Sama-Bajau

This article is about the peoples. For the languages, see Sama–Bajaw languages.
Not to be confused with Samma (tribe), an unrelated ethnic group in Pakistan and India.

Sama-Bajau
West Coast Bajau women of Sabah in their traditional dress
Total population
1.3 million worldwide
Regions with significant populations
 Philippines~499,620[1]
 Malaysia~456,672[2]
 Indonesia~235,000
 Brunei~12,000
Languages
Sama–Bajaw languages (native),[3] Dusun, Tausug (secondary), Filipino, Malay, Indonesian, Chavacano, English
Religion
Predominantly:
Sunni Islam[4]
Related ethnic groups
Yakan, Iranun, Lumad
Other Greater Barito-speaking peoples, Tausūg, other Moros, Filipinos
Malays, Bugis, and other wider Austronesian peoples

The Sama-Bajau include several Austronesian ethnic groups of Maritime Southeast Asia. The name collectively refers to related people who usually call themselves the Sama or Samah (formally A'a Sama, "Sama people");[5] or are known by the exonym Bajau (/ˈbɑːdʒaʊ, ˈbæ-/, also spelled Badjao, Bajaw, Badjau, Badjaw, Bajo or Bayao). They usually live a seaborne lifestyle and use small wooden sailing vessels such as the perahu (layag in Maranao), djenging (balutu), lepa, and vinta (pilang).[6] Some Sama-Bajau groups native to Sabah are also known for their traditional horse culture.

The Sama-Bajau are the dominant ethnic group of the islands of Tawi-Tawi. They are also found in other islands of the Sulu Archipelago, coastal areas of Mindanao and other islands in the southern Philippines; as well as northern and eastern Borneo, Sulawesi, and throughout the eastern Indonesian islands.[7] In the Philippines, they are grouped with the religiously similar Moro people. Within the last fifty years, many of the Filipino Sama-Bajau have migrated to neighbouring Sabah and the northern islands of the Philippines, due to the conflict in Mindanao.[8][9] As of 2010, they were the second-largest ethnic group in Sabah.[2][10]

Sama-Bajau have sometimes been called the "Sea Gypsies" or "Sea Nomads", terms that have also been used for non-related ethnic groups with similar traditional lifestyles, such as the Moken of the Burmese-Thai Mergui Archipelago, the Orang Laut of southeastern Sumatra and the Riau Islands of Indonesia, and the Tanka people of Southern China. The modern outward spread of the Sama-Bajau from older inhabited areas seems to have been associated with the development of sea trade in sea cucumber (trepang).

  1. ^ "2010 Census of Population and Housing, Report No. 2A – Demographic and Housing Characteristics (Non-Sample Variables), Philippines" (PDF). psa.gov.ph. Government of the Philippines National Statistics Office. April 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Total population by ethnic group, administrative district and state, Malaysia" (PDF). statistics.gov.my. Department of Statistics, Malaysia. 2010. pp. 369/1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  3. ^ "What Language do the Badjao Speak?". Sinama.org. Kauman Sama Online. 4 January 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  4. ^ "Indigenous peoples of the world — the Bajau". peoplesoftheworld.org.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Maglana was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference nimmo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Lotte Kemkens. Living on Boundaries: The Orang Bajo of Tinakin Laut, Indonesia (PDF) (Social Anthropology Bachelor's thesis). University of Utrecht. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Statelessness was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "The Bajau, the Badjao, the Samals, and the Sama People". sinama.org. 14 May 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  10. ^ "Sabah's People and History". sabah.gov.my. Malaysia: Sabah State Government. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2015. The Kadazan-Dusun is the largest ethnic group in Sabah that makes up almost 30% of the population. The Bajaus, or also known as 'Cowboys of the East', and Muruts, the hill people and head hunters in the past, are the second and third largest ethnic group in Sabah respectively. Other indigenous tribes include the Bisaya, Brunei Malay, Bugis, Kedayan, Lotud, Ludayeh, Rungus, Suluk, Minokok, Bonggi, the Ida'an, and many more. In addition to that, the Chinese makes up the main non-indigenous group of the population.