TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND THE USES OF NATURAL RESOURCES BY THE RESETTLEMENT OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN MALAYSIA

Muhammad Fuad Abdullah,Elizabeth Pesiu,Mohd Tajuddin Abdullah,Azmah Othman,Rohana Jani,Candyrilla Vera Bartholomew

doi:10.22452/jati.vol25no1.9

Muhammad Fuad Abdullah, Elizabeth Pesiu + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.22452/jati.vol25no1.9

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Abstract

Indigenous people are generally descended from original inhabitants of the land in which they inhabit and as such have a historical relationship with their land. Nowadays, most of the Orang Asli have been resettled to a village provided by the government. Nevertheless, they are still carrying out their traditional lifestyle, such as hunting and gathering forest product. Over many generations, they have developed a holistic ancestral traditional knowledge of their lands, natural resources and environment, which plays an important role in their livelihood and well-being. Documentation of traditional knowledge on natural resources by the native people in Malaysia is still far from complete. Thus, the objective of this study is to document the traditional knowledge and natural resources used by the Orang Asli in their livelihoods. This study adopts a qualitative approach through exploratory study whereby the study was carried out at the Orang Asli resettlement villages in the state of Terengganu, Malaysia. Data was obtained from the tribal elders who served as informants using in-depth interviews and field observations. The results show that two plant species mainly relied on the Orang Asli for their economic activity, including agarwood and rattan. Besides, there are 34 species of plants and herbs, 31 species of animals and 31 species of fishes that commonly utilised by the Orang Asli in Terengganu, Malaysia. Interestingly, they still using conventional methods and equipment to harvest natural resources needed. Therefore, the government have to raise the importance of traditional knowledge and preserve the natural resources by adapting them into the formal education system for the sake of the new generation of Orang Asli. Besides, the data collected will be useful for researchers, JAKOA and policymakers to improve the lifestyle and well-being of the Orang Asli. Keywords: indigenous people, ecological knowledge, Semaq Beri, Kenyir Lake, Terengganu

Highlights

Introduction and BackgroundThe indigenous people are significant and constitute vital portions of humanity
This study found that Semaq Beri and Bateq tribe in Terengganu relied on herbs for their traditional medicinal practices and cash
Beri and Bateq tribes in Terengganu are still relying on natural resources for their livelihood

Summary

Introduction

Introduction and BackgroundThe indigenous people are significant and constitute vital portions of humanity. There is no clear definition of indigenous people internationally. Martinez Cobo who defined the indigenous people as a “community, peoples and nations which are having a historical continuity with pre-invasion and pre-colonial societies prevailing on those territories. At present they form non-dominant sectors of society. They are determined to preserve, develop and transmit to future generations their ancestral territories and their ethnic identity, as the basis of their continued existence as people are following their cultural patterns, social institutions and legal system“ (Kardooni, Kari, Yahaya, & Yusup, 2014)

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