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FulbrightNationalGeographicStories

ThePenanHunterGatherersofSarawak

PostedbyJoannaEedeonApril17,2014
(1)
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PhotographbyJulienCoquentin
ForthePenanofSarawaksrainforest,theraucouscallofthewhitecrownedhornbillhaslong
heraldeddawn.Today,however,theyarejustaslikelytobewokenbythesoundofchainsawsand
fallingtrees.
ThetropicalrainforestofSarawakinBorneo,EastMalaysia,isoneofthemostbiologicallyrich
forestsonearth.ItisalsohometothePenanpeople,oneofthelasthuntergatherertribesinMalaysia
theyhavelivedinharmonywiththerainforest,withitsfastflowingriversandtwistingnetworksof
limestonecaves,forthousandsofyears.
Thelandissacred,aPenanmansaid,itbelongstothecountlesswhoaredead,thosewhoare
livingandthemultitudesyettobeborn.
Theycalltheforestokoobuun:Theplaceoftheirorigins.

Untilthe1960s,mostPenanlivednomadically,somestilldo,whilemanyothershavebeensettledin
villages.Thenomadsmovecampfrequentlyinsearchofwildboar,followingthecyclesoffruiting
treesandwildsagopalm.Inaddition,theytradegatheredforestproducts,suchasaromaticwoodand
rattanforknives,pans,andtarpaulin.

PhotographbyJulienCoquentin
Penanmenhuntwildboar(babui),barkingdeerandothersmallanimals,suchassquirrelsandlizards.
Thesearekilledwithblowpipes(keleput)madefromhardwoodanddartslacedwithtajem,apoison
extractedfromthemilkylatexofatree,whichinterfereswiththefunctioningoftheheart.
Preyiscarriedhomeonthehuntersbackandmeatisthenequitablydistributed.Theirsisan
egalitariansocietyinwhichsharingisparamountforthePenan,themostserioussocialoffenceissee
hun,atermthatmeansafailuretoshare.
Theirprimarysourceofcarbohydrateisthestarchypithofthewildsagopalm,andtheyalso
traditionallyeatrivercucumbersoup,rambutanfruit,andvarioustypesoffish.
Overgenerationsofrainforestlife,thePenanhaveamassedvaststoresofintricatebotanical
knowledge.Theyunderstandtheecologicalandclimaticcyclesoftheforestandarereceptivetotiny
changesinlight,ortothesubtleincreaseinrainforesttemperaturethatpresagesathunderstorm.
Theirtemporaryhomes,knownassulaps,aremadefromthesaplingsoftreesandareusedbyall
Penanwhentheystayintherainforest.
Theymakedartquiversandnoseflutesfrombambooandbraceletsfromrattan.Theyalsouseplants
tocurearangeofailmentsandhavealwayscommunicatedwithothertribalmembersthrougha
complexsignalsystemofstickandleafsymbols,whichtheyrefertoasoroo.
SensitivelyattunedtoanimalbehaviourthePenanimitatethenoiseofababydeerinordertoattract
adultdeertohunttheyconsiderthemselvesinseparablefromtheirenvironment.Theirinnatesense
ofsustainabilityandresponsibilityfortheforestencapsulatedinthePenanprincipleofmolong,

meaningtopreservemeansthatlittleisleftbehindintheircamps.
Mostofthe1012,000Penannowliveinsettledcommunities.However,bothsettledandnomadic
Penancontinuetorelyontheforest,notonlyfortheirnutritionandtechnology,butfortheirspiritual
sustenanceandsenseofidentityasapeople.
Theyhaveafightontheirhands.Fordecades,theyhavebeentryingtohaltthedestructionofthe
Sarawakrainforest:Sincethe1970s,thegovernmenthasbackedcommercialloggingontriballand.

PhotographbyJulienCoquentin
FromtheslopesofGunungMurut,Borneoshighestmountain,totheswamplandsofthecoastal
plains,theoncelushworldofvirginforest,giantferns,andhanginglianasisnowlargelydenuded.
TheSarawakstategovernmentdoesnotrecognisethePenansrightstotheirlands,despitethe
nationalandinternationallawsthatdefendindigenouslandrights.
Giveustherightandchancetodecideaboutanydevelopmentthattakesplaceonthetraditionalland
ofthePenan,thePenanhavesaid.
Dustyredroadstransportloggersandbulldozersdeepintotheforest.Thesteepsidedvalleysthat
oncewerefilledwithbirdsongnowresoundwiththenoiseoftrucksandcrashingtimber.
TheMalaysiangovernmentclaimsthatSarawakisbeingloggedsustainably.Therealityisvery
different:ItsforestsarebeingfelledatoneofthefastestratesintheworldtwicethatoftheAmazon.
Inareaswhereallvaluabletreeshavebeencutdown,companiesarenowrazingeverylasttreein
ordertogrowoilpalm.Evenareasthathavebeendesignatedasprotectedreserves,calledpulau,are
beingdestroyed.
Forthosewithacommercialinterestintherainforest,loggingisthesoundofprogress.Forthe
Penan,itisthesoundofdeath.

PhotographbyJulienCoquentin
TheheadwatersofSarawaksmightyriversarenowsiltedandpollutedbysawdustandrottinglogs.
ThefishonwhichthePenandependaredyingandgame,frightenedbylogging,isdrivendeeperinto
theremainingforests.
Felledtrees,landslides,soilerosion,riverpollution,andthelossoftreecanopynotonlyrobthePenan
ofshelter,game,fish,andcleanwater,butoftheirhopeandspiritualhappiness.
Itishardforustolookattheredland,theyhavesaid.Weareonlyhappywhenthereisabreeze,
whenweareunderthetrees,whenwefindourselvesintheshadeoftheforest.
TheMalaysiangovernmenthasmadenosecretofitsdesiretobringdevelopmenttothePenan,whomitseesas
backward.

Weareaskingthemtogiveuptheirunhealthylivingconditionsandbackwardnessforbetter
amenitiesandalongerandhealthierlifestyle,aMinisterisreportedtohavesaid.
LetthemstayattheWaldorfAstoriainNewYorkfortwoyearswiththeamenitiesofCadillacsand
beautifuljuicysteaks.Whentheycomebackletthemdecidewhethertheywanttoliveinthestyleof
NewYorkersorasPenanintheforest.
ThePenanseetheirpositionverydifferently.LivingintheforestisallthatIknow,saidonePenan
woman.Wedonotknowthelifestyleofothers.
TheydoknowthatdailylifeinsettlementvillagesisfarfromasteakandCadillaclife.Homeshave
beenbuiltinunsuitableareaswithoutsuitableseweragefacilitiesandpollutedriverscausestomach
disordersandskindiseases.Malnutrition,poverty,anddiseasearerife.

PhotographbyJulienCoquentin
Palmoilfoundinbreakfastcereals,cosmetics,andenginelubricanthasbeenhailedasthesaviour
ofbiofuelsacheapalternativetofossilfuelsthatwillhelptheworldincuttinggreenhousegas
emissions.
NowthatahugeproportionofSarawaksprimaryrainforesthasbeenloggedatleastonce,largeareas
arebeingclearedandburnedforacaciaandoilpalmplantations.
Inforestsdenudedbylogging,thePenanarestillabletoekeoutahuntingexistence,despitethe
scarcityofwildboarandcompetitionwithloggersfortheforestsremainingfood.
However,oilpalmplantationsareanentirelydifferentproposition:Theydestroyforestecosystems
entirely.
InDecember2013,fortyPenanfamiliessetupablockadeinprotestagainstShinYang,for
trespassingontheirancestralland.
TodaythePenanalsofaceanothernewthreat:Hydroelectricdams.
ThegovernmentplanstobuildtwelvenewdamsacrossSarawakby2020.Intheprocessof
construction,villagesbelongingtothePenanandotherindigenouspeopleswillbeflooded.
Thefirstofthesedams,theMurumdam,isnearingcompletion.Approximately1,400Penanhave
nowbeenmovedtogovernmentresettlementvillages.
Theirliveshavechangedirrevocably.

PhotographbyJulienCoquentin
InmidSeptember2013,thefloodingoftheMurumdambegan,despitethefactthatthePenanhadnotbeen
properlyconsultedabouttheresettlementprocessandtherelocationsitehadnotbeencompleted.

ThePenanresisted,blockadingtheMurumdamsitefor77days,duringwhichtimeseveralwere
arrestedandprotestorsfacedrepeatedintimidationatthehandsofthepolice.SomePenanalso
travelledtoKualaLumpurtomarchagainstthegovernmentsactions.
Werefusetobedisplacedfromourcenturiesoldancestralland,theysaid.Wewillnotbetreated
likerefugeesinourowncountry.
ByNovember2013,facedwithrisingwatersapproachingtheirvillages,alackoffoodattheprotest
site,andtheimminentdismantlingofabridgewhichledtotheirvillages,thePenanwereforcedto
callanendtotheirblockadeandacceptthemovetothenewgovernmentresettlementsite.
Theiroldvillagesarenowcompletelysubmergedandtheresettlementsiteisasyetincomplete.
Aspartoftheresettlementagreement,thePenanwerepromisedcompensationofjustoverUS$7000
perfamily.Buttheirotherdemands,includingadditionallandandforestinwhichtohunt,havebeen
ignored.

PhotographbyJulienCoquentin
DespitepromisesfromtheSarawakgovernment,therelocationofthePenanfortheMurumdamhas
notmetinternationalstandards.
ThePenanwerenotproperlyconsultedandtheprocesswasshroudedinsecrecy,saidSophieGrig,
SeniorCampaigneratSurvivalInternational,theglobalmovementfortribalpeoplesrights.
TheMurumPenanhavenowbeendumpedinanabandonedoilpalmplantationagainsttheirwishes
andwithoutenoughforesttosustainthem.AnyonewhospendstimewiththePenanwillknowthat
therainforestitiseverythingtothem.Withoutit,theycannotsurvive.
ThePenanneedtheirrightstotheirlandtoberespected,shecontinued.Thismeansthereshouldbe
nologging,plantations,ordambuildingontheirlands.Nothing,withouttheirconsent.
AsPenanspokesman,DawatLupung,states,
Treesthatarecutdownwereonce
theshelterofhornbill,
thehomeofgibbons,
thehomeoflangur,
thehomeofeverysinglekindofanimal
thatlivesuphigh.
Whereistheirhomenow?
Gone.Finished!
Thegovernmentsaysweareanimals,
likeanimalsintheforest.
Wearenotanimalsintheforest.
WearePenan.
Humans.
ImyselfknowIamhuman.

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1. Jensen
April22,2014,10:45pm
ItsGunungMurud.

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