The Iban Diaries of Monica Freeman 1949-1951, Including Ethnographic Drawings, Sketches, Paintings, Photographs and Letters

Laura P. Appell-Warren, Editor

In 1949 Monica Freeman left her life in England and made her way to Sarawak where she joined her husband Derek who was engaged in anthropological fieldwork among the Iban of Sungai [river] Sut. This was an extraordinary voyage for a young woman during the post World War II era, and she met with opposition, adventure and hardship as she traveled and worked with her husband.

During her time in Sarawak Monica kept a series of diaries and sent letters home to her mother in England. These diaries and letters are a personal record of the daily events in the lives of Monica and Derek Freeman and were not written with the intention of ever being published. However, these diaries are also a rich source of information about both the Iban and the fieldwork process, and as such they are worthy of publication. In these letters and diaries Monica vividly recounts her life during the fieldwork period. Her sensitivity to the peoples she was living among, and her honesty as she recounts the trials and tribulations of doing fieldwork, are remarkable. Many of us who have gone into the field with close family members will recognize and appreciate the moments in which she recounts episodes of disagreement and “feuds” with her spouse. These moments add a level of authenticity to this body of work and humanize both Monica and the fieldwork process. As one reads these letters and diary entries one begins to fall into the world of Sungai Sut and Rumah [longhouse] Nyala during the years of 1949-1951.

Most noteworthy however, are Monica’s Iban drawings and paintings. These drawings are ethnographically precise and many were later used to illustrate Derek Freeman’s writings as well as to illustrate The Encyclopedia of Iban Studies. In addition to their ethnographic precision these drawings deserve attention because of the way in which they so exactly capture a long lost moment in time. All are breathtakingly beautiful. And, some, as you can see in the following sketch, reflect the good cheer and sense of humor with which Monica Freeman approached life in the field.

This volume brings together, for the first time, her diaries, letters and drawings. They are a tribute to a young woman who had to be tough as nails, resilient, flexible, cheerful and adventurous to engage in such an undertaking. Having met Monica Freeman I can attest to the fact that she is all of these things.

Hardback

ISBN 1-929900-13-9

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