by Dominic Langat

The Penan are one of the indigenous groups living in the Southern part of Sarawak, Malaysia with an estimated population of 10,000 people. Most of them have settled permanently in villages like other indigenous groups while about 300-400 are still nomadic within their own territory which they call Tana Kampung.

About 70 percent of the Penan living in the area of Apoh Tutoh, Middle Baram, Sarawak, Malaysia are settled. About 20 percent are semi-settled and the remaining 10 percent are nomadic. Because of continuous logging activities in this area, most of the Penan’s communal land has been destroyed. The nomadic Penan, who like their ancestors depend on the forest for their food and way of life, find their source of food in a particular sago palm being depleted, leaving them often with only one solid meal a day.

The reforestation efforts in Sarawak started with the planting of sago palm by some 13 families of the nomadic Penan in Ba Puak, Apoh Tutoh. The nomadic Penan have identified degraded areas on their land which is also part of the boundary of their native land. In the first phase they will plant about 1,200 palms. The nomadic are highly keen and involved in regenerating their food source and forest. However, they need intensive support or guidance as this would be their very first time cultivating as they have for generations depended on the forest for their food and living.

In March 2007, a workshop on the development of sago seedlings and nursery was held in Ba Puak in which eight settled Penan headmen including their Paramount Chief (Penghulu) was present at the workshop. In his words of advice, the Chief urged the Penan, especially the nomadics, to support and commit themselves seriously to learning how to cultivate and not to depend too much on outside assistance. As in the experience of the Penan, “NGOs may come and go but communities are there forever.”

Working with the nomadic Penans these past four years has been a colourful experience. But I’ve realised that if the nomadic Penan’s forest had remained intact, they prefer the life they had always known of hunting and gathering to agriculture.

In a funny incident at the workshop on developing sago seedlings, some nomadics had to go and collect sago seeds from the forest. When they came back in the evening, they had with them two wild boars. When asked where the seeds were, they answered, “We forgot about the seeds. We were distracted by so many traces of wild boars in the forest and we went hunting instead. The seeds can be collected tomorrow.”

If only we were all so free and if only the nomadic Penans had their forest as large and in good form to depend for food and a life they had always known.

CONTACT: Dominic Langat, jarmock1@yahoo.com

Dominic is the Community Organiser for the Sarawak project entitled “Reforestation and Strengthening of Penans in Apoh Tutoh to Secure Food, Livelihood and Native Land” which is supported by the Ecosystems Grants Programme – IUCN