成了关于如何表演、演唱和叙述 tekná 以及可以从该 tekná 中收集到的可能含义和解释的讨论的基础。最后，我们建议记录像 tekná 这样的口述传统的方法，这些方法有望为卡延的后代保存这种脆弱的口述传统。