In the Dayak Kayan, for example, making long ears showed people were from the nobility.
As for making the long ears on women shows he was a nobleman at once to distinguish the women who become slaves because of losing the war or unable to pay debts.
Another with the villages in the Upper Mahakam River. Ear length is used as an identity to show one's age. Once the baby is born, the tip of the ear beads given enough weight. Each year, the number of beads attached to the ear grow one.