Dr. Valerie Mashman is currently Associate Research Fellow at the Institute of Borneo Studies, University of Malaysia, Sarawak. Prior to this, she was a research fellow at the Sarawak Museum. Her research interests in the field of anthropology examine issues of oral history and narratives, values and social change, indigeneity, and material culture with a particular focus on indigenous peoples of Borneo. She is currently writing a book based on her PhD which analyses Kelabit notions of value and historical change through a three-part oral history. She has contributed papers to Discourses, Agency and Identity in Malaysia,(2021), Borneo Studies in History, Society and Culture (2017), Shifting Cultivation and Environmental Change: Indigenous People, Agriculture and Forest Conservation (2015), Advances in Research on Linguistic and Cultural Practices in Borneo (2014), Plaited Arts from the Borneo Rainforest (2012), Female and Male in Borneo (1991), Sarawak Museum Journal and Borneo Research Bulletin. She also co-edited with Lucas Chin, Sarawak Cultural Legacy (1991). Most recently she published ‘Looted in an expedition against the Madangs’: Decolonizing history for the museum. Volkskunde 120(3) (2019).

James S L Yong is currently President of the Sarawak Heritage Society (SHS). SHS is a non-government, non-partisan and non-profit organisation, focused on raising awareness of Sarawak’s heritage and advocating for its sustainable conservation and safeguarding. James is a member of the Sarawak Heritage Council, which was formed to advise the Government on matters of policy, strategy or plan of action relating to the administration and management of heritage and conservation areas in Sarawak. He is presently researching for a book on the history of Padungan, an important heritage area in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. He also facilitates a UNESCO Masterclass on heritage site management. His FB group “Kuching – Then and Now” has more than 25,000 members. He is an advocate for sustainable heritage management, animal rights and Sarawak history education.

When not working on heritage matters, James Yong runs JYGlobal Associates, an independent consulting outfit which focuses on strategy, tech management, business models and process streamlining for organisations. Prior to this, he spent a decade in Cisco Systems (USA), as Director, Public Sector Programs (ASEAN). He oversaw Cisco’s transformational and strategic accounts. His corporate experience also includes stints in HP, Shell, Cap Gemini and SingTel Group. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and a Master’s degree in Business Systems Analysis & Design, both from the City University, London, UK. He also holds a postgraduate diploma in Accounting & Finance and has attended executive programs at Harvard Kennedy School of Government and London Business School.