Akar Nusa
On the last days of the year, a Temuan village in Selangor cleans its graves. Someone prays. The next day the village dances the sewang late into the evening. It is Ancestor Day, and the forest is part of it.
The story
The Temuan live in the hills and villages of Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, and in Melaka and other states nearby. COAC counts 18,560 Temuan in 2000 and 22,162 in 2003, which makes them one of the larger Orang Asli groups. Some villages are close to Kuala Lumpur.
Officially the Temuan are counted as Proto-Malay, or Aboriginal Malay. Encyclopedia.com says these three groupings, Negrito, Senoi and Aboriginal-Malay, were made for administration. COAC says the ancestors of the Proto-Malay groups are believed to have come from the islands south of the Peninsula, and their dialects belong to the Austronesian family, like Malay.
Many Temuan farm or work with the forest. COAC says some have taken up permanent farming of rubber, oil palm or cocoa.
The Star describes Ayik Muyang (Ancestor Day) at the end of the year. It honours the ancestors and gives thanks for a good year and for their watchful protection. The day before, people pray at graves and offer a feast. On the day there is a village cleansing, traditional food, and the evening sewang dance. The article also ties the festival to the forest, the community's ancestral and customary land.
Notice how close the lines are drawn. Temuan speak a language near to Malay, and COAC counts them with the Proto-Malay groups. Yet their yearly ancestor rites, their forest songs and their own village leadership keep a distinct community life. Neighbours can be close and still be themselves.
Where you can still see it today
- In Selangor and Negeri Sembilan villages. Community events are announced locally. Ask before you attend.
- In the food. Wikipedia lists dishes such as lemang, and catfish tempoyak. Many are cooked in bamboo.
- In the language. Temuan is close to Malay, so you may hear familiar words.
- In the forest. Respect the hills as home.
What DNA can tell, and what it cannot
A 2015 genome study sampled Temuan as one of the Proto-Malay groups. It found that Proto-Malay groups are close to East Asians, and mixed with Negrito and Senoi ancestry about 20 generations ago. It estimated their split from East Asians at about 8,000 to 9,000 years ago. A 2006 mother-line study found the Aboriginal Malays to be the most diverse group, with some links to island Southeast Asia.
A mother line, father line or region estimate may point to the islands as well as the mainland. That is one more thread in a shared Malaysian weave.
DNA cannot decide whether a person is Temuan. It also cannot decide race, religion or bumiputera status. These belong to community, family and the law.
