Penans of Apoh-Tutoh, Baram

Laing Imang, KC Ling

Description

Sarawak has a very diverse population comprising of many races and ethnic groups. Among the ethnic groups, the Orang Ulu (meaning upriver people) include the major Kayan and Kenyah, and the minor group like the Penans. The Penans are the original nomadic people; some of them still maintain the lifestyle of hunter and gatherer. The narration of this book is not meant to be an anthropological study of the Penans of Apoh-Tutoh, Baram. The subjects are more of general interest to common people as they are a mix of historical events recalled by the elders, storytelling and tall tales. It started with the Penan settlements at Lapok, Tinjar and the migration to Apoh-Tutoh. The role of the Penans as proxy warriors in the Kayan-Berawan tribal wars was explored as continued with the history of head hunting and Baram Regatta. The White Rajahs and their punitive expeditions (Lang, Sadok and Kayan) against the Sea Dayak of Saribas and Skrang, Rentap, the Kayans of Rajang and peace making are described to give perspective to the Baram Regatta and peace-making ceremony. However, there is increasing number of the Penans who have abandoned the nomadic lifestyle for settlements in longhouses. Hence, the Penans face the dilemma of a semi-settled lifestyle and changes due to development such as disappearing cultural heritage (sign sticks “oroo” and traditional dance “saryau titut”), lost generation (school dropouts, teenage mother, marriage with outsiders, sexual violence and exploitation and alcoholism), forestry issues and the disappearing Penan Landscape (“Tana’ Pengurip Penan”).

Sujets

• Rentap
• Biography
• White Rajahs
• Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds
• Headhunting
• Autobiography

Informations

• Publié par: Partridge Publishing Singapore
• Date de parution: 08 mars 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781543773231
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 64 Mo

Extrait

PENANS OF APOH-TUTOH, BARAM



KC Ling and Laing Imang



Copyright © 2023 KC Ling and Laing Imang . All rights reserved.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.


www.partridgepublishing.com/singapore


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ISBN
978-1-5437-7322-4 (sc)
978-1-5437-7323-1 (e)



03/03/2023








CONTENTS
Preface
Chapter 1 Penans Of Baram
Penan Lamah
Penan Linei
Long Buang
Long Tujang
Penan Purau or Penan Nibong
Penan Tanah, sub-group of Selungo Penan
Penan Ugei (“Naked Penan”)
Chapter 2 Penan Settlements In Apoh-Tutoh
Long Daloh
Long Kevok
Long Leng
Long Nen
Long Kawa
Long Latei
Ba Kerangan
Kampung Stumping
Chapter 3 Migration In Baram
Uyau Kiew
Ajeng Kiew
The Kayan
The Kenyah
The Kelabit
The Berawan
The Laleiput (Kiput)
The Sebop
The Bisaya
The Seping
The Saban
The Memaloh (Maloh)
Other Minor Groups
Muslim Converts – The Narum and Bakong
The Iban
Chapter 4 Head Hunting And Baram Regatta
Lost Tribe “ Tering ”
Head Hunting and Proxy Wars
Lake’ Lah
Aban Wan
Tribal War at Long Puloh
Daloh Ayau
Duman Kayau
Claude Town
Fort Hose
Baram Regatta in 1899
Marudi ( Malu Di )
Tuan Arden Cup
Naming of Racing Boats
Chapter 5 White Rajahs, Punitive Expeditions, Peace And Regatta
James Brooke, the first White Rajah
Brooke Dynasty
Battle of Beting Marau (“The Albatross Affair”)
Saribas and Rejang Expeditions
Rentap
Charles Brooke, the second White Rajah
Lang Expedition
Sadok Expeditions
Kayan Expedition
Peace-making
Regatta
Chapter 6 Penan Leadership
Election of headmen
A bear cat tale
Ajeng Kiew
Sarawak Penan Association
Chapter 7 Origin Theme And Tall Tales
The First Penans
Tall Tale of Mount Murud Kecil
Penan Pastor’s Reply
Korean Pastor Kim
Borneo Evangelical Mission (BEM)
Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) Canadian Hill Church
Chapter 8 Disappearing Cultural Heritage
Sign Sticks (“ Oroo ”)
Penan Traditional Dance “ Saryau Titut ”
Chapter 9 Lost Generation
School Dropouts
Teenage Mother
Marriage with Outsiders
Sexual Violence and Exploitation
Alcoholism
Chapter 10 Development And Dilemma
Development Programs
Long Sayan Declaration 2002
Forestry Issues
Dilemma
Penan Landscape (“ Tana’ Pengurip Penan ”)
Appendix I
Appendix Ii
Appendix Iii – Portraits Of The Young And Old
Appendix Iv – Brooke Gallery At Fort Margherita, Kuching
Bibliography



PREFACE
Sarawak has a very diverse population comprising of many races and ethnic groups. Among the ethnic groups, the Orang Ulu (meaning upriver people) is used collectively to describe the numerous tribes that live upriver in the vast interior of Sarawak. They include the major Kayan and Kenyah tribes, and the minor groups of the Kelabits, Lun Bawang, Berawan, Saban, Kajang, Kejaman, Ukit, Punan and Penan. All these ethnic and sub-ethnic groups live mostly at the upriver and uphill areas of Belaga, Baram, Limbang and Lawas in Sarawak. Most of the Orang Ulu tribes are Christians of Borneo Evangelical Church (Sidang Injil Borneo, SIB) but some still practice the traditional animism.
In Sarawak, the Penans were the original nomadic people, some of whom still maintain the lifestyle of hunter and gatherers. Many of them continue to roam the rainforest hunting wild boar and deer with blowpipes. However, there is increasing number of the Penans who have abandoned the nomadic lifestyle for settlement in longhouses. They have also been converted to Christianity through the missionary works of the Borneo Evangelical Church (Sidang Injil Borneo, SIB). They have basically joined the mainstream of the society through the development programs implemented by the government.
The story of the Punan/Penan has been covered by anthropologists like Charles Hose and William McDougall, Tom Harrison, Rodney Needham and I.A.N. Urquhart in the fifties; and J.P. Brosius, Robert Pringle, Benedict Sandin, Peter M. Kedit, Jayl Langub, Charles Leh, Ipoi Datan, and Henry Chan in recent past. The writings of these anthropologists are more of academic value and of interest to researchers. Their narration covered the landscape, aspects of nomadic and settled lifestyles, cosmology and rituals. Nevertheless, we like to acknowledge their works which have somehow helped in the writing of this book.
The narration of this book about the Penan of Apoh-Tutoh has a different perspective and is not meant to be an anthropological study. The subjects are more of general interest to common people as they are a mix of historical events recalled by the elders, storytelling and tall tales. It started with the Penan settlements and the migration story to the role of proxy warriors in the Kayan-Berawan tribal wars, origin theme and tall tales, Korean Pastor Kim, Borneo Evangelical Mission (BEM) / Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB), disappearing cultural heritage, lost generation and lastly, the development and dilemma of a semi-settled lifestyle.
A chapter of this book is devoted to the White Rajahs of Sarawak, James Brooke and Charles Brooke, and their punitive expeditions against the Sea Dayaks of Saribas and Skrang, Rentap and the Kayans of Rejang. The ultimate goal of the White Rajahs was to end the misery of the Land Dayak and Malays by the head hunting raid and plunder by the Sea Dayak and the Kayans. The narration of this chapter was derived mainly from the writings by Steven Runciman, S. Baring-Gould and C.A. Bamfylde. This section was included so as to give perspective to the Baram regatta and peace making ceremony.
We like to express our heart-felt gratitude and appreciation to the elders who have willingly shared their living memories of the past events. The same is also extended to the Ketua Kampung (headmen) who have related the story of their settlement for this book. God bless and happy reading.
KC Ling
February 2023



CHAPTER 1
PENANS OF BARAM
Penan is one of the minority ethnic groups in Sarawak. The other minority groups are the Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Lun Bawang and others. All of them are also commonly known as “Orang Ulu” or “people from up river”. The Penans are classified by the watershed of where they live and are commonly grouped into two major groups: Eastern group in Ulu Baram and Limbang; and Western group in Balui, Silat and Tinjar.
The Eastern Penans are far behind the other Orang Ulu in terms of standards of living. Some are still living as semi-nomads without permanent settlements. When a group grows bigger and the existing forest is unable to sustain a big group, it splits. In many occasions, the split is also due to dispute among members. The break-away group moves away to a new forest where they can continue hunting and gathering for their survival. If the Penans rear domestic animals like pigs and poultry, they rarely eat them as the animals are treated as pets.
The Penans in Ulu Baram do not like to be called “Punan” as the word means “quarrel” to them. “ Mai ketelo punan, anak ” can be translated as “Don’t quarrel, my son”.
When the Orang Ulus speak about their long houses in Ulu Baram, they go by the tributaries of Batang Baram. The names of the main tributaries of Batang Baram are: Punang-Kelapang, Selungo, Sela’an, Tinjar, Apoh, Tutoh and Akah. They could trace back their origin to Batang Kayan in Kalimantan, Indonesia.
The early groups who have settled down during Brooke reign are the Penan Lamah at Lapok, and Penan Linei at Long Buang and Long Tujang. The rest of the Penans only settled down in late 1960 due to the influence of Borneo Evangelical Mission (BEM) which is presently known as Sidang Ingel Borneo (SIB).
Generally, Penans in Ulu Baram can be segregated into five groups:
1. Penan Lamah; Sub-groups: Penan Lapok and Penan Linei
2. Penan Purau, Sungai Silat
3. Penan Selungo; Sub-group: Penan Marong or Penan Muyong
4. Penan Brunei or Penan Belait
5. Penan Toi, new comers from Indonesia
Penan Lamah
According to a Penan elder who is the father of village headman Galau Opau of Kampong Lapok, the Penans used to roam around Sungai Teru and Sungai Lamah. They even had a temporary settlement at Sungai Teran and claimed a vast temuda (shifting cultivation area) during the White Rajah or Brooke reign. They comprise of two groups: the bigger group of them is now settled at Lapok and the smaller group moved to Sungai Apoh. The first group is known as Penan Lapok and is split into six settlements.
Table 1: Penan Lapok Settlements
Name of Settlement
Number of Units (Biliks)
Headman
Kampong Manok
15
Peberi Mejedet
Bukit Jelutong
12
Larek Mat