Article/journal list (recommended): [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orang_laut [2] http://japanfocus.org/-barbara_watson-andaya/2410/article.html (title: Oceans Unbounded: Transversing Asia across "Area Studies" - Barbara Watson Andaya) – maritime history of south, east and southeast asia. [3] http://press.anu.edu.au/austronesians/austronesians/mobile_devices/ ch13s05.html (title: Sea Nomads and Rainforest Hunter-Gatherers) [4] http://www.projecturaklawoi.org/#!project-urak-lawoi-ethnic-group/ c1bzd (title: The Orang Laot Kappir – A group that influenced the political scenario and history of Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines) [5] http://www.peoplesoftheworld.org/text?people=Bajau (The Peoples of the World Foundation - Education for and about Indigenous Peoples) [6] https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/12978/MY [7] http://www.jamesmorgan.co.uk/features/bajau-laut-sea-nomads/ (photographer – James Morgan) [8] http://scribol.com/anthropology-and-history/the-bajau-sea-gypsies-of- borneo (culture & current Bajau) [9] http://www.everyculture.com/East-Southeast-Asia/Bajau-History-and- Cultural-Relations.html (culture) [10] http://busanhaps.com/bajau/ [11] http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/last-sea-nomads/ (title: Last of the Sea Nomads) [12] http://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2010/sep/20/bajau- sea-nomads (title: Bajau sea nomads) [13] https://opwall.com/wp-content/uploads/Society-and-Natural-Resources- 2012-257-716-725.pdf (PDF, title: Culture Conservation, and Conflict: Perspectives on Marine Protection Among the Bajau of Southeast Asia) [14] http://www-01.sil.org/silewp/2011/silewp2011-009.pdf (PDF, title: Social Organization of the West Coast Bajau) [15] http://www.adamdocker.com/photos/bajau-sea-gypsies/ (photographer – Adam Docker) Definition Regions: general (Strait of Melacca, Singapore, Urak Lawoi’ people) Specific: Orang Laut Source: Wikipedia
Transcript
Article/journal list (recommended):
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orang_laut[2] http://japanfocus.org/-barbara_watson-andaya/2410/article.html (title: Oceans Unbounded: Transversing Asia across "Area Studies" - Barbara Watson Andaya) – maritime history of south, east and southeast asia.[3] http://press.anu.edu.au/austronesians/austronesians/mobile_devices/ch13s05.html (title: Sea Nomads and Rainforest Hunter-Gatherers)[4] http://www.projecturaklawoi.org/#!project-urak-lawoi-ethnic-group/c1bzd (title: The Orang Laot Kappir – A group that influenced the political scenario and history of Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines)[5] http://www.peoplesoftheworld.org/text?people=Bajau (The Peoples of the World Foundation - Education for and about Indigenous Peoples)[6] https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/12978/MY[7] http://www.jamesmorgan.co.uk/features/bajau-laut-sea-nomads/ (photographer – James Morgan)[8] http://scribol.com/anthropology-and-history/the-bajau-sea-gypsies-of-borneo (culture & current Bajau)[9] http://www.everyculture.com/East-Southeast-Asia/Bajau-History-and-Cultural-Relations.html (culture)[10] http://busanhaps.com/bajau/[11] http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/last-sea-nomads/ (title: Last of the Sea Nomads)[12] http://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2010/sep/20/bajau-sea-nomads (title: Bajau sea nomads)[13] https://opwall.com/wp-content/uploads/Society-and-Natural-Resources-2012-257-716-725.pdf (PDF, title: Culture Conservation, and Conflict: Perspectives on Marine Protection Among the Bajau of Southeast Asia)[14] http://www-01.sil.org/silewp/2011/silewp2011-009.pdf (PDF, title: Social Organization of the West Coast Bajau)[15] http://www.adamdocker.com/photos/bajau-sea-gypsies/ (photographer – Adam Docker)
Definition
Regions: general (Strait of Melacca, Singapore, Urak Lawoi’ people)Specific: Orang LautSource: Wikipedia
EtymologyThe Malay term orang laut literally means the sea peoples. The Orang laut live and travel in their boats on the sea.[2] Another Malay term for them, Orang Selat (literally Straits People), was brought into European languages as Celates.
DistributionBroadly speaking, the term encompasses the numerous tribes and groups inhabiting the islands and estuaries in the Riau-Lingga Archipelagos, the Pulau Tujuh Islands, the Batam Archipelago, and the coasts and offshore islands of eastern Sumatra, southern Malaysia Peninsula and Singapore. [3]
[2] Adriaan J. Barnouw (February 1946). "Cross Currents of Culture in Indonesia". The Far Eastern Quarterly (The Far Eastern Quarterly, Vol. 5, No. 2) 5 (2): 143–151. doi:10.2307/2049739. JSTOR 2049739.
[3] "The Malay Peninsula and Archipelago 1511–1722" The Encyclopedia of World History 2001;
Regions: general (Southern Thailand)Specific: Urak Lawoi’ peopleSource: Wikipedia
Urak Lawoi (Malay: Orang Laut; Thai: อู�รั�กลาโว้ย; rtgs: U-rak La-woi) are an Aboriginal Malay people residing on the islands of Phuket, Phi Phi, Jum, Lanta, Bulon and on Lipe and Adang, in the Adang Archipelago,[1] off the western coast of Thailand. They are known by various names, including Orak Lawoi', Lawta, Chao Tha Le (ชาว้ทะเล), Chao Nam (ชาว้น้ำ��า), and Lawoi.
The population of approximately 6,000 speak a language related closely to Malay but influenced by Thai.[2] The Urak Lawoi are one of several southeast Asian ethnicities referred to as "sea gypsies" (chao leh in Thai).[3] The local way of life has been changing rapidly in recent years, due to the rapid encroachment of the market economy, and the opening of Tarutao National Marine Park.[1]
[1] Wongbusarakum, Supin. "Changing Ways of Life of the Urak Lawoi (abstract)". Retrieved 2008-09-09.[2] "Ethnologue report for language code:urk". Retrieved 2008-09-09.[3] http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/asia/thailand/phuket?poi=82806
Regions: Southeast AsiaSpecific: Seafarers/Sea GypsiesSource: Wikipedia
East Asia
In the South China Sea area, the ethnic group name is called as Orang Laut, which literally means "the sea people" in Malay. These Malay peoples of Southeast Asia trace their forbears to Yunnan (now a province of China) some 5000–10000 years ago. They were seafarers that migrated along rivers such as Mekong and Irrawady to the Andaman Sea, South China Sea and various locations in the Malay archipelago. In the 15th century, large numbers of Malay Seafarers converted to Islam.
Along the west coast of Thailand and Burma, the ethnic group is referred as the Moken. Their knowledge of the sea enables them to live off its organisms by using simple tools such as nets and spears to forage for food. What is not consumed is dried atop their boats, then used for trade at local markets for other necessities. During the monsoon season, they build additional boats while occupying temporary huts. Many of the Burmese Moken are still nomadic people who roam the sea most of their lives in small hand-crafted wooden boats called Kabang, which serve not just as transportation, but also as kitchen, bedroom, living area. Much of their traditional life, built on the premise of life as outsiders, is under threat and appears to be diminishing. The Sea Gypsies are a minority group that number only a few tens of thousands in Andaman Sea and Thailand. They maintain a nomadic sea-based culture and live almost entirely on boats and practice shamanic rites.
Other ethnic groups, who are often being grouped with the seafarers, are Bajau in the southern archipelago of Philippines, eastern Malaysia and Indonesia, and Urak Lawoi (the coastal dwellers of Thailand).
Recent maternal mitochondrial DNA analysis suggests that Polynesian seafarers, including Tongans, Samoans, Niueans, Cook Islanders, Tahitians, Hawaiians, Marquesans and Māori, are genetically linked to indigenous peoples of parts of Southeast Asia, including those of Taiwan. These two groups together can be called the Austronesians.
The Orang Laut or Sea Gypsies are tribes who traditionally lived off the sea in our coastal regions, including Peninsular Malaysia, the Riaus and Sumatra.
Orang Laut, literally "Sea People", refers to sea nomads and sea gypsies. They were one of the earlier immigrants who settled along the coastline of Singapore island during pre-colonial days. The community typically lived off a long dwelling boat, known colloquially as sampan panjang, or "long boat".
The Orang Laut who were inhabiting Singapore around 1819 were made up of different groups. They included the Orang Laut of the Riau-Lingga archipelago such as the Orang Galang, Orang Gelam, Orang Selatar, Orang Biduanda Kallang and the Orang Selat. The only commonality they shared was some degree of Malay ethnicity and a preference for living on boats rather than on land.
In early Singapore, the headman of the Orang Laut, referred to as batin (chief) acted as messenger for the Temenggong and Viceroy of Riau. These officials offered protection to the Orang Laut who in turn served as boatmen, rowers or warriors on pirate escapades. Otherwise they lived off the sea as simple fishing folks. Many of the Orang Gelam who lived along the Singapore River served as boatmen for merchant ships, while their womenfolk were fruit sellers on boats.
The Orang Selat were believed to have traversed the waters of Keppel Harbour since the early 16th century, making them one of the earliest settlers of the island according to ethnologist Carl Alexander Gibson-Hill. By the early 19th century, more than 1,000 Orang Laut resided in Singapore with about 500 Orang Biduandan Kallang and 150 being boat dwellers. In 1940, at least 450 of the nomads, including the headman, were relocated to Tanjong Rhu and others were moved to Telok Blangah, Selat Singkeh, Pasir Panjang, Geylang and Pulau Brani. The Orang Biduanda Kallang were moved to Johor, leaving only 40 tribesmen by the mid-20th century. Many thus abandoned their nomadic lifestyle with some settling along the shoreline and assimilating with the natives of the land, leaving only the Orang Seletar, the last remnant clinging on to their nomadic lifestyle. By the early 1930s, the last of the Orang Laut who settled around the Kallang River were moved to Kampong Melayu.
References Gibson-Hill, C. A. (1952). The Orang Laut of the Singapore River and the sampan panjang. [Singapore]: Malayan Branch, Royal Asiatic Society.(Call no.: RCLOS 301.295957 GIB)
Mulliner, K. (1991). Historical dictionary of Singapore. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press.(Call no.: RSING 959.57003 MUL)
Sopher, D. E. (1977). The sea nomads: A study of the maritime boat people of Southeast Asia. Singapore: National Museum.(Call no.: RCLOS 959 SOP)
Turnbull, C. M. (1989). A history of Singapore: 1819–1988. Singapore: Oxford University Press.(Call no.: RSING 959.57 TUR)
The Orang Laut are oceanic nomads who’ve plied the routes consistently for centuries. Their name means “Sea People”, and they lived virtually all their lives on boats, men, women, and children.
They were commonly stereotyped as fishers and pirates, but in fact they were also traders, exchanging exotic bird feathers and rare plants with merchants from Imperial China long before colonisation.
- although culturally and linguistically very different, the situation of the Orang Laut, as we know it from the 16th through the end of the nineteenth century, was in many ways similar to that of the Sama-Bajau. Even more than Sulu, the Straits of Malacca, along the southern approaches to which the Orang Laut were very largely concentrated, were and continue to be a major cross-roads of maritime commerce. They were also the primary arena of Malay political history. Thus historians like Wolters (1967, 1979) on Srivijaya and Andaya (1974, 1975) on the Johor Kingdom have stressed the centrally important role they see the Malay-speaking Orang Laut as playing in providing the naval power and communicative links on which the hegemony of successive Malay states was based in a zone of otherwise relatively sparse population. Here, like Sulu, the sea nomads similarly emerged, together with a variety of related coastal and strand peoples, from a common cultural matrix.
With the Orang Laut, we see boat nomadism, again, embedded in a complex political order. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, for example, different named groups of Orang Laut were incorporated in the Kingdom of Johor by their formalized ties to the ruler (Andaya 1974). These ties were articulated in terms of the specific corvée duties assigned to each of these groups (or suku). With corvées were associated degrees of status. Thus Andaya (1974:7), writing of the seventeenth century, outlines these relationships in the following terms:
"The more powerful and prestigious Orang Laut groups were associated with the larger islands or those islands which were favourably situated on major sea trading lanes, …The duties of the Orang Laut were to gather sea products for the China trade, perform certain special services for the ruler at weddings, funerals, or on a hunt, serve as transport for envoys and royal missives, man the ships and serve as a fighting force on the ruler’s fleet, and patrol the waters of the kingdom. Except in times of actual warfare when their services were needed for the fleet, the Orang Laut were usually on patrol providing protection for Johor’s traders or to those wanting to trade in Johor while harassing all other shipping."
Groups such as the Orang Suku Galang, for example, comprising the upper stratum of Orang Laut, were those whose duty, as might be expected, was to provide the naval fighting force for the realm. In contrast, the corvée duty assigned to the Orang Mantang, who formed one of the lowest status groups, was to care for the ruler’s hunting dogs. Later, with the breakdown of central hegemony, fighting groups like the Orang Galang appear to have transferred their allegiance to local Malay chieftains who engaged them as pirate crews. As a result, one of the consequences of the suppression of piracy in the mid-nineteenth century was a rapid sedentarization of a number of these Orang Laut groups (Sandbukt 1984:7; Sopher 1965). Today, former high status groups have generally embraced Islam and become more or less assimilated into the general Malay population, while marginal low status groups have generally continued to maintain a separate ethnicity, even after becoming sedentary fishermen.
Like the Bajau Laut, the identity and mode of life of the Orang Laut was powerfully shaped by their interaction with settled groups in a larger, hierarchically-constituted field of political and economic relations. Both groups lacked an independent political and economic existence, separate from that of their settled neighbours. Within the Malay world, this interaction appears to have been even more formally structured than it was in Sulu, where the sultanate remained, despite its formal patterning on a Malay court model, a relatively loosely structured polity (cf. Kiefer 1972). Thus the Orang Laut were divided, through their relationship to the ruler, into status groups, each differentially situated to perform specific corvée tasks, these tasks in turn associated with positions in an almost caste-like status hierarchy. To the extent that the Orang Laut functioned as marine foragers and fishermen, they were clearly, like the Bajau Laut, “professional” foragers whose very existence presupposed trade, political hierarchy and the institutions of the state.
Region: Thailand, Indonesia, PhilippinesSpecific: Urak Lawoi people
The Orang Laot Kappir (with 1 documentary video)http://www.projecturaklawoi.org/#!project-urak-lawoi-ethnic-group/c1bzd(For Historical Memory preservation of the Urak Lawoi' Community in Koh Lipe)
Title: A group that influenced the political scenario and history of Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines.
Along the picturesque west coast of Thailand are found three tribes of seafarers of whom little has been written, they are the lasts descendants of the Orang Laot Kappir.The Moken, the Moklen and the Urak Lawoi' The Moken have been described at length as inhabitants of South Burma but little reference has been made to their presence in Thailand also. The Moklen, who speak a variant dialect of Moken, are called Thai Mai. The Urak Lawoi' were referred to by a few writers about the turn of the century under the name Orang Laut . However these three tribes are all in existence, with distinctive languages of their own and each in its own habitat. Much confusion has been caused by the different names that have been loosely employed. To Thai people generally these tribesfolk are all known as Chaaw Thalee (Sea People) or in some provinces Chaaw Naam (Water People). Those who have become Thai citizens are known as Thaj Maj (New Thai). This is a general name for any tribal man who has become a Thai citizen so cannot be used to differentiate between the tribes. The tribal people tend to resent the name Chaaw Thalee and especially the name Chaaw Naam but are proud to be called Thaj Maj.
Title: The Austronesians aka Malayo-PolynesianVideo: https://vimeo.com/17188540 (Austronesian migration)
The Austronesian-speaking peoples are various populations in Southeast Asia and Oceania that speak languages of the Austronesian family. They include Taiwanese aborigines; the majority ethnic groups of Malaysia, East Timor, the Philippines,Indonesia, Brunei, Madagascar, Micronesia, and Polynesia, as well as the Polynesian peoples of New Zealand and Hawaii, and the non-Papuan people of Melanesia. They are also found in the minorities of Singapore where Malay is an indigenous language, the Deep South of Thailand, and the Cham areas of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Hainan, China. The territories populated by Austronesian-speaking peoples are known collectively as Austronesia.
Region: general (Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines)
(Para. 4) The inherited vigilance of societies whose existence is closely calibrated with the rhythms of the sea, and who maintain an ability to read nature’s portents, was dramatically demonstrated nearly two years ago, when a terrible tsunami devastated so much of the area around the Indian Ocean. It was reported that isolated groups on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal recognized warning signs like changes in bird cries and the behavior of land and marine animals. They therefore moved to higher ground well in advance of the destructive walls of water that penetrated so far inland. Nonetheless, although many communities are still living with the tragic results of December 2004, the Asian seas are known less for their ferocity than for their long function as a medium for connecting quite distant regions through the exchange of people, goods, and ideas. It is the human dimension that makes this interlocking relationship between land and ocean such a compelling teaching device. If we insist that the sea and those who live with the sea deserve a more prominent place in our study of Asia, we will take an important step in developing the framework required for any comparative overview. In turn, this framework will go a long way towards overcoming the confines of so-called area-studies while redressing the scholarly preoccupation with land-based societies that has so informed the presentation of Asian cultures.
Orang Laut houseboat, Riau Archipelago 1991. Courtesy of Cynthia Chouhttp://japanfocus.org/-barbara_watson-andaya/2410/article.htmlhttp://japanfocus.org/data/1.%20Orang%20Laut.jpg Orang Laut woman preparing food, Riau
Archipelago 1991. Courtesy of Cynthia Chouhttp://japanfocus.org/-barbara_watson-andaya/2410/article.htmlhttp://japanfocus.org/data/2.%20Orang%20laut.jpg
Village of Senggarang, near Tanjung Pinang, Riau, Indonesia.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RIAU_WEB.jpg
Lifestyle / Modern Orang Laut
Region: BorneoSpecific: BajauTitle: On the water with the sea gipsies: Intimate portraits capture life of Borneo's Bajau children who live their whole lives on the oceanLink: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3017799/On-water-sea-gypsies-Intimate-portraits-capture-life-Borneo-s-Bajau-children-live-lives-ocean.html
- Photographer Réhahn lived among the seafaring Bajau tribe learning about their aquatic lives- The sea gipsies spend most of their time on boats or stilted huts, diving and spearfishing - Most can't read or write, and have little concept of time, but welcomed him generously into their homes- Being around water from a young age results in the best divers being able to stay submerged at depths of 20 metres for several minutes, while they hunt for fish.- Although some of the seafaring tribe are born on the ocean and never live on the land, more frequently the sea gypsies are heading to the shore for trade and to gather materials to build boats.
Region: Borneo (not far from the town of Semporna in the Malaysian state of Sabah)Specific: BajauTitle: The Bajau sea gypsies of borneoLink: http://scribol.com/anthropology-and-history/the-bajau-sea-gypsies-of-borneo
Docker came to this village as part of a UK Channel 5 team making a documentary on the plight of gypsies worldwide. Fortunately, getting to the village wasn’t much of an ordeal. “The production company had arranged fixers for our whole shoot in Borneo,” says Docker. “So when we arrived in Semporna we had two boats ready to take the 11-man crew with all the kit to the islands where the Bajau live. It was a pleasant hour-long trip on the water. The Bajau live on houses on stilts, which are situated just off an island in one of the richest reefs in the world.”
The reefs to which Docker is referring are part of the Coral Triangle, which is an ecologically valuable area between Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Timor-Leste. It’s also an area teeming with fish and coral and is recognized as the global center of marine biodiversity – earning it the nickname “The Amazon of the Seas”. Over 120 million people are sustained by this incredible part of the ocean, including the Bajau, who rely on fishing for sustenance and income.
Image: Adam Docker
Descendent/where they came from
Nobody knows for sure where the Bajau came from, or why they first took to their aquatic lifestyle. Two differing theories suggest that they may originate from the Philippines or Johor in Malaysia, while a third theory claims that they came from the Riau Archipelago islands of Indonesia. Some Bajau believe they descended from royal guards of the Johor Sultanate who took to the seas. Yet wherever they derive from, the Bajau have been living a nomadic, ocean-dwelling life for centuries.
Women cover their faces in a paste made from leaves crushed with tapioca and water to prevent them from tanning.
Image: Adam Docker
The Bajau in their canoes, or lepa-lepa.
Image: Adam Docker
“The Bajau collect clams and hunt for small fish in the beautiful surrounding waters and then travel the one-hour journey to the market in Semporna where they sell their wares,” Docker explains. “We followed one of the ladies with her week’s collection of clams. She made £7 [$11]. The families we filmed were so friendly. In fact, everyone there was friendly and all the crew were constantly snapping away on their cameras. It was hard not to be invasive. They looked so fascinating.”
Spearfishing in the crystal clear waters
Image: Adam Docker
Among the Bajau there are a number of different sub-groups, which vary according to where the people come from or where they live. The Bajau in these photographs are Ubian and are thought to be from the island of South Ubian, which is in Tawi-Tawi in the Philippines. This group makes up the largest sub-group of Bajau in the state of Sabah.
Culture, religion
Culture and religion can also vary within the different Bajau sub-groups. A small group of them are Christian but most are Sunni Muslim. Others still hold to ancient animistic beliefs and ancestor worship. And some, like the Ubian, who still live so much at sea, follow a mixture of Islam and folklore, worshiping local sea spirits, or “jinn” as they are called in the Islamic vocabulary.
Region: Borneo (Malaysia, Indonesia)Specific: BajauLink: http://www.peoplesoftheworld.org/text?people=BajauTitle: The Peoples of the World Foundation - Education for and about Indigenous Peoples – Bajau
The Bajau have been a nomadic, seafaring people for most of their history. Many Bajau still practice that same lifestyle to this day, which explains why they are still commonly called "sea gypsies." They chart particularly the waters of the Sulu Sea, off the southwestern coast of the Philippines, and the various seas that surround the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. These are among the most dangerous waters in the world with sporadic policing at best and a very high incidence of open piracy. Yet these Bajau claim never to have wielded weapons — preferring to simply flee from potential attack. They come ashore only to bury the deceased and to live temporarily while making new boats.
Other Bajau began living entirely on land about 200 years ago. Many of these are to be found in Malaysia's eastern state, Sabah, on the island of Borneo. Of course the seafaring Bajau make their living from fishing. Those who have abandoned that lifestyle have become farmers and cattle rearers, earning them the local nickname, "cowboys of the east." Indeed their equine skills are well known in this part of the world, and are always to be found displayed in Bajau ceremonial events. Still other Bajau live a lifestyle between nomadic and sedentary, housed in villages on the water, but not far from land.
From old to young, the Bajau are a colorful, festive and musical people. They believe they are descended from royalty. This is perhaps partly why they wear such richly colorful clothes, often made by hand from traditional dastar fabric. Brides and grooms wear even more colorful clothing at their wedding. The more highly regarded a woman is the more brightly and colorfully she will be dressed. She will also receive many water buffalo which, to the Bajau, is a special animal that usually forms part of any woman's dowry. Arranged marriages are common. Marriage by kidnap and elopement are also still quite frequent.
Although they are the second largest indigenous people in Sabah, the precise origin of the Bajau is unknown. They may have come from Johore, in peninsular Malaysia, long before the two Borneo states became a part of the country. Wherever they came from their migration has been attributed in part to their pursuit of trade, particularly in a sea cucumber species called the trepang. It is considered a delicacy and is used in soups made as far away as China, where it is also used medicinally. Bajau divers can descend as deep as 30 meters (100 feet) in search of it.
Almost all Bajau today claim to be Sunni Muslim. They believe that among their people are direct descendants of the prophet Mohammed. Yet many — predominantly the seafaring, nomadic Bajau — retain spiritually based religious practices that pre-date any major religion. In their religion designated spirit mediums communicate with the spirit world in ritual ceremonies of celebration, worship and exorcism — in which, for example, spirit boats are sailed into the open seas to cast the offending spirit away from their community. They also worship the God of the sea, Omboh Dilaut.
A large part of Bajau history and tradition is captured in their folklore. One ancient story tells of a very large man, named Bajau himself. His people used to follow him into rivers because whenever he went there the river was so overflowed by his body mass that they could easily collect dead fish! They eventually came to call on his service just to help harvest fish. Other tribes in the area soon learned of his reputation and, being envious of the advantage he bestowed on his people, plotted to kill him. But their efforts came to no avail and he survived the poisoned arrows they fired at him. His epitaph today is a stone which he carried to his own burial place — a stone that no other man could lift. Some Bajau — and other local indigenous peoples — still fear his stone and his reputation to this day.
Folkloric stories like this are these days based on interpretation throughout countless generations. Yet however much the original story might have been distorted or exaggerated over time, it reflects a common theme in many people's folklore: that theirs is the dominant or superior people in a region.
The Bajau, like any distinct group, have already lost some of their heritage as some of their stories were never re-told to the next generation. The Bajau are also beginning to lose something of their identity as they integrate with their adopted, land-based communities. Even the most traditional, seafaring Bajau are losing their boat-building craft as they replace their hand-made lipa-lipa boats with commercially built, mass-produced ones. On Sabah's southeastern-most coast these lipa-lipa boats are a feature of the annual Semporna festival, for which the boats are colorfully decorated and raced against each other in a celebration of Bajau culture. It is uncertain how long this festival might be able to continue.
Despite these changes, the richness of Bajau heritage is starting to be recognized as worthy of preservation. In addition to anthropological works (see Books/Articles below), organizations like the Sabah Bajau Arts and Cultural Association and the Centre for Borneo Studies sponsor various events that spotlight Bajau life.
Waddington, R. (2003), The Bajau People. The Peoples of the World Foundation. Retrieved December 1, 2015, from The Peoples of the World Foundation. <http://www.peoplesoftheworld.org/text?people=Bajau>
Region: BorneoSpecific: BajauLink: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2010/sep/20/bajau-sea-nomadsTitle: Bajau Sea NomadsInformations: Photos and media
Jatmin, an octopus specialist, swims back to his boat carrying a freshly speared cephalod mollusc
Photograph: James Morgan
Since diving is the main occupation for the Bajau people, they deliberately rupture their eardrums at an early age. Unsurprisingly, most older Bajau are hard of hearing. They hunt with spear guns fashioned from boat timber, tyre rubber and scrap metal
Link: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/real-waterworld-refugees-banned-land-5615336Title: The REAL Waterworld: Refugees banned from land build floating village at SEA
The Bajau people of Malaysia live their lives completely at sea, living in wooden huts and spending their days fishing.
Image: HotSpot Media
The Bajau people of Malaysia live their lives completely at sea, living in wooden huts and spending their days fishing.
Image: HotSpot Media
Specific: Bajau LautLink: http://www.jamesmorgan.co.uk/features/bajau-laut-sea-nomads/Information: photosAuthor: James Morgan
Of all these communities, the Bajau Laut have perhaps suffered the most. The Bajau Laut are some of the last true marine nomads. An ethnic group of Malay origin, they have for centuries lived out their lives almost entirely at sea, plying a tract of ocean between Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia. In the last few decades many have been forced to settle permanently on land, but a dwindling number still call the ocean home, living on long boats known as lepa lepa. Traditionally, they fish with nets and lines and are expert free divers, going to improbable depths in search of pearls and sea cucumbers or to hunt with handmade spear guns.
Traditional Bajau cosmology – a syncretism of animism and Islam – reveals a complex relationship with the ocean, which for them is a multifarious and living entity. There are spirits in currents and tides, in coral reefs and mangroves. My point of interest is the potential for dovetailing the Bajau’s uniquely intimate understanding of the ocean with wider marine conservation strategies, in order to facilitate them in conserving, rather than destroying, their culture and the spectacular marine environments they have called home for centuries.
![The Orang Laut in the Negara Selat€œXabandaria” [Syahbandar’sPost] in Singapore (map c. 1619) Decline in Importance of Orang Laut in Negara Selat •Johor regicide in 1699 brought](https://static.documents.pub/doc/80x56/5cac68f288c9935d0b8c5116/the-orang-laut-in-the-negara-selat-xabandaria-syahbandarspost-in-singapore.jpg)
