Not to be confused with the Penan people, or Punan, the Semai ethical concept.
Punan Ba people Punan people
An elderly Punan man performing Bungan rites. Photo taken at Punan Sama village.
Total population
approx. 5,000
Regions with significant populations
Malaysia Sarawak (Kapit and Bintulu Division)Indonesia West Kalimantan and East Kalimantan
Languages
Punan Bah, Malay, Indonesian, English
Religion
Christianity and Animism
Related ethnic groups
Dayak people, Sekapan, Kejaman, Lahanan'
Punan Bah or Punan[1] is an ethnic group found in Sarawak, Malaysia and in Kalimantan, Indonesia.[2] The Punan Bah people are distinct and unrelated to the semi-nomadic Penan people.[3][4] Their name stems from two rivers along the banks of which they have been living since time immemorial. They have other names including Mikuang Bungulan or Mikuang and Aveang Buan but those are used only ritually nowadays.
The Punan (or Punan Ba) have never been nomadic. In the old days,[when?] they based their living on a mixed economy – Swidden agriculture[5] with hill paddy as the main crop, supplemented by a range of tropical plants which include maniok, taro, sugar cane, tobacco, etc. Hunting, especially wild boar, fishing, and gathering of forest resources,[5] are the other important factors in their economy.
However, in the late 1980s, many Punan, notably the younger, more educated, gradually migrated to urban areas such as Bintulu, Sibu, Kuching and Kuala Lumpur in search of better living. However, they didn't abandon their longhouses altogether. Many would still return home, especially during major festivities such as Harvest Festival or Bungan festival as it is known among Punan.
Punan is a stratified society of 'laja' (aristocrats), 'panyen' (commoners), and 'lipen' (slaves). This determines their historical traditions that have been preserved. Just like most of the history of European Middle Ages is linked to and mainly concerned the various ruling monarchs, so are the historical and mythical traditions of Punan closely connected to their rulings aristocrats.
^Nicolaisen, Ida. 1976. "Form and Function of Punan Ba Ethno-historical Tradition" in Sarawak Museum Journal Vol XXIV No. 45 (New Series). Kuching.
^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.
^Wendy Hutton (2000). Adventure Guides: East Malaysia. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 962-593-180-5.
^Peter G. Sercombe & Bernard Sellato (2008). Beyond the Green Myth. NIAS Press. ISBN 978-87-7694-018-8.
^ abVandana Shiva (2014). Wendell Berry (ed.). The Vandana Shiva Reader. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 978-0-8131-4699-7.
PunanBah or Punan is an ethnic group found in Sarawak, Malaysia and in Kalimantan, Indonesia. The PunanBah people are distinct and unrelated to the semi-nomadic...
converted to Christianity. Not to be confused with the Penan, the PunanBah or Punan is a distinct ethnic group found in Sarawak, Malaysia. They are mostly...
is used in head-to-head combat among males. It is a belief among the PunanBah that a large helmeted hornbill guards the river between life and death...
Rejang–Sajau languages, a group of mutually intelligible isolects spoken by the PunanBah Rajang (disambiguation) This disambiguation page lists articles associated...
regarded as a sub-group of the purported Klemantan people. Today the Punan (or PunanBah) people are also closely linked to the last riverine dwelling Melanau...
the other tribes in Sarawak are: the Kayan, Kenyah, Kejaman, Kelabit, PunanBah, Tanjong, Sekapan, and the Lahanan. Collectively, they are referred to...
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longhouse across Rajang river, about a few kilometer away from the current PunanBah longhouse to a place known as ungei Susou or Susou river. Then they move...
country in the Persian Gulf Bah-Biau Punan language This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title BAH. If an internal link led you...
Punan Aput, or Aput, is a Punan language of East Kalimantan, Indonesia, one of several spoken by the Punan people. Aput at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)...
headwaters of Rajang. The river flows from northeast to southwest. The PunanBah people reside at the headwaters of the Rajang. One of the Rajang tributaries...
Penan, also known as Punan-Nibong, is a language complex spoken by the Penan people of Borneo. They are related to the Kenyah languages. Glottolog shows...
Basap, or Sajau-Latti is an Austronesian language spoken by the Punan Sajau and Punan Basap people of Borneo in Indonesia. Sajau at Ethnologue (18th ed...
Segai, also known as Punan Kelai, is a Kayanic language spoken in several communities along the Kelai River, Berau Regency, East Kalimantan, Indonesia...
Hovongan (Hobongan), or Punan Bungan, is a Kayan language of West Kalimantan, Indonesia, one of several spoken by the Penan people. Hovongan at Ethnologue...
Ukit is a Punan language of Sarawak, Malaysia. 'Punan Ukit' is a dialect of the related language Bukitan. Ukit at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription...
Austronesian language of Sarawak in Borneo. Smith (2017) classifies it as a Punan language. Seru language at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)...
Sarawak branch within Greater North Borneo, combining the Melanau, Kajang and Punan–Müller-Schwaner languages. Additionally, he also excludes Moklenic from...
carvings were done by Mr. Kojan Kabeng, a local carver and artist from PunanBah. One of the world's largest amber deposits was discovered recently in...
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