Punan Bah
Punan Bah or Punan is an ethnic group found in Sarawak, Malaysia and in Kalimantan, Indonesia. The Punan Bah people are distinct and unrelated to the semi-nomadic Penan people. Their name stems from two rivers along the banks of which they have been living since time immemorial. They have other names including Mikuang Bungulan or Mikuang and Aveang Buan but those are used only ritually nowadays.
An elderly Punan man performing Bungan rites. Photo taken at Punan Sama village. | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| approx. 5,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Malaysia Sarawak (Kapit and Bintulu Division) Indonesia West Kalimantan and East Kalimantan | |
| Languages | |
| Punan Bah, Malay, Indonesian, English | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity and Animism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Dayak people, Sekapan, Kejaman, Lahanan' |
The Punan (or Punan Ba) have never been nomadic. In the old days, they based their living on a mixed economy – Swidden agriculture with hill paddy as the main crop, supplemented by a range of tropical plants which include maniok, taro, sugar cane, tobacco, etc. Hunting, especially wild boar, fishing, and gathering of forest resources, are the other important factors in their economy.
However, in the late 1980s, many Punan, notably the younger, more educated, gradually migrated to urban areas such as Bintulu, Sibu, Kuching and Kuala Lumpur in search of better living. However, they didn't abandon their longhouses altogether. Many would still return home, especially during major festivities such as Harvest Festival or Bungan festival as it is known among Punan.
Punan is a stratified society of 'laja' (aristocrats), 'panyen' (commoners), and 'lipen' (slaves). This determines their historical traditions that have been preserved. Just like most of the history of European Middle Ages is linked to and mainly concerned the various ruling monarchs, so are the historical and mythical traditions of Punan closely connected to their rulings aristocrats.