!["...their feet did not touch any of the rocks."]()
"...their feet did not touch any of the rocks."
When your enemies can walk on air, it’s time to make peace: a story from Dusun Territory
The illustrated set of Ulu Papar oral histories and tales collected by Dusun community researchers is nearing completion—the illustrations in this report, by Imelda, are taken from the first proof of the volume, complied and translated by Shinobu at Gakushin University with support from GDF staff and the Kazadusun Language Foundation. The Dusun text is shown here, interspersed with Imelda's illustrations. Your support will enable it to be printed and distributed.
In this report on these oral histories and legends, we share a short story with you, and the contemporary context for the feats it recounts, and how it reached you. The story features two folk heros of mutiple tall tales, Kadui and Sidui. Kadui, we learn in another story included in the book, was so strong, he once jumped the river in a single bound, carrying his wife on his back. In this tale recounted by Angeline in an interview with community researcher Jiloris, for once Kadui and his brother find themselves outmatched.
Chapter 5 Kadui & Sidui
As Angeline tells it, "During a time of war between the villages of Kionop and Tiku, two brothers from Kionop, Sidui and Kadui, were known to be the strongest and most feared warriors. In Tiku, Lumingou and Binagal, also siblings, were the strongest; Lumingou was the elder of the two. Sidui and Kadui were eager to kill Lumingou and Binagal. One day, they travelled to Tiku River to spy on Binagal and Lumingou. When they reached the river, they saw Lumingou and Binagal walking together on their way to fish. But what they saw surprised them and they did not dare not approach the duo; as Luminggou and Binagal walked along the river, the bottom of their feet did not touch any of the rocks. Kadui and Sidui hid themselves and watched quietly, letting Lumingou and Binagal pass them without making any contact. Kadui and Sidui returned to their village because they felt they were unable to match the strength of Binagal and Lumingou. They held a meeting and slaughtered a pig, agreeing not to fight anymore."
In the Epilogue to Ulu Papar Tales, I reflected on the context of these stories of strength, conflict and peacemaking on Dusun territory:
"Since 2004, Indigenous Dusuns living adjacent to and within the Crocker Range Park in the Malaysian state of Sabah have been collaborating with government and non-government organisations on matters concerning their ancestral lands and territories. These collaborations have focused mainly on the use of natural resources as a livelihood source for their communities and the conservation of biodiversity. Using applied research and outreach methods learnt through projects enabled these communities to collaborate in investigations on issues of importance to them. Participants addressed protected area management, the development of methodological approaches for ethnobiological assessments of community-use areas, and the development of a collaborative management agenda for protected areas in this region. Working with Sabah Parks, Global Diversity Foundation and PACOS Trust, they carried out research on patterns of local resource use, valuation of landscapes, indigenous ecological knowledge, and the impact of subsistence strategies on areas adjacent to, or inside, protected areas.
The contents of this booklet are a direct result of these communities in action. Community researchers, trained through the projects funded by the Darwin Initiative, interviewed village elders and used their skills in participatory video (a community filmmaking approach). They documented tales of origin, war, heroism and much more, transforming oral histories of Ulu Papar into the written word. Some of the researchers, including Jenny, an author of previous reports, continued these efforts beyond the eight-year span of the projects with support from GlobalGIving donors.
How do these stories connect to work to protect Dusun ancestral lands and territory?
The Ulu Papar community is no stranger to defending their lands, which they have managed and looked after based on their Adat (customary laws) and culture for generations. In 2009, a proposal for the construction of a mega-dam in Ulu Papar was put forward. The dam threatens the continued existence of Ulu Papar communities by putting villages and significant parts of their traditional territory under water. The people of Ulu Papar united in a fierce fight to voice their opposition to the project, confidently citing important cultural and biological features that would be affected by the dam. Their fighting spirit has not ceased. To date, through the Task Force Against Kaiduan Dam, their protests continue through peaceful direct action--community members blocking access to their villages--and active social media presence.
The oral histories revealed by Ulu Papar elders demonstrate their people’s long and continuous presence in the area. Alongside other research results, these stories have contributed to a valuable base of knowledge on Ulu Papar. Guided by their village leaders and other community members, community researchers developed successful outreach activities to share the rich evidence of Dusun presence and belonging in Ulu Papar. They designed roadshows, an on-site biocultural congress, and outreach sessions to government and non-government agencies. These have instilled pride in the community and appreciation of the special character and features of Ulu Papar.
Thank you for reading. Let’s continue to protect this important biocultural heritage site in Sabah!
!["Kadui and Sidui hid themselves and watched...."]()
"Kadui and Sidui hid themselves and watched...."
!["In Tiku, Lumingou and Binagal... were strongest."]()
"In Tiku, Lumingou and Binagal... were strongest."
!["They held a meeting and slaughtered a pig..."]()
"They held a meeting and slaughtered a pig..."
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