Preserving Indigenous Heritage: Tales of Wisdom and Culture
“We are clever. We have succeeded in this big project. We are all winners. ‘Stories from the Orang Asli Communities’ is our joint success. The stories centre on the wisdom and knowledge of the Orang Asli communities in solving problems. These published stories belong to the Orang Asli, and they profoundly impact human development.”
– Mahat A/L China @ Akiya, Co-Advisor of “Stories from the Orang Asli Communities”
Publication Project and well-known Orang Asli writer
(Translated speech excerpt, Yayasan Gamuda’s Book Launch, 23 August 2023)
Mahat @ Akiya’s words at Yayasan Gamuda’s Book Launch succinctly captured the sentiments of the Orang Asli storytellers and illustrators. The Orang Asli have always wished for a space to express themselves, to be heard, and to contribute to nation-building, but they lack such opportunities.
Thus, one could feel the elation and sense of accomplishment and pride of the sixteen Orang Asli present during the launch. The event celebrated the publication of eleven stories told by twenty-two storytellers and illustrated by three artists from five sub-ethnic groups.
We are seeing the ripple effect since the launch of the “Stories from the Orang Asli Communities” storybooks. Bah Saluji who illustrated four storybooks, wants to take a few boxes of the books to promote them to share his cultural heritage. He plans to conduct drawing workshops for talented Orang Asli youth lacking such training opportunities, to give them a livelihood option.
Fazilah feels very motivated to collect even more stories from the elders and retelling them accurately. With a title in mind, Eris Joshan has already started writing the next story! Finally, plans are afoot for organising informal conversations with fellow Malaysians using these storybooks to bridge cultural diversity.
Mahat @ Akiya is right that the publication project would impact human development. The whole story-writing process has catalysed the Orang Asli youths’ discovery and appreciation of their identity, history and cultural heritage.
In retelling the stories, they had to make sense of the stories of yonder years told by their elders to clarify apparent gaps perceived by the modern world. This has also helped them rediscover the wisdom behind their ancestral stories, which is still very relevant to the contemporary world.
Journeying with them in this publication, we, too, have learnt much. For example, there are many stories related to mistreating animals and ensuing natural disaster, a punishment for the perpetrator(s).
The wisdom passed down involves respecting animals and prioritising living in harmony with the Creator God, nature, animals and fellow humans. So, when an Orang Asli observes a taboo, it is more than avoiding personal bad karma; it is to ensure others do not suffer the consequences too.
Many of their oral stories involve the forest, their lifeline which holds deep-rooted cultural significance. The Orang Asli never damage trees and they protect old trees for their ecological significance. Most Orang Asli bury their family members in the forest; trees are their ancestors’ dwelling places. Losing their forest is tantamount to losing their deceased family members and cherished memories.
The initial idea to publish Orang Asli storybooks was to provide culturally responsive learning materials in the Toolkit being developed for Yayasan Gamuda’s Strengths-Based Education (SBE) Programme. The Toolkit will provide inclusive and high-quality learning for learners aged 5-17 at Community Learning Centres (CLCs) in Orang Asli villages, set up and taught by the local community.
The SBE Programme, anchored on the three pillars of Knowledge, Leadership and Livelihood Capabilities, aims to future-proof the learners with a broader range of options to become agents of social transformation for themselves and their communities.
Yayasan Gamuda partners with three leading NGOs, Teach for Malaysia, Yayasan Kajian dan Pembangunan Masyarakat and PACOS Trust, in the curation of the SBE Toolkit within a strengths-based ecosystem for sustainable impact.
The original publication goal has expanded since. “Stories from the Orang Asli Communities” is also part of Yayasan Gamuda’s effort to safeguard the oral history, culture and heritage of the different Orang Asli sub-ethnic groups and to honour indigenous wisdom passed down through generations.
“The publication of these stories is Yayasan Gamuda’s gift to the Orang Asli communities. We just want to play the supporting role of safeguarding their oral history, culture and heritage.”
– Ts. Lim Hui Yan, Head of Yayasan Gamuda
The eight storybooks help readers get acquainted with the Che Wong, Jah Hut, Jakun, Semai and Temuan sub-ethnic groups (there are 18 Orang Asli sub-ethnic groups) and learn from their wisdom.
The stories are bilingual, Bahasa Malaysia and English, with English voice-over narration. One of the books includes the Semai language and Semai voice-over. While primarily for readers aged 7-15, adults will also love the stories and exquisite illustrations.
The Book Launch was held in conjunction with two panel discussions aimed at sharing knowledge and fostering impactful partnerships for left-behind communities. Panel 1, “Orang Asli Strengths-Based Education Ecosystem” explored Yayasan Gamuda’s SBE Programme and its whole-society approach in addressing micro and macro barriers faced by the Orang Asli. Panel 2, “Creating a Sustainable Social Transformation Ecosystem”, discussed collaborative initiatives involving various stakeholders.
Click here to watch “Stories from the Orang Asli Communities”.