Help Communities in Borneo Protect their Heritage

My community is pleased with our new book, Ulu Papar Tales, because we now have another thing proving our presence in Ulu Papar. Ulu Papar Tales is available in four languages: Malay, English, Japan and our local language, Dusun. It is a great way for the children in this area to learn other languages. We will distribute copies to the Ulu Papar community and also donate some to the Penampang Public Library. Hardcopies of Ulu Papar Tales is very important to our community; because of bad internet connection, we are unable to read the online version. Illiterate elders can look at the illustrations as a way to ‘read’ the stories. For these elders, their family members can read the books out loud as a way to share the stories. In this way, our oral histories will continue to spread throughout the communities in Ulu Papar and beyond, and not fade over time.

We believe the Ulu Papar community has more untold oral histories. We hope elders still living in the area and also members from the Kionop community who migrated to Tambunan after their area was designated as part of Crocker Range Park will come forward to reveal more unique stories. We are now setting up plans for Ulu Papar Tales 2, creating another chance to help the Indigenous Dusun communities share knowledge about this place we call home. Our community is very grateful for donors who helped us achieve our dreams over time.

Photos:

1. Doing some literature review at the Penampang Public Library about oral histories in other areas.

2. Interviewing village elder, Yagur, in Kionop Baru, one of the villages in Ulu Papar.