Abstract
This is a narrative, based on oral testimonies and contemporary documents, of the migration of four groups of formerly nomadic Penan from the Usun Apau in the interior of Belaga district and Apau Julan in the upper Baram River, Baram district, to the Jelalong River in Sebauh district around the beginning of the 1800s. The Jelalong River was unoccupied and the Penan groups became its first occupants. Soon after their arrival, they adopted a settled mode of life, traded with Brunei traders and Chinese merchants at the confluence of the Tubau and Jelalong; they also bartered with the Vaie Segan who paddled up the Jelalong to the Penan settlements. Intense interactions with neighbouring groups resulted in several intermarriages, while the settlements have retained their identity as Penan places.
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Notes
- 1.
Interview with Tuai Rumah Julaihi Keti, Long Saoh, 2 August 2014.
- 2.
Interviews with Penan elders at Long Saoh, 25 August 2012; and elders at Long Mekapan, 26 February 2012, with regard to food crop and cash crop cultivation.
- 3.
Conversations with Tuai Rumah Ogus Sugun, Jambatan Suai, 21 August 2012; Penan elders at Long Saoh, 25 August 2012; and elders at Long Mekapan, 7 February 2013.
- 4.
Interview with Tuai Rumah Julaihi Keti, Long Saoh, 2 August 2014.
- 5.
Interview with Tuai Rumah Julaihi Keti, Long Saoh, 2 August 2014.
- 6.
Interviews with Tuai Rumah Julaihi Keti , Long Saoh, 25 August 2012; and Tuai Rumah Resa Tungun, Long Mekapan, 7 February 2013. See also Profil kampung Long Mekapan (Long Mekapan village profile) and Profil kampung Long Saoh (Long Saoh village profile) for short accounts of the migration of the Penan Saoh and Penan Mekapan ancestors.
- 7.
Interviews with Tuai Rumah Ogus Sugun, Jambatan Suai, 21 August 2012; Tuai Rumah Julaihi Keti, Long Saoh, 25 August 2012; and Tuai Rumah Resa Tungun, Long Mekapan, 1 February 2013.
- 8.
Interviews with elders at Jambatan Suai, 21 August 2012; Long Saoh, 25 August 2012; and Long Mekapan, 7 February 2013.
- 9.
Interviews with Penan elders at Long Saoh, 25 August 2012; and Penan elders at Long Mekapan, 26 August 2012.
- 10.
Interview with elders of Long Mekapan, 26 August 2012.
- 11.
Interview with Penan elders in Jambatan Suai, 21 August 2002; Long Saoh, 25 August 2012; and Long Mekapan, 26 August 2012.
- 12.
Conversations with Penghulu Pau Tului, Long Wat, 25 April 2010; Pengajau Uma Along Joo, Long Singu, 30 April 2010; Pengajau Uma Matu Tugang, Long Jek, 2 May 2010.
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Appendices
Appendices
1.1 Appendix 7.1: Movements of Penan Saoh Ancestors from the Apau Julan and the Usun Apau to the Jelalong
Leader | Movement of the Penan Mekapan | Remarks |
---|---|---|
Semalong Julan | Moved back from Apau Julan to the Usun Apau (their place of origin); moved to the Seping; crossed the Mali and the Belaga to the Koyan; journeyed upstream of the Koyan, took a left turn, climbed the steep Sekalap pass and went downhill to the Kebulu; remained in the Kebulu; moved downstream and at the mouth of Kebulu took a right turn up the Jelalong to the Merurong, a tributary of the Jelalong; remained here and Semalong passed away | Penan had a tribal existence, outside state control; leadership passed to Semuling Julan |
Semuling Julan | Remained in the Merurong | Leadership passed to his nephew, Sesian Semalong |
Sesian Semalong | Moved to the upper Jelalong; then the Tinjar; lived in the Temadoh, a tributary of the Tinjar; moved back to the upper Jelalong | Leadership passed to Menyakit Semuling |
Menyakit Semuling | Moved down the Jelalong and took a right turn up the Saoh; established a settlement in the Sekuan | Leadership passed to Turung Semuling |
Turung Semuling | Remained in the Sekuan | Leadership passed to Labi Menyakit |
Labi Menyakit | Remained in the Sekuan | Leadership passed to Tugang Menyakit |
Tugang Menyakit | Remained in the Sekuan | Leadership passed to Segali Tugang |
Segali Tugang | Remained in the Sekuan | Leadership passed to Bibeng |
Bibeng | Moved down the Saoh and took left turn; established a settlement at the Liuk, a tributary of the Jelalong | Penan aware of Brunei rule; leadership passed to Seniang |
Seniang | Moved up the Jelalong; established a settlement at Sengayah | Leadership passed to Luton |
Luton | Moved down the Jelalong: established a settlement at Long Saoh | Luton’s remains put in a kliering; leadership passed to Nayang |
Nayang | Moved to Long Kebulu | Leadership passed on to Sagoh Bibeng |
Sagoh Bibeng | Remained in Long Kebulu | Sarawak under Brooke rule; leadership passed to Surei Luton |
Surei Luton | Moved to Sengoloi, at the upper Kebulu | Sarawak still under Brooke rule; leadership passed to Agau Luton |
Agau Luton | Moved to the Ma’au, at the upper Saoh | Leadership passed to Leng Luton |
Leng Luton | Moved to the Vadeu, a tributary of the Jelalong | Japanese forces occupied Sarawak (1941–1945); leadership passed to Busu Agau |
Busu Agau | Remained in the Vadeu | Leadership passed to Jemat Mejiwit |
Jemat Mejiwit | Moved back to the Liuk | British colonial (from late 1945); leadership passed to Avit Busu |
Avit Busu | Remained in the Liuk | Sarawak became part of the Federation of Malaysia (1963); leadership passed to Keti Jemat as appointed tuai rumah |
Keti Jemat | Moved back to Long Saoh | Retired from tuai rumah position in 2009 |
Julaihi Keti | Remained at Long Saoh | Appointed tuai rumah in 2009 |
1.2 Appendix 7.2: Movement of the Penan Mekapan Ancestors from the Apau Julan to the Jelalong
Leader | Movement of the Penan Mekapan | Remarks |
---|---|---|
Ngambung | Moved from the Apau Julan to the Paong, went down the Tinjar to below the Temadoh, took a left turn and made overland crossings of the Niah and the Suai to reach Tanjung Kidurong; later moved to the Sibiu | Tribal existence was outside state control; Ngambung was buried in the Sibiu; leadership was passed to Madang |
Madang | Moved up the Kemena; lived at the mouth of the Labang | Madang died and was buried in the Labang; leadership passed to Tekulah |
Tekulah | Moved up the Kemena; lived in Tubau | Kayan arrived in the area; Tekulah died and was buried at Tubau; leadership passed to Lengaut |
Lengaut | Moved up the Jelalong; established a settlement at the Darui | Was buried at the Darui; leadership passed to Nayang |
Nayang | Stayed put in the settlement at the Darui | Was buried at the Darui; leadership passed to Balan |
Balan | Moved up the Jelalong to the Liuk River | Was buried at the Darui; leadership passed to Sedaya |
Sedaya | Moved back to the Darui | Was buried at the Darui; leadership passed to Mengejau |
Mengejau | Moved to Long Saoh | Was sick for long time before being cured by a Vaie Segan trader; converted to Islam; was buried at the Darui; leadership passed to Dangan |
Dangan | Moved to Long Mekapan and established a settlement there | Appointed by the colonial government as tuai rumah 1958; died in 1977 and buried at the Darui; leadership passed to Jadong |
Jadong | Long Mekapan settlement became permanent | Appointed tuai rumah in 1977; converted to Islam and moved to live in Bintulu; Resa Tungun appointed tuai rumah in 1984 |
Resa Tungun | Built a modern longhouse at Long Mekapan | Current tuai rumah |
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Langub, J. (2020). The Penan of Jelalong River, Sarawak: A Narrative of Migration and Adaptation. In: Ishikawa, N., Soda, R. (eds) Anthropogenic Tropical Forests. Advances in Asian Human-Environmental Research. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7513-2_7
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