Kampung Tataluan Visit: Insight into the Murut Tradition

Ever wondered how a real Murut village is like? Let us be your guide. 

As part of our License Agreement with the government, we are give the duty of taking care of the 20 plus indigenous villages in our boundary area, all being Murut villages. To achieve this, we apply an umbrella concept. One of the villages included is Kampung Tataluan. 

A group of us from camp went there to see the possibility of eco tourism in the village. Being it the visit there, We didn't know what to expect. So we hoped what caught our eye would catch the eyes of others.

We were greeted by the men of the village, as they looked down below from the verandah of their long house. We climbed the stairs, and shook hands gently as this is an expression of passivity. We made our way inside and were greeted by the women next. They already prepared snacks and drinks for our visit. They took great care of their visitors, and were very welcoming.

Inside the longhouse. Made out of zinc roofs and timber floor.

Housing of Kampung Tataluan.

Next, Casey brought out his laptop and started his presentation of eco-tourism to the heads of the village. Overall, they're interested in the idea. 

See, to get capital, they need people coming in, whether they are tourists or new residents. Either way, they help towards the benefit of the village, whether it is paying for a holiday or an extra pair of hands in the village. This is due to the younger generations are moving out of the villages to meet their own wants and needs, as they see that they cant do that at their current situation. This means less people in the villages, means there is no new generation to pass on the tradition to. Thus, the tradition will be lost.

Casey giving a presentation about eco-tourism to the village heads.

You could see their enthusiasm bubbled as they heard the possibilities of what could happen, which would ensure the prosperity of the village. I guess it was a sense of great relief for them that someone is giving a helping hand. Overall, it was met with open arms by Kampung Tataluan. 

They then showed us what they could offer to potential visitors: including handicraft. Coming from a design background, you could appreciate the technique and colors used in their designs. The weaving, the joints, the methods used were all very foreign to what we learnt.

An over-piece hung over during weddings. Made out of beads and strings on wooden pieces.

We were even treated to a traditional dance by the local girls!  If you said they were pretty, the villagers would think that you were interested, and they would arranged for you two to get married. AND, the groom's marriage fees (including the wedding, and the party after that, the drinks at that party etc) towards the bride's parents never seems to end. The poor guy would have to meet the parent's demands, which contains a rich variety; such as vehicles, TVs, furniture, even a kerbau or 2, and so on. It goes on until it is 100% paid off. 

And then they have another party: to celebrate the marriage fees being paid off.

As the dance nearly began, in the spur of the moment, We decided we would try my hand at playing the gongs. We didn't have anything proper to hit them, so we managed to get one of the guy's slippers sitting next to me, who was using the other slipper to hit his own gong. We do what we can do :).

Following the rhythm of the beat!

It was a fun experience. We managed to hold our own against these veteran players. As we did our part for the entertainment, the girls starred in a traditional Murut dance.

Murut traditional dance

Were doing the best we can to make sure these villages get the exposure they need. It would be a shame if the tradition is lost. If we lose that, then who are we? Where would we know where we came from? Personally, us Sabahans would not only lose something that is beautiful and something that was already there for us to explore, but we would be losing our identity as well. It is our personal duty to ensure that this culture is protected for future Murut generations to enjoy, value and understand, so that they may to be able to teach their kids what being a Murut is all about. 

It was a great and fun visit. Surely the first of many for myself. Its been a busy week here, with the Sapulut Forest Development Facebook page just came up. There's more photos of the visit there. Don't forget to like it and share it on your wall! Were trying to get the word out there, so help would be very much appreciated by us here in Sapulut. If you don't do it for us, then do it for them... This is not forced by the way. It is your decision, and whichever way it goes, we respect it. But we do ask is do what you feel is right ;).

This is Ken with the head craftswoman, showing his purchases. Smile for the camera!

We know you're tall Ken, but keep that position for awhile longer! :)