Orang Kuala

Duano' people
Desin Duano' / Desin Dolak / Orang Kuala
Total population
19,000 (2006)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Strait of Malacca:
 Indonesia17,500[2]
          Jambi331[3]
          Riaun/a
          Riau Islandsn/a
 Malaysia (Johor)3,761 (2010)[4]
Languages
Duano' language, Indonesian language, Malay language
Religion
Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
Orang Laut, Urak Lawoi’ people, Moken people, Orang Seletar

The Duano' people, also called Desin Dolak or Desin Duano' are an indigenous people of Malaysia and Indonesia (where they are also referred to as Orang Kuala, meaning "People of the Estuary") and can be found in islands along the northeastern region of Sumatra, Indonesia where most Duano' people have traditionally lived. They are one of the Proto-Malay group of cultures. Due to their nomadic boat lifestyle, based almost exclusively on fishing and collecting shellfish and crustaceans by using mud-boards,[5] Duano' people are often categorized as Orang Laut (lit. Sea People), a group that includes the Urak Lawoi’ people and Moken people of the northern region of the Malacca Strait and the Andaman Sea.[6] Although there are similarities in their way of life, they are a separate ethnic group. Citing their own language, culture, identity, and economic complexities, they deny being Orang Laut.[7]

Their population is difficult to estimate and their geographical location and concentration is not easily defined. Despite living in a rather developed region and easily coming into contact with outsiders, the Duano’ remain little known to the outside world. Their settlements are scattered along the coast of the Strait of Malacca, where individual settlements form local groups that are loosely interconnected.

The Orang Kuala numbered about 2,000 people in 2000. They speak a Para-Malay language called Duano', which is currently endangered.

  1. ^ "Duano". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2015-01-08.
  2. ^ "Duano in Indonesia". Joshua Project. Retrieved 2015-01-08.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference TUSDDTSJ was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Kirk Endicott (2015). Malaysia's Original People: Past, Present and Future of the Orang Asli. NUS Press. ISBN 978-99-716-9861-4.
  5. ^ Dr David Edward Sopher (1965). The Sea Nomads: A Study of the Maritime Boat People of Southeast Asia. National Museum Singapore.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Christopher Moseley (2008). Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-1357-9640-2.
  7. ^ Christian Pelras (1972). "Notes sur quelques populations aquatiques de l'Archipel nusantarien". Archipel. 3. Archipel, Volume 3: 133–168. doi:10.3406/arch.1972.992. Retrieved 2015-01-08.