Bajau people

Badjao/Bajau
Total population
at least 401,800
Regions with significant populations
Malaysia
(Sabah, Sarawak) 401,800[1]
 Philippines
(Sulu Archipelago, Zamboanga Peninsula, Mindanao)
Indonesia
(Kalimantan, Madura, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi)
Brunei
elsewhere
Languages

Sama–Bajaw languages, Chabacano, Malay,
Bahasa Sug, Bahasa Indonesia, English
Religion

Sunni Islam (majority),
Folk Islam, Animism, Christianity
Related ethnic groups

Tausug, Yakan
Orang Laut, other Moros,
Malays, Orang Laut, Cham
other Austronesian peoples

The Bajau or Bajaw ( /ˈbædʒɔː/ or /ˈbɑːdʒaʊ/), also spelled Bajao, Badjau, Badjaw, or Badjao, are an indigenous ethnic group of Maritime Southeast Asia. Bajau continue to live a seaborne lifestyle, making use of small wooden sailing vessels (known as perahu) for voyages through the seas of austronesia.

Due to escalated conflicts in their native Sulu Archipelago, and discrimination in the Philippines with regards to education and employment, most of the Bajau have migrated to neighboring Malaysia over the course of 50 years. Currently they are the second largest ethnic group in the state of Sabah, making up 13.4%[1] of the total population. Groups of Bajau have also migrated to Sulawesi and Kalimantan in Indonesia, although figures of their exact population are unknown.[2]

Bajau have sometimes been referred to as the Sea Gypsies, although the term has been used to encompass a number of non-related ethnic groups with similar traditional lifestyles, such as the Moken of the Burmese-Thai Mergui Archipelago and the Orang Laut of southeastern Sumatra and the Riau Islands of Indonesia. The modern outward spread of the Bajau from older inhabited areas seems to have been associated with the development of sea trade in sea cucumber (trepang).

Contents

Term

Like the term Kadazan-dusun, Bajau is a collective term, used to describe several closely related indigenous groups. These Bajau groups also blend culturally with the Sama groups into what is most properly called the Sama–Bajau people. Historically the term "Sama" was used to describe the more land-oriented and settled Sama–Bajau groups, while "Bajau" was used to describe the more sea-oriented, boat-dwelling, nomadic groups. Even these distinctions are fading as the majority of Bajaus have long since abandoned boat living, most for Sama–style piling houses in the coastal shallows. Today, the greatest feature distinguishing the "Bajau" from the "Sama" is their poverty.

The Sama–Bajau peoples speak some ten languages of the Sama–Bajau subgroup of the Western Malayo-Polynesian language family.[3]

History

The origin of the word Bajau is not clear cut. It is generally accepted that these groups of people can be termed Bajau, though they never call themselves Bajau. Instead, they call themselves with the names of their tribes, usually the place they live or place of origin. They accept the term Bajau because they realize that they share some vocabulary and general genetic characteristic such as in having darker skin, although the Simunuls appear to be an exception in having fairer skin.

British administrators in Sabah, labeled the Sama as Bajau and put Bajau in their birth certificates as their race. During their time in Malaysia, some have started labeling themselves as their ancestors called themselves, such as Simunul. For political reasons and to ensure easy access to the Malaysian special privileges granted to Malays, many have started calling themselves Malay. This is especially true for recent Filipino migrants.

For most of their history, the Bajau have been a nomadic, seafaring people, living off the sea by trading and subsistence fishing.[5] The boat dwelling Bajau see themselves as non-aggressive people. They kept close to the shore by erecting houses on stilts, and traveled using lepa-lepa, handmade boats which many lived in.[5] Although historically originating from the southern Philippine coasts, Sabahan Sama legend narrates that they had originated from members of the royal guard of the Johor Sultanate, after the fall of the Malay Malacca Empire, who settled along the east coast of Borneo after being driven there by storms. Another version narrates that they were escorting the Sultan's bride, but the bride was later kidnapped by the Sultan of Brunei. The fact that the Bajau-Sama languages belong to the Philippine branch of Malayo-Polynesian languages would substantiate the anthropological origins of the Bajau groups to be from the Philippines, and put the origin legends down to the historic Malay-centric influence of Bajau culture.

However, there are traces that Sama people came from Riau Archipelago especially Lingga Island more than 300 years ago. It is believed by some that the migration process of Samah to North West Borneo took place more than 100 years earlier, starting from trade with the Empire of Brunei. (note connection to bride being sent from Johor to Sulu and then being kidnapped by the Prince of Brunei) With the fall of the legitimate Sultan of Johor due to being overthrown by Bugis immigrants, Sama people fled to the west coast of North Borneo where they felt safe to live under the protection of the Brunei Sultanate. That's why native Kadazan-Dusun call Sama people as "tuhun(people of) Sama" or "tulun(people of) Sama" in their dialects, the form of recognition before western civilization found Borneo. It was believed that Sama people are not from the royalty of the Sultanate, but loyal workers, craftsmen, boat builders and farmers that fled from cruelty of ethnic cleansing in chaotic Johor during aggression of the Bugis taking over the throne of Johor.

Today the number of Bajau who are born and live primarily at sea is diminishing, partially due to hotly debated government programs which have moved Bajau on to the mainland.[5] Currently, there exists a huge settlement of Filipino Bajau in Pulau Gaya, off the Sabah coast. Many of them are illegal immigrants on the Malaysian island. With the island as a base, they frequently enter Sabah and find jobs as manual laborers.

Discrimination of Bajau (particularly from the dominant Tausūg people who have historically viewed them as 'inferior' and less specifically from the Christian Filipinos)[6] and the continuing violence in Muslim Mindanao, have driven many Bajau to begging, or to migrate out of the country. They usually resettle in Malaysia and Indonesia, where they are less discriminated against.[4][7]

Demographics and religion

The various Bajau sub-groups vary culturally, linguistically, and religiously. Religion can vary from a strict adherence to Sunni Islam, forms of folk Islam, to animistic beliefs in spirits and ancestor worship. There is a small minority of Christians.

Sub-groups

Commonly, many sub-groups of Bajau are named after the place or island they live-in for many years. Even though they are called Bajau, each sub-groups has their own unique language, cultures and tradition. However, certain sub-groups are able to understand the languages of other sub-groups. For example, some Bajau understand the Bajau Ubian language, and the Bajau Ubian and Simunul in Sabah are able to understand and speak the Tausug language called the Suluk language in Sabah.

Lists of Bajau sub-groups:

  1. Ubian (Malaysia) - The largest group of Bajau. They reside in sizable minorities living around the towns of Kudat and Semporna in Sabah, Malaysia.
  2. Sama (Malaysia) - Commonly known as Bajau Kota Belud, because most of them live in or near area of Kota Belud, Sabah. This is actually a misnomer as they can be found all over the west coast of the state, and not just in Kota Belud. They call themselves Sama, not Bajau and their neighbours, the Dusuns also call them Sama, not Bajau. British administrators originally defined them as Bajau.
  3. Samah/Sama Sulawesi Selatan' (Malaysia)[8]
  4. Simunul (Malaysia) - Simunul people can be found at Kampung Bokara, Sandakan, Semporna and Lahad Datu Towns. Simunuls in Sabah originate from Tawi-tawi, where they are still mostly found and are the majority there, and the only Bajau group that mostly has fair skin.
  5. Samal (Philippines, Malaysia) - A group native to the Philippines, a large number are now residing around the coasts of northern Sabah, though many have also migrated north to the seas around the Visayas and southern Luzon. The Samal are sometimes considered distinct from the other Bajau.[7][9] They are the largest single group of Bajau.[10]
  6. Bajau Suluk (Malaysia) - This sub-group, live mostly in Kudat, and have origins in the Philippines, hence, although living among Malay peoples for a substantial part of their history, are also able to converse in the Tausug and Samal languages.
  7. Tando' Bas (Malaysia) - This sub-group was rarely found in Sabah before 1970s. They had recently migrated to Sabah from a place called Tando Bas in the Philippines.
  8. Ungus Matata (Malaysia) - This sub-group was rarely found in Sabah before 1970s. They had recently migrated to Sabah from a place called Ungus Matata in the Philippines.
  9. Tolen (Malaysia) - This sub-group was found only at Bum-bum island, in Semporna, Sabah. No trace of them anywhere else even in the Philippines.
  10. Pala'u (Malaysia) - This sub-group originally lived on boats all the time but recently in Sabah, some have settled on land.
  11. Tabawan (Philippines, Malaysia) - This sub-group was rarely found in Sabah before 1970s. They have recently migrated to Sabah from a place called Tabawan, Tawi-tawi, Philippines.
  12. Banguingui or Balangingi Samal (Philippines, Malaysia) - Native to the Philippines, where the majority still live. This sub-group was rarely found in Sabah before 1970s. Some have recently migrated to Sabah. The Balanguingui were once slavers and pirates during the 16th to 19th centuries, capturing people from other nearby ethnic groups and often integrating them into their own culture.[11]
  13. Sikubung (Malaysia) - People from this sub-group were rare in Sabah before 1970s. They have recently migrated to Sabah.

For more lists, terms for their languages are Вahasa Вajau, Bahasa Sama–Bajau or Bahasa Sama.

Religion

Claims to religious piety and learning are an important source of individual prestige among the coastal Bajau, and the title of salip/sarip (descendants of the Prophet Muhammad) are shown special honor in the local community. Some of the Bajau lack mosques and must rely on the shore-based communities such as those of the more Islamized Аrabic or Malay peoples. The Ubian Bajau, due to their nomadic marine lifestyle, are much less adherent to orthodox Islam, and practice more of a syncretic folk hybrid, revering local sea spirits, known in Islamic terminology as Jinn.

Culture

Bajaus are expert horsemen - this is their main claim to fame in Malaysia, where horse riding has never been widespread anywhere else. The Bajau people are also well known for weaving and needlework skills.

In Semporna, Sabah, Malaysia, the Bajau groups perform the likely Tausug's dance, Pangalay.'Daling-Daling' like the performance dance from Вajaus dance like Іgal-igal. They also invented their own dance called Igal-igal in Вajau languages, based on the Daling-daling moves and costumes. In fact it has become the dance of choice for wedding ceremonies for native communities in Semporna and has spread to Sandakan. By the year 2000, among the Sama Bajau communities, this dance, also simply called Daling-daling, tend to be included with the Joget dances at wedding ceremonies at night. This is helped by the production of Music Videos of the Daling-daling songs and dances.

In Sarawak there are a number of Iban named Bajau (Beransah Bajau, Hillary Bajau)

Traditional beliefs

Many Bajaus of the east coast retain their seaborne lifestyle, together with remnants of traditional pre-Islamic beliefs. Traditional Bajau communities may have a dukun (i.e. a shaman) and may adhere to taboos concerning the treatment of the sea and other cultural aspects. An example of this is the offering of thanks to the Omboh Dilaut, the God of the Sea, whenever a particularly large catch is brought in. The east coast Sabah Bajau are also famous for the annual Semporna Regatta.

Among the boat-dwellers in particular, community spirit mediums are consulted at least once a year for a public séance and nightly trance dancing. In times of epidemics, the mediums are also called upon to remove illness causing spirits from the community. They do this by setting a "spirit boat" adrift in the open sea beyond the village or anchorage.

It has been suggested by some researchers that Bajau people's visits to Arnhem Land gave rise to the accounts of the mysterious Baijini people in the myths of Australia's Yolngu Aboriginals.[12]

Maritime technology and fishing

Bajau fishers make use of wooden sailing vessels known as perahu lambo for voyages to the Timor and Arafura seas.[13] The construction and launch of these craft are ritualized, and the vessels are believe to have a spirit (Sumangaq).[13] Under a 1974 Memorandum of Understanding, "Indonesian traditional fishermen" are allowed to fish within the Exclusive Economic Zone of Australia, which includes traditional fishing grounds of Bajau fishers. However, fishing in these areas has led to concern about overfishing[14] and destruction of Bajau vessels.[13]

Bajaus are also noted for their exceptional abilities in free-diving, with physical adaptations that enable them to see better and dive longer underwater.[15] The Bajau often intentionally rupture their eardrums at an early age in order to facilitate diving and hunting at sea. Many older Bajau are therefore hard of hearing.[5][15]

Notable Bajau people

Malaysia

Sabah warrior fom Inanam during the British administration of North Borneo

First Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Sabah and third Chief Minister of Sabah

Chief Minister of Sabah and Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Sabah from Kota Belud

Chief Minister of Sabah from Kota Belud

Chief Minister of Sabah and Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Sabah from Semporna

Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Sabah from Inanam

Sabah Politician from Semporna

Malaysian minister

Chief Minister of Sabah from Papar

Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, Parliament of Malaysia

Former Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports) Semporna

Malaysian singer and actor, grandson of Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah.

Malaysian singer and One in a Million (Season 2) champion

Malaysian singer in the popular TV shows Mentor TV3

Third member of the Bajau family represented in Portugal.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Monthly Statistical Bulletin, January 2007: Sabah", Department of Statistics Malaysia, Sabah. ISSN 18231659
  2. ^ Lotte Kemkens. Living on Boundaries: The Orang Bajo of Tinakin Laut, Indonesia (Social Anthropology Bachelor's thesis). University of Utrecht. http://igitur-archive.library.uu.nl/student-theses/2010-0303-200346/Kemkens%20Lotte.pdf. Retrieved March 21, 2011. 
  3. ^ Clifford Sather, "The Bajau Laut", Oxford U. Press, 1997
  4. ^ a b Twilight of the Sea People, Vol. III, Philippine Center of Investigative Journalism, June 2001, http://pcij.org/imag/EarthWatch/bajau3.html, retrieved March 21, 2011 
  5. ^ a b c d "The last of the sea nomads". The Guardian. 18 September 2010. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/sep/18/last-sea-nomads. Retrieved 18 September 2010. 
  6. ^ Mellie Leandicho Lopez (2006). A handbook of Philippine folklore. UP Press. p. 50. ISBN 9715425143. http://books.google.com/books?id=jGssp-oJrT8C&lpg=PP1&pg=PA50#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
  7. ^ a b Edsel L. Beja (2006). Negotiating globalization in Asia. Ateneo de Manila University Press. p. 286. ISBN 971042601X. http://books.google.com/books?id=DR8L1EWraw4C&lpg=PP1&pg=PA286#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
  8. ^ Manusia Bugis, Christian Pelras, ISBN 979-99395-0-X, translated from "The Bugis", Christian Pelras, 1996, Oxford:Blackwell Publishers Ltd.
  9. ^ Harry Nimmo (1972). The sea people of Sulu: a study of social change in the Philippines. Chandler Pub. Co.. ISBN 0810204533. 
  10. ^ "Samal - Orientation". Countries and Their Cultures. http://www.everyculture.com/East-Southeast-Asia/Samal-Orientation.html. Retrieved June 17, 2011. 
  11. ^ James Francis Warren (2007). The Sulu zone, 1768-1898: the dynamics of external trade, slavery, and ethnicity in the transformation of a Southeast Asian maritime state. NUS Press. p. 184. ISBN 9971693860. http://books.google.com/books?id=VUZq93ydrrwC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA184#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
  12. ^ Berndt, Ronald Murray; Berndt, Catherine Helen (1954). Arnhem Land: its history and its people. Volume 8 of Human relations area files: Murngin. F. W. Cheshire. p. 34. http://books.google.com/?id=MosgAAAAMAAJ&dq=baijini+bajau&q=+bajau#search_anchor 
  13. ^ a b c Stacey, Natasha (2007). Boats to burn: Bajo fishing activity in the Australian fishing zone. Canberra, Australia: ANU E Press. ISBN 9781920942953. http://epress.anu.edu.au/apem/boats/pdf/whole-book.pdf. 
  14. ^ Field, I.C., Meekan, M.G., Buckworth, R.C., Bradshaw, C.J.A. (2009). "Protein mining the world’s oceans: Australasia as an example of illegal expansion-and-displacement fishing". Fish and Fisheries 10: 323. doi:10.1111/j.1467-2979.2009.00325.x. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/122275621/PDFSTART. 
  15. ^ a b Megan Lane (January 12, 2011), What freediving does to the body, BBC News, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12151830, retrieved March 21, 2011 

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