Distinction between Punan and Penan/Pnan

Punan National Association (PNA) committee inspected the remnant of an ancient settlement at Punan River in 2016.

Punan confusion

In Borneo the people called “Punan” could be categorized into two distinct groups: (1) Punan (or Punan Ba) historically sedentary agriculturalist and (2) historically hunters-gatherers called Punan by Kayan and Kenyah.

The historically sedentary, agriculturalist Punan are distinct from the hunters-gatherers. In Sarawak the former hunters-gatherers are classified as PENAN in the laws (Sarawak Interpretation Ordinance and Malaysia Federal Constitution. 

The classification Penan includes, Penan, Penan Aput and Penan Busang. In Kalimantan the Penan Aput and Busang called themselves “Punan”. Recently, Bernard Sellato and Peter Sercombe are proposing to call all the hunters-gatherers in Borneo as “PNAN”.

Meanwhile, the historically sedentary, non-nomad Punan is often called “Punan Bah” or “Punan Ba” by anthropologists. It is a label they used to distinguish them from the hunters-gatherers called Penan by Kenyah and Punan by Kayan throughout Sarawak.

This blog is about the Punan (or Punan Bah) not the Penan (in Sarawak) and Pnan (in Kalimantan)

For further details please refer to Article 161(A) 7 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia (pdf) and Section 3 of the Sarawak Interpretation Ordinance (Cap 61, 2005) - see below.

 

Figure 1. Natives of Sarawak as defined in the State's law Clause (7).

"Batu Puruong Bua" or "Bua's boulder" in the Ba River (Bah River on map)

Myth and Origins of the name "Punan"

As previously stated, the Punan are called 'Punan Ba' by anthropologists and since these are ‘professionals’ - the label become accepted. 

Because of their name there are anthropologists who believed they may have a nomadic origins (see Nicolaisen 1976, Rousseau 1990, Sellato 1993,2002). Others, however, disputed this theory (refer to Leach 1948, and Needham 1954, 1955).

The Punan people as their myth suggested was created on a plain along a stream that bears the same name ‘Punan’. Punan River is located about 90 km from both Bintulu and Kapit towns. This area continues to be occupied by Punan people to this day, in fact, Punan's historic village, Punan Ba is only about 10 km south of the Punan River.

Unlike the myth of origins the Kelabit, Kayan, Kenyah and Penan that always about epic natural disaster ‘great flood’, Punan’s myth is more mundane. It tells us, Bua their god stop creating anymore Punan, having witnessed their endless squabbling. In his haste to depart the world to heaven (tulik), Bua had forgotten his quiver (bekoyo). 

He also left a mark on a huge boulder on the Ba River known as ‘batu puruong Bua’, he also created a river ‘Bua River’, and placed a massive boulder in the middle of Rejang River near the estuary of Bua River called ‘batu bua’. These are, as the myth suggests among the landmarks that constantly remind Punan of their creator – god ‘Bua’.

Punan River - a river that give the Punan their ethnic name. The picture was taken in 2016.