Akar Nusa
A longhouse in Matunggong, late afternoon. A long shared hall runs the length of the building, with family rooms opening off it. A woman threads small beads onto a cord, patient and fast. The pattern has been in her family for longer than she can count.
The story
The Rungus live mainly in northern Sabah, in the districts of Kudat, Kota Marudu and Pitas. Smaller communities are in Beluran, Telupid, Kota Kinabalu and Labuan. About 74,000 Rungus were estimated in 2024.
Their language, Rungus, belongs to the Dusunic family. It has several dialects, including Gonsomon and Nuluw, which are the most widely spoken now. Use of the language is declining, and there are efforts to bring it back, such as Rungus signage and planned schools.
Rice is at the heart of Rungus life and belief. The rice spirit is called Odu-odu. The most senior priestesses are the bobolizan, who act as go-betweens with the spirit world. Male ritual specialists are called rampahan.
The traditional longhouse has a shared hall with family quarters off it. Dress is black cloth with brass coils. The Rungus are known for pinakol, beaded belts worn as a pair across the body. The beadwork helps tell the Rungus apart from other Sabah peoples.
On the larger story, a 2022 review describes Sabah natives as close relatives of the native peoples of Taiwan and the Philippines. It lists the Rungus among the farming peoples of northern Sabah. The review links the region to the spread of Austronesian speakers about 5,000 years ago, while saying the full picture has several layers.
Where you can still see it today
- Bavanggazo longhouse in Matunggong, a cultural village built in 1992.
- Sumangkap Village, where gongs are made.
- Tinangol Village, which has a handicraft centre.
- Gombizau Village, known for rearing bees.
- Mari Mari Cultural Village in Inanam, near Kota Kinabalu, and a Rungus house at the Kadazandusun Cultural Association compound in Penampang.
What DNA can tell, and what it cannot
DNA can show deep links across Borneo and the islands, but not which people a person belongs to. In a study of 48 Kedayan people from Sabah and Sarawak, mother line B4a1a was the most common at 25 percent, and it is widespread among Austronesian peoples. That study was not of the Rungus. It shows the kind of lines common in the region. A Malaysian we have tested with a B4 mother line may share that wide history.
We found no mother-line or father-line study of the Rungus alone, so a region estimate for this story is broad.
DNA does not decide your people, your religion or any legal status. Family, community and law do.
