The Kadazan-Dusun Culture
This is Hareez,Maphoka and Lydia here.
As part of our assignment for Intercultural Communicatiom we have created this blog
to give you a sneak peak in the tangled and unique cultures and traditions of the Kadazan-Dusun people.
"Culture, is the sum of all the forms of art, of love, and of thought,
which, in the coarse or centuries,
have enabled man to be less enslaved”
Andre Malraux
The Kadazan-Dusun culture has left somewhat of a big impact on me. This is due to the fact that I lived in Sabah for 6 years of my life, and throughout those years I had the privilege to meet and become best friends with a few people of the Kadazan-Dusun culture. I've even had the opportunity to delve deeper into their traditions and ways of life.
With the years I spent in Sabah i've realized that people who have yet to set foot on the Land Below the Wind, constantly link Kadazan-Dusuns to the Harvest Festival or more traditionally known as the Pesta Ka'matan. It is annual event in the cultural lives of the Kadazan-Dusun people. It is a very vibrant, joyous and exuberant festival in which they give thanks for the rice harvest they attain. Although time has changed a handful of the Kadazan-Dusun traditions, the Pesta Ka'matan still remains true to it's roots, as it a time of thanksgiving for everything in their lives.
There are various stages before the actual Harvest Festival takes place. The stages are:
The Kumogos Ceremony.The first stage occurs before the harrvest itself begins. The Bobohizans, who are believed to be shamans in Sabah will carefully chose and tie up 7 stalks of rice from a rice field. There a many different reason to why the Bobohizans chose only seven but the true reason seems to be very vague. These chosen stalks will only be harvested after the plot in which the stalks were chosen from is harvested. According to the Kadazan-Dusun elders, this ritual is initiated to prevent Bambarayons or other spirits to not disturb or cause any harm while the harvesting process is being carried out.and by doing so, they are promising these spirits each something in return after the harvest.
The Kumotob Ceremony. This next step occurs in the area of the field that has yet to be harvested. And just like the first stage the Bobohizan or Shaman will chose 7 more stalks of rice which are supposedly better than all the other stalks. These chosen stalks will then be tied up together neatly. They are then placed into a tadang, which is a type of weaved basket that is used to keep rice. The remaining rice in the field is then harvested. This stage is different from the first stage because the rice that was harvested would then be turned into seeds for the next planting season.
The Posisip Ceremony. The rice stalks that we tied up and placed in the tadang from the second stage is then taken by the Bobohizan into a rice hut, it will be taken out while the Bobohizan recites traditional chants and would then proceed to insert them into a bamboo pole that was earlier chosen. According to the elderly, the chants are recited to call or summon the spirits(bambarayons) of the rice to stay in that particular rice hut until the next season of planting begins.
The Poihib Ceremony. The Bobohizan then starts to carefully pour the rice into a tangkob, which is a place for rice storage. This is repeated multiple times until all the rice has been poured in the tangkob. The Shaman then summons the spirits(bambarayons) once again to keep watch over the rice in the stored area.
The Magavau Ceremony.The Kadazan word "magavau" or "maga'au", means-to recover what one has lost, by whatever means.Bambarayons, are divine deities or spirits. The traditional belief of the Kadazan-Dusun is that Bambarayon is embodied in every part and form of rice, and padi pests and predator. This stage is known as the most crucial stage as it involves wholly the Bambarayons. This stage is where the spirits are restored and are offered food, as promised in the earlier stages. The elders have said that this stage is to be carried out on the paddy field on the night of the first full moon after the harvest. But these days, this ritual is carried out in the comfort of the owners home as it is more convenient.
The Humabot Ceremony. This is the final stage of the Harvest Festival. It is carried out annually in big and joyous events. This stage is where the entertainment and joyous celebrations are carried out. A large range of activities are carried out during this ceremony which takes place on the last two days of the month of May. The main event of the festival is the Unduk Ngadau which is The Harvest Festival Queen. It is held almost like a beauty pageant but the difference is that it symbolizes sacrificed daughter of Kinorohingan, a devine spirit.
Below , is an article taken fromhttp://www.flyingdusun.com/004_Features/010_Kaamatan01.htm explaining the origin of Unduk Ngadau. The site was given to me by and very culturally bound family friend of mine from Penampang, that suggested that the site explains clearly the meaning many ancestors try to convey
There are a number of stories trying to explain why there should be an Unduk Ngadau Beauty Contest during the Harvest Festival, and one goes as follows:
It happened once, so the lore, during one of the Ka’amatan Festivals that questions from the younger minds arose as to how Bambaazon or Huminodun looked like. So the Kadazandusun Bobohizans and elders sat together and made a selection from among the most beautiful, modest and humblest of the young ladies around to provide a resemblance of Bambaazon and described her as the "Unduk Ngadau".
This was how the "Unduk Ngadau" or Ka’amatan Festival Beauty Queen Selection came into being as one of the highlights of the Ka’amatan Festival today. In every Ka’amatan Festival the "Unduk Ngadau Contest" normally assumes the highlight of the day's occasion. More than being a highlight, to the Kadazandusun the Unduk Ngadau is the culmination of all the activities undertaken, and a symbolic response to Kinoingan's ever-abounding love for his people. Unduk Ngadau owes its origin to that part of the Kadazan Genesis that pertains to the sacrifice of Huminodun, Kinoingan's only daughter. One of the many variant legends relates the following (for a different legend click here):
One day, Kinoingan started a farm, but after ploughing he realised that he had no seeds to plant. So he set off in search of some seeds with his valuable brass gong which he carried everywhere on his shoulder. On his way, he met birds and animals, and asked them if they had any seeds, to which they replied that they did not have any yet, having just been created by him. Even though Kinoingan knew that they had none, he nevertheless purposely asked this question to make them all realise that they would have to work hard for their livelihood.Because there were no seeds in the world then, Kinoingan in the end resourced to sacrificing his only, beautiful and obedient daughter so that all his people would have seeds to grow food they needed. Her head gave rise to coconuts, her flesh became rice padi, her blood (the most precious part) red rice, her fingers ginger, her teeth maize, her knees yams and other parts of her body many more edible plants.
When the padi began to ripen, Kinoingan's wife, Suminundu was requested to first pick a little of it, thresh it, fry it, mix it with coconut flesh and its water and share it with her people and pets. Later, when the harvest came and Suminundu cut the stems of the padi with her sickle the voice of her daughter was suddenly heard requesting her to be careful.
When the time came for Kinoingan and his wife Suminundu to ascend to the heavens Kinoingan informed his wife that they had yet to perform some ceremonies, including a great feast for all the people he had created. For it was the request of Huminodun that it be done to "bestow their love and respect to her for the inheritance of the people of this world". But first he wrote down the customs of each country to guide the people. For those who could not read, he taught priestesses prayers for festive days and for curing sicknesses.
But when the time for the feast came, Kinoingan was not happy. He felt a deep paternal longing for Huminodun and thought that she would surely be leading the feast if she were to be alive. Sadly, he played a tune with his bamboo flute and called his daughter's name.
Miraculously, Huminodun came out of a big jar that was used to hold the remains of the threshed padi. Her return to life added untold joy to the festivities. When the feast was over, Kinoingan, his wife and his daughter disappeared in the heavens, bidding farewell to their guests.
To this day the elderly Kadazandusun believe that when harvesting, such customary practices should be observed, otherwise padi stubble might cut them during the harvest, and they would get sores when consuming rice. Underlying this practice is a universal morality of not taking for granted the abundance of food, and not to waste anything edible.
During one of my many visits to a Kadazan-Dusun Village during the harvest as the children take a break from helping their parents.
Visitors at the rice hut before the harvest.
An offering and thanksgiving made out of fruits and vegetables for the spirits.
A Kadazan-Dusun Village.
07:48
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Basic Kadazan-Dusun
pomusarahan- the mind
pupus-finish
Obuli ko monuduk doho?-Can you teach me?
Obuli ko mongoruhang doho?-Would you be my company?
Atagap-good looking man :)
Au-No
Aiso-Nothing
Buluntung-rainbow
Darun-rain
Hello, How Are You?-Okuro-kuro kabar nu?
Good Morning-Kopisanangan do kosuabon.
Good evening-Kopisanangan do minsosodop
My name is ... - Ngaran ku nopo nga ie ...
This is my friend ....-Iti nopo nga tambalut ku (ie...)
Where do you live / stay?-1. Honggo tiyonon nu?
2.Honggo ko poingiyon?
Where are you from?-Nonggo tadon nu?
How much is this? - 1. Songkuro diti? ( For the shoppers)
2. Piro gatang diti?
The Kadazan-Dusun Culture
