Penan people

Penan
An old Penan woman from Ulu Baram, Sarawak.
Total population
21,367 [1]
Regions with significant populations
Borneo:
 Malaysia (Sarawak)16,281 (2010)[2]
 Brunei300[3]
Languages
Penan, Malay (Sarawakian Malay)
Religion
Bungan (Folk religion), Christianity (predominantly)[4]
Related ethnic groups
Kenyah people

The Penan are a nomadic indigenous people living in Sarawak and Brunei, although there is only one small community in Brunei; among those in Brunei half have been converted to Islam, even if only superficially.[5] Penan are one of the last such peoples remaining as hunters and gatherers.[1] The Penan are noted for their practice of 'molong' which means never taking more than necessary. Most Penan were nomadic hunter-gatherers until the post-World War II missionaries settled many of the Penan, mainly in the Ulu-Baram district but also in the Limbang district. They eat plants, which are also used as medicines, and animals and use the hides, skin, fur, and other parts for clothing and shelter.

  1. ^ "Ratusan Pribumi di Sarawak tiada kerakyatan". 17 July 2021.
  2. ^ Laurel Evelyn Dyson, Stephen Grant & Max Hendriks, ed. (2015). Indigenous People and Mobile Technologies. Routledge. ISBN 978-13-176-3894-0.
  3. ^ Jeffrey Hays (2008). "Minorities In Brunei". Facts And Details. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  4. ^ Paul C. Y. Chen, ed. (1990). Penans: The Nomads of Sarawak. Pelanduk Publications. p. 35. ISBN 96-797-8310-3.
  5. ^ Borrell, Brendan; Irwandi, Joshua (19 September 2023). "A Vanishing Nomadic Clan, With a Songlike Language All Their Own - New genetic research confirms the oral history of a small group of nomadic people living in Indonesia's rainforest". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.