Orang Asli
The Orang Asli (Malay for "original people") are the indigenous people of the Malay Peninsula. Historically, the Orang Asli lived nomadically in the rainforest acting as hunters and gatherers. More recently, most Orang Asli have ceased their nomadic existence, but many of them are still heavily dependent on the rainforest for their livelihoods. The Orang Asli make up a very small proportion of the population of Malaysia (about 0.5%) and their population is still largely rural, so most Malaysians from the city have had little interaction with them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orang_Asli
My first interaction with the Orang Asli came when I visited Tigga Kingston and her bat research group at Krau Wildlife Reserve in Pahang in March 2009. Because bat trapping took place early in the morning and late in the evening I had a lot of time during the middle of the day. Because I was pretty sure that I would get lost if I wandered too far into the rainforest, the only place for me to explore during the middle of the day was the nearby Orang Asli village. Not too long ago these Orang Asli were living in the rainforest, but they were now living in government housing. The camera that I took along on that trip stopped working after only 2 photos, so I can't share any of the sights with you.
The village was isolated and it was clear that the locals were not used to seeing strange white guys walking around their neighborhoods. When people saw me they originally looked rather shy followed either by total surprise or a look of bewilderment that anyone would be walking around in the heat of the day (you know mad dogs, English men, and crazy guys from Texas). The people were very friendly and I always got a wave and a smile where ever I went. The kids were expecially interested in the new stranger, so I often felt like the Pied Piper leading a group of kids along the road. There was a boarding school for Orang Asli kids located at the end of the village and some of the older kids, maybe around 6th grade, knew enough English to be able to talk a little bit to me. They were quite impressed when they learned that I was from Texas.
Here are some photos that Tigga took when she visited a Orang Asli kindergarten near Krau.
Photo from Malaysian Bat Education Adventure
Tigga hired three Orang Asli men, a father and two of his teen-aged sons, as part of the research group (they helped to set up the bat traps). The Dad was probably about my age (but it was hard for me to guess his exact age) and was probably born in the rainforest. When we spent time in the rainforest at night waiting to check the traps, the two sons would kill the time by texting their friends and singing along with pop songs that they played on their cells phones. Quite a change after only one generation!
Today, the Orang Asli exist at the bottom of Malaysian society. The rates of povery among the Orang Asli are much higher than in the general Malaysian society. There is a lot of conflict between the Orang Asli and people interested in developing the rainforests. I know that Americans don't have the best track record in dealing with their native population, but I worry about the future of the Orang Asli in Malaysia.
This short (only 1 page) article by a professor from La Trobe University in Australia does a good job raising some of the issues facing the Orang Asli today.
http://www.iias.nl/nl/35/IIAS_NL35_10.pdf
No comments:
Post a Comment