Who are the Punan, Part Three — “The Sitieng Connections”
It seems any group, linked to Punan was, almost by default, presumed to be nomad. Hence, we were told the Tatau were nomads (see Diman Jarap 1961), and so were the Sitieng (Tuton Kaboy 1971).
A succinct measure, the level of the misconception that people’s have about the Punan in Sarawak. Obviously, this was no fault of Punan people themselves. In Borneo, the “Punan” term had become an exonym, being used as a label for groups — the nomads scattered throughout central and southwest of Borneo. For example, in Kalimantan, it is, in fact, a government explicit policy to name all former nomads as “Punan” regardless of what their self-labelling might be (see Shanti Tambiah 2007).
But in Sarawak, Punan is also the name of an agriculturalist group. British anthropologist, Dr Edmund R. Leach, proposed to call “Punan Bah” — partly to avoid them being confused for Penan that Kayan and Kenyah in Sarawak often labeled Punan! Hence, in the literature, they are generally known as “Punan Bah” — actually a misleading exonym. It is with the Punan in Sarawak or Punan Bah with whom the Sitieng historically are related.
