Origins Of The Kadazan People

Published Date: 23 Mar 2015 Last Modified: 16 May 2017

The Kadazans are an ethnic group indigenous to the state of Sabah in Malaysia. They are found mainly at Penampang on the west coast of Sabah the surrounding locales,and various locations in the interior. Due to similarities in culture and language with the Dusun ethnic group, and also because of other political initiatives a new unified term called "Kadazan dusun" was created. Collectively, they form the largest ethnic group in Sabah. While Kadazan was an official designation for this ethnic group it is widely believed that the term itself was a political derivative that came into existence in the late 1950s to early 1960s. No proper historical record exists pertaining to the origins of the term or its originator. However, an article written by Richard Tunggolou on this matter may shed some light. According to Tunggolou, most of the explanations of the meanings and origins of the word 'Kadazan' assumed that the word was of recent origin, specifically in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He says that some people have theorized that the term originates from the word 'kakadazan' (towns) or 'kedai' (shops), and from the claim that Kadazan politicians such as the late Datuk Peter J. Mojuntin coined the term.

However, there is evidence that the term has been used long before the 1950s. Owen Rutter, in his book, The Pagans Of North Borneo, published in 1929, wrote: "The Dusun usually describes himself generically as a tulun tindal (landsman) or on the West Coast particularly at Papar, as a Kadazan." (page 31). Rutter worked in Sabah for five years as District Officer in all five residencies and left Sabah with the onset of the First World War. This means that he started working in Sabah from 1910 and left Sabah in 1914. We can therefore safely say that the word 'Kadazan' was already in existence before any towns or shops were built in the Penampang district and that Kadazan politicians did not invent the word in the late fifties and early sixties. The Bobolians or the Bobohizans of Borneo was interviewed to seek better picture of the true meaning of the term "Kadazan", a Lotud Bobolian was asked what is the meaning of Kadazan or kadayan? Kadazan means "the people of the land". The Bobohizan from Penampang was also interviewed seeking the real meaning of Kadazan .The Bobohizan Dousia Moujing confirmed that the Kadazan has always been used to describe the real people of the land Kadazan means "the people of the land". That confirmed what Rutter had described about the existence of term Kadazan. Thus the word "Kadazan" actually not derived from the word "kedai" (meaning "shops" in Malay). Over a hundred years, the people of Kadazans were ruled by the Brunei Sultanate; the Kadazan or Kadayan in Lotud, Marangang, Liwan were being addressed by the Sultanate as being the "Orang Dusun" which means "the People of the Orchard" Because in Malay, Dusun means Orchard Farm. Thus administratively the Kadazans are called "Orang Dusun" by the Sultanate (Tax-Collector) but in reality the people that was called "Orang Dusun" are in fact Kadazan. An account of this fact was written by the first census made by the North Borneo Company in Sabah, 1881. Administratively all Kadazans are called Dusun as their ethnic identity. Only through the establishment of KCA (Kadazan Cultural Association) in 1960, this terminology was corrected and replaced into Kadazan. When Sabah formed Malaysia together with Sarawak, Singapore and the Peninsular Malaysia in 1963, under the newly form nation of Malaysia, administratively all "Orang Dusun" born after the Malaysia formation is called Kadazan as their ethnic origin.

There were no conflict with regards to Kadazan as the identity of the "Orang Dusun" between 1963 to 1984. But in 1985 through the KDCA (formally called KCA) the Dusun was once again being introduced after much pressures received from the various parties with one reason to divide the Kadazan and the "Orang Dusun" once again. As the division has been established and successful, the fall of the ruling government (PBS) was accomplished. PBS through the KCA then, finally coined in the new term to represent the "Orang Dusun" and "Kadazan" as Kadazandusun. Press released (Sabah Times and Daily Express) by various parties argued that it should not be Kadazandusun but Dusunkadazan! Leaders in Singapore and the Peninsular Malaysia until today acknowledges the people as Kadazan and not Dusun. The ex- Prime Minister of Singapore addressed the ethnic group in Sabah as the Kadazans, and many leaders of Malaysia today. It was said that the Kadazan/Dusun people originated from a place called 'Nunuk Ragang' which is roughly located at Tampias, where three rivers, Liwagu, Takashaw, and Gelibang meet to the east of Ranau and Tambunan. Nunuk is a Dusun word for 'Bayan Tree', Ragang comes from the word 'Aragang' which means red. Nunuk look like giant that provide good natural shelters. It's tree top was estimated to be able to shelter under seven Kadazan/Dusun huts (a hut measure 12 by 20 feet).

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A replica of Nunuk Ragang in Ranau

Culture Characteristic

Kadazan culture is heavily influenced by the farming of rice, culminating in various delicacies and alcoholic drinks prepared through differing home-brewed fermentation processes. Toomis and linutau are the main rice wine variants served and consumed in Kadazan populated areas, and are a staple of Kadazan social gatherings and ceremonies.

Religion

The Kadazandusun were traditionally animists but have been influenced by both Christianity and Islam. Many of those that the government counts as Christians come from a church tradition where any child that is born into a family that calls itself Christian is also considered to be Christian. Those holding to traditional religion today believe in a spirit world that is especially important in the cycle of rice cultivation as well as major events in the cycle of life. Although believing in a supreme being who created everything, they also attribute spirits to many things in nature such as birds, animals, and plants.

The "rice spirit" in particular figures prominently in their beliefs and practices. Some of the Kadazandusun people groups are noted for their use of priestesses ('bobohizan') for controlling the spirits.

The majority of the Kadazans are Christians, mainly Roman Catholics and some Protestants. Islam is also practiced by a growing minority.The influence of the Spanish missionaries from the Philippines resulted in Christianity in its Roman Catholic form rising to prominence amongst Kadazans. A minority of them are protestants due to later British influence during the 20th century. Before the missionaries came into scene animism was the predominant religion. The Kadazan belief system centers around the spirit or entity called Kinorohingan. It revolved around the belief that spirits ruled over the planting and harvesting of rice a profession that had been practiced for generations. Special rituals would be performed before and after each harvest by a tribal priestess known as a bobohizan.

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Bobohizan

Festival

The most important festival of the Kadazans is the Kaamatan or harvest festival, where the spirit of the paddy is honoured after a year's harvest. The Kaamatan festival is an annual event in the cultural life of the Kadazandusuns of Sabah since time immemorial. In its deepest sense Kaamatan festival is a manifestation of Creator and Creation relationship, as well as Inter-Creations relationship. It embodies the principal acts of invocation of divinities, appeasing purification and restoration re-union of benevolent spirits, and thanksgiving to the Source of All. It is part of a complex wholesome Momolian religious system centered on the paddy rites of passage and the life cycle of Bambarayon the in dwelling spirit of paddy.

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Harvest festival

Appeasing is done in respect of Bambarayon, Deities, Divinities and Spirits, who may have been hurt by human wrongful acts. Purification is performed in respect of human and spiritual needs for forgiveness followed by resolutions to make themselves worthy of the gifts of life from God. Restoration in necessary to ensure the health and well being of SUNIL, mankind and other spiritual beings. Reunion is realised in respect of human needs to be integrated in body mind and spirit within the concept of the seven-in-one divinity in humanity, as well as re-union of Bambarayon with human Sunduan. Finally Thanksgiving is observed as befitting for all creations to express their gratitude and appreciation for the gifts of life (through Huminodun) and all life supportive system on earth that their Creator lovingly and generously gave them.

This takes place in May and the two last days of the month are public holidays throughout Sabah. During the celebration the most celebrated event is the crowning of the 'unduk ngadau' or harvest queen, where native Kadazandusuns girls throughout the state compete for the coveted crown. The beauty pageant is held to commemorate the spirit of 'Huminodon', a mythological character of unparalleled beauty said to have given her life in exchange for a bountiful harvest for her community.

In marriages, marriage customs amongst the Kadazans vary a little from one district to another but in general are the same. The most important thing about Kadazan marriage customs is the role of the parents of both sides for it is they who make the choice and all the arrangements for the joining together of their children. Usually the children abide by their parents' decision. The business of making the engagement is done when the boy is only twelve years old and the girl eleven

The Kadazans call this 'miatod'. The process begins with the boy who is to be engaged paying a formal visit to the girl's house accompanied by some relatives and close friends. The visit is made at a time which has been agreed upon beforehand. In the girl's house everybody is ready waiting with members of the family and close friends as well. Whilst waiting for the arrival of the boy's party, the girl is told to make seven rice-balls as a special dish for her future husband. When she has done this, she is hastily sent to the house of one of her relations, which is never, however far from her own.

As soon as the boy arrives he is invited to enter and is seated on a mat specially woven for occasions such as this, and which is called 'lawangan' by the Kadazans. In the meanwhile the question of the size of the dowry is discussed by the elders from both parties. Usually a Kadazan dowry consists of a large gong, a small gong a, (small) cannon, a buffalo, some bronze, land, and so forth. The agreement is made to become effective on the day of the actual wedding.

Finally a meal consisting of rice and buffalo meat, pork, chicken and similar dishes, washed down with drinks like ricewine and the juice of the coconut blossom is consumed to the accompaniment of the beat of gongs. This is when the special rice which has been prepared for the boy by his bride-to-be is fed to him by an old lady from the girl's side. This is done in front of all present. After this everything is over and the guests depart, except for the bridegroom-to-be and some of his close friends who stay behind in the girl's house. Now the girl returns from her relation's house in order to meet her future husband and in order to serve him with more food and drink.

That night the boy and his friends sleep in a room by themselves in the girl's house. They will return home the following morning. Three days later the girl returns the visit. The same procedures are followed as with the boy's visit to the girl's house except that the boy does not have to move out of his house while his fiancee and her friends are there. The next day the girl is sent back to her own house by her fiancee along with other members of her family.

While they are waiting for their coming of age the engaged couple stay with their own parents. However, the boy is obliged to help in his future mother-in-law's house doing such chores as collecting the firewood ploughing the soil and putting up temporary sheds and the like. Similarly the girl must help her future mother-in-law to plant the rice, cook and so on.

The boy may visit the girl's house whenever he likes on his own. The girl may also do likewise on condition that she is accompanied by her mother, an aunt or an elder sister. If the boy has an elder sister, he may invite his fiancee to stay a night or two in his house. At the same time if either one of them breaks the rules a penalty will be exacted.

When the parents think that the time has come for their children to be married usually around sixteen or seventeen years of age the date for the wedding is fixed by mutual agreement. At last the betrothal ceremony can take place. A man who is fairly advanced in years from the bridegroom's side is chosen to carry out the betrothal rites by reading a short couplet set to a Kadazan melody. Then a huge feast is held at which several buffaloes ,pigs and chickens as well as a number of jars of rice-wine and bamboo stems of coconut blossom juice are consumed.

Language Of The Kadazan People

Rationally Kadazan language has existed since their ancestors, at first use of the native languages ​​is a branch of every human interaction, deliver

and receive information. In particular, the spread of such dialects are starting from a small community groups. These groups communicate and develop an

understanding of identity through their language. Eventually it will grow through the diffusion and increase the quantity of these groups. Originally

the Kadazan community groups are in small amount, over time it evolved into large clusters. Kadazan tribe has its own language. Kadazan tribes and

Dusun tribes are actually a different tribe, but were of the same family. Language of both these tribes nearly the same, distinguished only by minor

differences in spelling and pronunciation.

For example, "home" as "walai" in Dusun and "hamin" in Kadazan. Many other words that differ only in spelling such as "two" the "duo" in Dusun and

"duvo" in Kadazan, and "nine" referred to "siam" in Dusun, and "sizam" in Kadazan. However, there is the same word as "a" the "iso" in both languages

and "six" is "onom".

Music and Dance

The Kadazans have also developed their own unique dance and music. Sumazau is the name of the dance between a male and female performed by couples as well as groups of couples which is usually accompanied by a symphony of handcrafted bronze gongs that are individually called 'tagung'. Sumazau and Tagung usually played during festive occasions and feasts especially the wedding feast.

The Sumazau Dance

Tagung team

The Kadazan have a musical heritage consisting of various types of tagung ensembles which is composed of large hanging suspended or held bossed or knobbed gongs which act as drone without any accompanying melodic instrument. They also use kulintangan ensembles with an horizontal type melodic instrument.

Agungs also play a major role in agung orchestras ensembles composed of large hanging suspended or held knobbed gongs which act as drones without any accompanying melodic instrument like a kulintang. Such orchestras are prevalent among Mindanao Lumad groups (Bagobo, Bilaan, Bukidon, Hanunoo, Magsaka, Manabo, Mangyan, Palawan, Subanun, T'boli, Tagakaolu, Tagbanwa and the Tiruray), regions in Kalimantan and Indonesia (Iban, Modang, Murut) and Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia (Bidayuh, Iban, Kadazan-Dusan, Kajan, Kayan), places where agung orchestras take precedence over kulintang like orchestras. The composition and tuning of these orchestras vary widely from one group to another. For instance, the Hanunoo of Mindoro have a small agung ensemble consisting of only two light gongs played by two musicians on the floor in a simple duple rhythm while the Manobo have an ensemble (called an ahong) consisting of 10 small agungs hung vertically on a triangular frame. It includes three musicians: one standing up, playing the melody, and the rest sitting. The agong is divided by purpose with the higher-pitched gongs (kaantuhan) carrying the melody three to four lower-pitched gongs (gandingan) playing melodic ostinato figures and the lowest pitched gong (bandil) setting the tempo.

The Kadazan-Dusun, located on the western coast of Sabah refer to their agung ensemble as a tawag or bandil, which consists of six to seven large gongs in shoreline groups and 7 to 8 large gongs for those in interior valleys. In southwestern Sarawak, Bidayuh agung ensembles consist of nine large gongs divided into four groups (taway, puum, bandil, and sanang), while among the Iban of Sawarak, Brunei, Kalimantan, agung ensembles are smaller in comparison.

Such ensembles can either perform alone or with one or two drums played with the hands or wooden sticks, as accompaniment. They play either homophonically or in an interlocking fashion with the gongs. These agung orchestras often perform at many types of social events, including agriculture rituals, weddings, victory celebrations, curing rites rituals for the dead, entertainment for visitors and other community rituals.

The Agung.

the left gong is the pangandungan, used for basic beats while the right gong is the panentekan, which complements the pangandungan.

Kulintang is a modern term for an ancient instrumental form of music composed on a row of small, horizontally laid gongs that function melodically, accompanied by larger, suspended gongs and drums. As part of the larger gong chime culture of Southeast Asia, kulintang music ensembles have been playing for many centuries in regions of the Eastern Malay Archipelago the Southern Philippines, Eastern Indonesia, Eastern Malaysia, Brunei and Timur, although this article has a focus on the Philippine Kulintang traditions of the Maranao and Maguindanao peoples in particular. Kulintang evolved from a simple native signaling tradition and developed into its present form with the incorporation of knobbed gongs from Sunda.Its importance stems from its association with the indigenous cultures that inhabited these islands prior to the influences of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity or the West making Kulintang the most developed tradition of Southeast Asian archaic gong-chime ensembles.

Technically, kulintang is the Maguindanao Ternate and Timor term for the idiophone of metal gong kettles which are laid horizontally upon a rack to create an entire kulintang set. It is played by striking the bosses of the gongs with two wooden beaters. Due to its use across a wide variety groups and languages the kulintang is also called kolintang by the Maranao and those in Sulawesi and kulintangan or gulintangan by those in Sabah and the Sulu Archipelago and totobuang by those in central Maluku.

By the twentieth century, the term kulintang had also come to denote an entire Maguindanao ensemble of five to six instruments. Traditionally the Maguindanao term for the entire ensemble is basalen or palabunibunyan, the latter term meaning "an ensemble of loud instruments" or "music-making" or in this case "music-making using a kulintang.

Kulintang

The instrument called the "kulintang" (or its other derivative terms) consist of a row/set of 5 to 9 graduated pot gongs, horizontally laid upon a frame arranged in order of pitch with the lowest gong found on the players' left. The gongs are laid in the instrument face side up atop two cords/strings running parallel to the entire length of the frame with bamboo/wooden sticks/bars resting perpendicular across the frame creating an entire kulintang set called a pasangan.

The gongs could weigh roughly from two pounds to three and 1/8 pounds and have dimensions from 6-10 inches for their diameters and 3-5 inches for their height. Traditionally they are made from bronze but due to the shortage of bronze after World War II and the subsequent use of scrap metal brass gongs with shorter decaying tones have become commonplace.

The kulintang frame known as an antangan by the Maguindanao (means to "arrange") and langkonga by the Maranao could have designs that could be particularly crude made from only bamboo/wooden poles or highly decorated rich with artistic designs like the traditional okil/okir motifs or arabesque designs. It is considered taboo to step or cross over the antangan while the kulintang gongs are placed on it.

The kulintang is played by striking the bosses of the gongs with two wooden beaters. When playing the kulintang, the Maguindanao and Maranao would always sit on chairs while for the Tausug/Suluk and other groups that who play the kulintangan, they would commonly sit on the floor. Modern techniques include twirling the beaters, juggling them in midair, changing the arrangement of the gongs either before or while playing, crossings hands during play or adding very rapid fire strokes all in an effort to show off a player's grace and virtuosity.

The Kulintang

The sompoton is another musical instrument. A ceremonial ring of cloth sash is worn by both male and female. The Sumazau and gong accompaniment is typically performed during joyous ceremonies and occasions, the most common of which being wedding feasts.

The sompoton is a mouth organ which is prevalent among the Kadazandusun and Murut community. This fascinating instrument that originates from the district of Tambunan is constructed from a dried gourd and eight bamboo pipes which are arranged in a double-layered raft. A small lamella of polod palm (like a tiny jaw harp) is inserted near the base inside each sounding pipe to create a sweet harmonious sound. The pipes are fitted into a hole on one side of the gourd, sealed with bees wax and bound with thin strands of rattan. To create the perfect melody, musicians will have to manipulate the instrument by covering and uncovering the openings of three of the shortest pipes with the right hand and three small holes near the front and back pipes with the left hand. The sompoton can be played as a solo instrument for personal entertainment or in an ensemble to accompany a group of dancers.

The sompoton has a gourd wind chamber from which extend 8 pipes arranged in two rows. There are bamboo reeds in seven of these pipes only, and three of these pipes do not have sound holes and are played by closing and opening the tops of the pipes with fingers of the right hand. The sumpoton can be played with the pipes pointing up, as is done with smaller instruments or with the pipes pointing either sideways or down with larger instruments. The instruments range in size from 6 inches to 3 feet in length, with the average size of just over 1 foot.

Music featured in the folk traditions of this very interesting and unique. The tools and traditional sounds are abundant in Kadazandusun and it has the potential to be inherited by the younger generation. Among other musical instruments popular tradition is gong, Sompoton, Kulintangan, togunggu or togunggak, bungkau, pumpuak, sundatang, distilled, turali, tongkungon and others.

Birth and Naming Ceremonies

When a woman gives birth to a child in a house, a leaf known as wongkong is immediately tied over the door. This serves to give notice that a birth has taken place and that only those who live nearby may call.

During her period of pregnancy until several days after delivery, the mother is completely in the hands of the midwife. The midwife is usually an elderly woman who is held in high esteem amongst the villagers. Apart from looking after the delivery of the child, the midwife is also responsible for all the medicines, which consist of the roots of trees, herbs, and so on. The midwife advises the mother on the relevant taboos and massages her both before and after childbirth.

The name of the newborn babe is chosen by its grandparents. If the child was born in the house of the mother-in-law, they will have this responsibility; if in the house of the mother's own parents, they will choose what they consider to be an appropriate name. The names chosen are taken from these ancestors and are based on the world around them such as the names of trees, animals, and so on. Kadazan boys take names like Gimbang, Kunul, Kerupang, Galumau,Gantuong, Empurut, Ampingan, Sangan and so forth: typical, girls' names are Semitah, Rangkumas, Ansayu, Baimin, Salud, Amin, Nani and Mainah.

When the newborn child is about a month old, the shaving ceremony takes place. Goats, pigs and chickens are always slaughtered for this occasion. There are also jars of rice-wine and dozens of bamboo-stems of coconut blossom juice for those with means, and whatever they can afford for the less well-off.

Beliefs about Illness

According to Kadazan belief, illness is caused by supernatural beings such as ghosts and devils which dwell in the virgin jungle, in fig-trees and in large boulders. Besides this, the Kadazans also believe that some people (called stridden) have the power to cause illness in others whom they do not like.

When someone falls ill in the house, his family will call for a medicine-man who in the case of Sabah is not a man at all, but a woman. This woman not only casts spells and explains the necessary taboos to be followed but also provides medicines appropriate to the sickness from which the patient is suffering. These medicines include, inter alia, the tail and skin of a python, the tail and fat of an ant-eater, cockroaches, bees, rats, rattan roots, nibung-palm roots, betelnut roots, langsat (a fruit) skin and wild bananas. The medicine-woman brings a chicken, a pig and some yellow rice to a fig-tree or a large boulder which she believes to be the abode of a resident spirit. All these things are provided by the family of the sick person.

At the boulder or beneath the fig-tree the woman softly chants her spells in the language of the spirits. This done, she will put the yellow rice in a bamboo stem, to which is added the chicken and pig's blood which she has just slaughtered, as well as their hearts and lungs. The bamboo stem is then placed on the boulder or below the tree in the ordained manner to the accompaniment of certain words. The medicine-woman then returns home without looking back once. The slaughtered pig and chicken are left where they are for the time being so that the resident spirits can cast their spells over them the spells will be absorbed into the carcasses of the dead animals.

After about half an hour the carcasses will be brought back to the sick man's house. The slaughtered chicken is smeared all over the body of the patient, followed by the pig which is held by two men. Then the pig is suspended between two poles outside the house and roasted over a fire of bamboo. (No other wood may be used for this purpose:) Whilst the roasting is going on, no one is allowed to utter coarse speech, for to do so according to the general belief would prevent the sick man from ever recovering because the spells of the spirits would have been rendered inoperative. Should someone reveal an easy heart by laughter in the sick man's house, the person concerned has to pay a customary fine of one chicken. If untoward remarks are made about the fat running off the roasting pig it may not be eaten. The methods described above for the treatment of the sick applies to those who have been crossed by a ghost or a spirit.

Funerals

When a death occurs in a village everyone is informed. A taboo which must be observed is that no one must do any kind of work on the day of the funeral above all the work of planting rice. It is believed that any work done on such an occasion can only bring misfortune engendered by the fate of the deceased. However, this taboo does not apply should the deceased die far from his own village.

First of all the body is washed and then dressed in fine clothes and sprinkled with rose-water. Sometimes, if the deceased was a cigarette or cheroot smoker, a cigarette or cheroot is placed in his mouth. The body is kept in the house from three to seven days before it is buried. While the body is in the house, all the occupants must keep awake. Whoever falls off to sleep will be doused with water and cannot take offence.

The purpose of keeping awake is to watch out for the devil or genie which in the guise of a large bird will try to fly away with the body. Should the bird come, the day will become overcast and gloomy and there will be thunder and lightning, which will give the creature its chance to dash into the house and look for the body. This bird is known as the pendaatan bird. In order to avoid the bird's onslaught, cloth is hung around the body. The bird is frightened off by the cloth which it mistakes for human beings.

There should be an atmosphere of complete calm and silence in the house there should be no idle chatter or angry words. In this quietness solace is sought by the slow beating of gongs or drums, the sound of which the Kadazans refer to as Surabaya. These gongs or drums may only be beaten three times a day that is when the sun sets at midnight and as the sun rises the following morning. The greatest care is taken to prevent a cat from jumping over the outstretched corpse for the Kadazans believe that if this happens the dead man will be transformed into a dangerous and terrifying giant. No coffin or burial jar is used for those with neither rank nor wealth. They are carried to the burial ground wrapped up in cloth and tied to a pole which can be easily lifted.

When the body is ready, it is carried in procession to the grave to the accompaniment of gongs and drums, firecrackers and gunfire. On arrival, a spell is cast over the body by an elderly man specially chosen to wait by the open grave. The grave itself is swept with green betelnut leaves so as to prevent the spirits of those who have come along being left behind there.

The body is then lowered into the grave while a sprig from a banyan tree is taken and stuck over its navel. After this has been done, the grave is filled in. The purpose of the banyan sprig is to ascertain whether the deceased still thinks of his wife and children. If he does, the sprig will sprout a shoot; if no shoot appears, this means that he has forgotten all about those he has left behind.

A small hut with an attap or zinc roof and with beautiful designs carved on its plank walls is erected over the grave. A shirt, a clean metal cigar/cigarette box, and some betelnut quids cigarettes and similar items are placed in the middle of the hut. The family of the deceased will send food to the hut every afternoon for seven days, because it is believed that during this period the soul of the dead man has not yet left the body and so still requires food from its living relatives.

No one is allowed to disturb these things. Anyone found doing so will be fined a chicken or five dollars. The bodies of well to do Kadazans are placed in large burial jars which are firmly closed before they are buried with the body inside. Then another very expensive jar is placed above the grave. In some places the burial jar and its contents are not taken straight away to the burial place but are kept in the house itself or in a special hut erected nearby so that the family can mourn there whilst waiting for other relatives who live far off to arrive. Then only is the jar buried. After three days have passed since the burial, a feast is held at night. On this occasion members of the deceased's family let fall three drops of candle wax through the cracks in the floor of the house onto the ground below. This is known as "the 'three blighted thrusts'. The same performance is repeated on the seventh day though this time seven wax drops are made. These two ceremonies are carried out on a small scale, only relatives and neighbors being invited to attend.

Another feast is held on the fortieth day. This time the arrangements are rather different. If the earlier ceremonies were held only at night this time it is held at midday as well as at night. At the midday meal, when all the dishes of rice, meat, fruits and the like have been prepared, a boy usually a son of the deceased goes to his parent's grave and invites him (or her) to come back to the house to partake of the feast. Only when the boy has returned may the dishes served be eaten by those present. That night gong and drum are beaten continuously. Apart from the usual food, a special dish complete with betelnut quids, cigarettes and other such things is laid in the centre of the doorway. A white candle is lit in the middle. When the old lady who has been appointed specially for the purpose of watching over this dish gives the signal, the gong and drums are beaten simultaneously. The children of the deceased then start to dance the dance known as the sumazau round the dish each one in his turn they are then followed by the grandchildren and finally by other relations.

When the dance is over those present are invited to eat. One hundred days later yet another feast is held. This feast is much grander than any of the previous ones, a buffalo and several chickens being slaughtered for the occasion. The main purpose of this feast is to mark the changing of the white clothes of mourning which the deceased's family has been wearing and the cutting of hair which to meet the dictates of custom has been allowed to grow for one hundred days without hindrance. When the mourning clothes have been taken off, they are immediately burned. From now on the members of the deceased's family are free to wear what dress they please and whatever colors they fancy. In this way, so it is believed, all traces of contamination and calamity have been removed from their bodies

Kadazan Houses

One way of identifying a particular group of people or race is by the style of their houses and the area around them. Even so the materials used for a house differ a little from district to district. Kadazan houses in the Tambuna'n District are all made entirely of bamboo, including the pillars, the roof, the walls and the floor, for in that area bamboo is in abundance. In the Ranau District house pillars are of timber, the walls and floors of bamboo and the roof of thatch. A number of Kadazan houses in the vicinity of Mount Kinabalu have their kitchens in the centre of the house, the reason being that this room is not only used for cooking but for keeping the people of the household warm, as the weather in this particular region is very cool. All Kadazan houses are detached, unlike those of the Muruts and Dayaks who live in longhouses. However, the Kadazan and Rungus in Kudat also live in longhouses.

You will usually find around a Kadazan house some coconut trees, and a few fruit trees such as big limes, langsat, jackfruit, rambutans, and so on. There are always pigs and fowls running around. Not far from the house can be seen the rice fields and buffaloes wallowing in the river or in the ditches. Kadazan women from Kudat differ from the rest. Their dress consists of a single sheath of black cloth which covers the body from the breasts down to below the knees. On both legs they wear copper rings which look like spring coils and cover the leg from knee to ankle. Their arms are also adorned with rings made from snail shells.

Kadazan Women

Many Kadazan women in the Tuaran District still wear traditional dress; this can be seen any day at the Tuaran market. Every year there is a Beauty Queen in Traditional Dress Competition held during the annual Great Fair.

The Kadazan dress is black in color and tight-fitting, similar in cut to the Malay gown known as the kebaya. The skirt or lower cloth is also black and goes down to about two inches above the kneecap, with red embroidery running down the sides, which the women do themselves. Kadazan women wear their hair in a thick round bun, and they have bracelets of silver around their arms and legs. They do not usually wear their famous conical-shaped hats except when working in the rice fields or clearings. Around their waists Kadazan women wear coils of fine rattan in colors that hold special meaning. Red shows that the wearer is not yet a mother; black denotes a woman who has a child or is middle-aged; white shows that the wearer has grandchildren who are already grown up.

Kadazan women from the districts of Penampang and Papar do not wear rattan around their waists. Instead they have belts made from silver dollars to which have been added other belts of metal which look like rings threaded with string. The women of Penampang and Papar wear blouses which are almost the same as those of Tuaran, but the skirt reaches down to the heels. Both skirt and blouse are black. On the head they wear attractive, conical-shaped hats which they have made themselves.

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Example of the clothing of the kadazan people

Beliefs and Customs

The Kadazans believe in the rice spirit. All their ceremonies connected with rice cultivation from the clearing of the land till the harvesting of the rice are governed by this belief. A large stone can often be seen in the middle of a Kadazan rice-field. These stones are known as 'oath-stones' or Batu Persumpaan. Some of them are hundreds of years old. The purpose of these stones is to serve as reminders of agreements sworn between those who first cleared the land and he ghosts of genies believed to be resident there. The agreement always is that neither side should disturb the other.

Apart from ceremonies connected with the clearing of new land, there are also other rites which concern the opening of one-day markets or fairs and similar things. At the time of making the agreement between the clearers of the land and the earth spirits, another ceremonial which involves the casting of spells and the recitation of incantations also takes place, and the oath-stone is spattered with the blood of a pig or a chicken so as to give food to the spirit or its attendant. When the rice grain swells, spell-casting or incantation ceremonies are carried out by each individual farmer instead of by the inhabitants of a village as a whole as is done on other occasions.

The purpose of these rites is to ensure that the rice is healthy and will not be attacked by disease. The rites are performed in the midst of the growing rice under the surveillance of a magician. A pair of fowls, a pot of rice, seven betel-vine leaves and a bottle of rice-wine are given as offerings.

Once the incantations have been made over these offerings, which takes about three hours, the two fowls are slaughtered and their feathers together with the betel-vine leaves are left behind in the field. All the other things are brought back where a feast is held in the house of the man who had made the offerings.

Cutting the rice must also follow established forms. First of all a bunch of rice stalks is taken, divided up into seven and put into the ketawai, a basket made of tree bark. Three months after cutting the rice, 'garis' (lines) which are highly respected are drawn over the rice and further offerings are made, this -time consisting of a boiled egg which has been de-shelled and a glass or cup of rice-wine. This is the season when the Kadazans hold the greatest and most enjoyable of their festivities. Feasts, rice-drinking sessions and dances are the order of the day wherever the Kadazans live. The occasion has been made into a two-day public holiday throughout Sabah so that the Kadazans may enjoy themselves to the full. Language

The Kadazan language is a separate tongue, quite distinct from Malay. Kadazan is one of the languages given most time on the air by Radio Malaysia, Sabah. Official announcements and information are given out in Kadazan as well as in Malay, Chinese and English. One page of the Kinabalu Sabah Times and also a page of the Sabah Weekend are given over entirely to Kadazan.

Kadazan Marriage

Cuisine

Contemporary Kadazan food is influenced by Chinese and native cuisine, with unique modifications and nuances as well as particular usage of locally available ingredients, particularly bamboo shoots, sago and fresh water fish. The 'pinasakan' is one of the most popular kadazan dish, which consists of fish (usually freshwater) cooked with 'bambangan' (a sour fruit found in Borneo, usually pickled) or 'takob-akob' (a sour herb). Another popular dish is 'hinava', which is a form of salad with pieces of raw fish, bitter gourd, as well as other ingredients. Hinava is similar to ceviche i.e. fish marinated in citrus fruit. The 'bambangan' fruit is normally eaten with meals as an appetiser. The 'tuhau' is a fragrant local root that is often made into a salad or is preserved with vinegar. Another popular appetiser commonly eaten is the unripe mango, normally mixed with soy sauce and chili.

Contrary to popular misconceptions, travelling is not just about the destination. Travelling is also about taking in parts of the travelled into the traveller. It is about satisfying the gourmandizing spirit.

So wherever you may go, EAT!

Travelling in Sabah means eating the food-traditional food, that is. Sabah has plenty of simple yet delicious dishes which are mainly pickled or preserved. This is mainly due to the Sabahan partiality to all things tangy. At the same time, it also dates back to the olden days when there were yet to be refrigerators to keep the food in. Nonetheless, the cuisines continue to remain synonymous to Sabah's unique cultural identity.

Here is a list of what you should look for when you are feeling Sabahan

Bambangan

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Bambangan is a type of wild mango that comes with a distinct and sharp smell. Unlike the normal mango, Bambangan has a thick brown skin. While it is delicious when ripe, Bambangan is normally harvested raw to be pickled using salt mixed with grated Bambangan seed and slices of chilli.

Bambangan can be found at most tamu market or vegetable markets. Pickled Bambangan goes really well with plain white rice and deep-fried fish. Want to know a secret to a more delicious meal? Eat with your hands!

Pinasakanpinasakan emeldashabelle.blogspot Only at Sabah: 6 Famous Traditional Food You Must Try (Recipe Included!)

Pinasakan sada, otherwise simply known as Pinasakan, is a traditional Kadazandusun dish of braised basung fish mixed with takob akob (a tangy wild fruit mainly harvested for its skin), fresh turmeric, salt and slices of Bambangan (optional). Pinasakan is another type of preserved food and is good to be eaten sans heating for days at a time. You can find Pinasakan at most traditional cuisine restaurants.

Pinasakan goes well with white rice or ambuyat and a dash of sambal.

Ambuyat

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Ambuyat is a traditional Bruneian dish that is derived from the interior trunk of the sago palm. On its own, the Ambuyat is simply a bland starchy blob which is similar to the tapioca starch, but it goes well when eaten with tangy, spicy or salty accompanying dish such as the Pinasakan and Bambangan.

Ambuyat is prepared by mixing the sago starch powder into boiling water. As the sago starts to coagulate, use a pair of bamboo fork or wooden chopsticks to roll the starch around the prongs, dip into accompanying dish and munch. Be sure to have a glass of water handy!

Hinava

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Hinava is most probably the most well known traditional dish in Sabah. Popularized by the Kadazandusun community, Hinava is made of fresh raw tenggiri (mackerel fish), which is filleted and thinly sliced; mixed with sliced chili, ginger, diced red onions, grated Bambangan seed, salt and set with a few squirts of lime juice.

Sometimes, slices of raw bittergourd are also added. If you don't like fish, you can also substitute the mackerel with either prawn or squid. Hinava can be found in most traditional Kadazandusun restaurant, but of late, it has also been making its way to hotel buffet tables or served during special events and functions. Have it with white rice or on its own as a salad dish.

Tuhau

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Most people, even locals, would have a love-hate relationship with the Tuhau due to its distinct pungent smell, which is not unlike that of a stink bug. However, once you've tried it, you may easily overlook its unpleasant smell.

Originating from the interior parts of Sabah (Tambunan, Keningau and Ranau), Tuhau is made of a type of wild ginger that is thinly diced, mixed with diced chili and diced scallion, and pickled using salt and vinegar. Tuhau makes a great accompanying dish for anything and everything. You can find it at tamu markets or vegetable markets all across Sabah.

Nonsom / Bosou

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Another popular traditional Kadazandusun preserved dish is the Nonsom, or sometimes known as Bosou. It is made using raw fresh water fish mixed together with rice and pickled using salt and pangi (a type of local herb). After the mixing, the mixture is stored in a glass jar and marinated for two weeks. Like most preserved traditional food, the Nonsom / Bosou is salty and tangy in flavour. It goes well with white rice or even fried beehoon.

Unification of the Kadazan people

Presently, the Kadazans are associated together with another similar indigenous tribe, the Dusuns and various other indigenous peoples, under the blanket term Kadazan-Dusun. This is officially recognised as the result of political machinations, specifically, a resolution of the supposedly non-political 5th KCA (Kadazan Cultural Association, which was then renamed to Kadazan-Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA)) Delegates Conference held between November 4 and November 5, 1989. It was decided as the best alternative approach to resolve the "Kadazan" or "Dusun" identity crisis that had crippled and impeded the growth and development of the Kadazan-dusun multi-ethnic community socio-culturally, economically and politically - ever since Kadazanism versus Dusunism sentiments were politicized in the early 1960s.

Kadazans and Dusuns share the same language and culture, albeit with differences in dialect. Many consider the major difference between the two ethnic groups to be their traditional geographical influences. Kadazans are mainly inhabitants of the flat valley deltas, conducive to paddy field farming, while Dusuns are traditionally inhabitants of the hilly and mountainous regions common to the interior of Sabah.

Being indigenous to Sabah, a part of Malaysia, the Kadazans are conferred the same political, educational and economic rights as the predominant Malay population of Malaysia

Conclusion

Kadazan is the largest ethnic group in Sabah. Kadazan ethnic group use different languages and dialects with various cultural and traditional customs.Kadazan culture is mostly influenced by the activities such as rice farming, rearing animal, hunting, collecting forest product and some of them work as fisherman.

Kadazan also have their own culture. They have an identity that shows through their clothing, music and dance culture. For example, Keaamatan Festival is a religious ceremony done by them every year after and before the rice harvest to honor the spirit and drive the evil spirits.

Besides that, although the Kadazan language has many dialects but all of them could understand each other through 'Bunduliwan dialect'. It is also important to know that, Kadazan language can be divided into four dialect groups such as, Kadazan West Coast dialects, Kadazan East Coast dialects, Kadazan North dialects and Kadazan Interior dialects.

As for the religion view, it is known that the majority of the Kadazan are Christians, mainly Roman Catholics and some Protestants. However, there are minorities who practice Islam as their way of life and the group is growing. Before the missionaries came into scene, animism was the predominant religion for the Kadazan.

With regard to the indigenous tribe of Kadazan, they are associated together with another similar indigenous tribe, the Dusuns and various other indigenous peoples, under the blanket term Kadazan-Dusun. This decision are made due to the reason of sentiment politicized during 1960s involving crisis of Kaadazanism versus Dusunism which had affect badly the economic, the politic and the community as a whole. In order to prove that the Kadazan is part of the Malaysian community, their rights as to the politic, economy and education are given equally as the Malay population in Peninsular Malaysia. Therefore, based on the above statement we can conclude that the Kadazan had much improved from generation to generation through their economics, politics, culture and education.