The Urak Lawoi' of the Adang Archipelago, Thailand
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Acknowledgements he final part of this her selflessness, strength, and (Dr. Jawanit Kittitornkul) for book was written in a hospi- bravery. their friendship and help in Ttal while I was spending time drawing me toward the path with my mother, Yupa Wong- I would like to thank the of dharma. Many thanks to busarakum. Without her, this United Nations Development Nong Toey (Soimart Rungma- book would not have been pos- Programme (UNDP) for funding nee) for her hard work and sible. She came to stay with me this project, and the United Na- readiness to help wherever during my dissertation research tions Educational, Scientific and needed. I would like to thank in the Adang Archipelago in the Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Stephen Pattemore for his great spring of 1998, after I had been and Chulalongkorn University help in transliterating Urak assaulted on Lipe island. At the Social Research Institute (CUS- Lawoi’ words into Thai and Eng- time, I had just started to col- RI) for all their assistance. lish when he was in another lect data and was on the verge part of the world, Nong Aey of giving up my project, as my I would like to sincerely (Jaisinee Kid-arn) for the beau- family and friends felt that it thank the Urak Lawoi’ and the tiful maps, and Keiko Ohnuma was not worth continuing at the residents of the Adang Archi- for editing my draft and mak- cost of my safety. Even though pelago who allowed me access ing this book come alive. Lastly, my mother disagreed with my to their communities. Special I am indebted to my husband, wish to finish some part of what thanks are due to three Urak Peter Hershock, for discussions I had begun, she recognized the Lawoi’ field assistants, Krom that gave me new perspectives, importance of the study and (Samarnmit Harntalee), Noom and for being a faithful edi- not only accepted my choice (Nung Pramongkit), and Som tor and reader of all my work. to continue, but left her com- (Sangsom Harntalee). Their en- I also would like to thank him fortable home in the city to gagement was indispensable to for taking care of our son, Ka‘eo, stay with me during the most the success of this project, and making it possible for me to difficult periods in the field. This working with them was one of travel to the field and work on period later became the begin- its most rewarding aspects. what I believe in. ning of a year-long study of the Urak Lawoi’. No words can suffi- I am grateful to Jui (Thanit ciently express my gratitude for Boothapetcharat) and Toom 2 Acknowledgements Contents I. Introduction .................................................................................8 II. Origins............................................................................................9 A. Migration to the Adang Archipelago........................................... 10 B. Identity ....................................................................................... 12 III. The Adang Archipelago .................................................... 14 IV. Traditional way of life ........................................................17 A. Formerly semi-nomadic .............................................................. 18 B. Life centered on the sea............................................................... 19 C. Subsistence economy................................................................... 20 D. Minimal material possessions...................................................... 21 E. Social life..................................................................................... 24 V. Fishing...........................................................................................27 A. Traditional methods........................................................28 1. Spear ....................................................................................... 28 2. Hook and line ......................................................................... 28 3. Trap fishing ............................................................................ 29 4. Harvesting other sea life ........................................................ 30 B. Modified practices........................................................... 31 1. Hook and line ......................................................................... 32 2. Trap fishing ............................................................................ 32 3. Harvesting other sea life ........................................................ 33 C. Introduced methods........................................................36 1. Dynamite fishing ................................................................... 36 2. Drive-in net fishing ............................................................... 37 VI. Beliefs, ceremonies, arts, and crafts........................ 40 A. Animism..................................................................................... 40 4 Contents B. Ceremonies................................................................................. 41 C. Arts, crafts, music, and dance..................................................... 43 VII. Joining the global economy.......................................... 48 A. Tourism development................................................................. 48 B. Competition for resources.......................................................... 51 C. Loss of land rights...................................................................... 52 D. Parkland and conservation......................................................... 53 E. Material culture.......................................................................... 57 F. Changing ways of learning and knowledge ............................... 58 G. Social dynamics......................................................................... 62 VIII. Challenges and opportunities.................................. 65 A. Stakeholder collaboration........................................................... 65 B. Sustainable development ........................................................... 66 C. Empowerment of the Urak Lawoi’............................................. 68 IX. Final remarks.......................................................................... 70 Appendices A. The Urak Lawoi’ language........................................................ 71 B. Adang Archipelago place names and stories ............................ 72 C. Major islands of the Adang Archipelago .................................. 80 D. Major forest types and species in the Adang Archipelago ...... 88 E. Plants used by the Urak Lawoi’ for food................................... 90 F. Plants used medicinally by the Urak Lawoi’ ............................ 98 G. Favorite Urak Lawoi’ marine foods.......................................... 103 H. Sea life used medicinally by the Urak Lawoi’ ........................ 104 I. Publications and research on the Urak Lawoi’......................... 104 in English References.................................................................................... 106 Photo Courtesy Brendan Carroll Contents 5 List of Maps: 1. Main coastal and island communities of 6. Topographic and coastal character of Urak Lawoi’ and their population, the Adang Archipelago Andaman Sea, Thailand 7. Villages of Urak Lawoi’ and park 2. Travel route of To Kiri and migration stations in the Adang Archipelago in routes of Urak Lawoi’ to the Adang 2006 Archipelago 8. Lipe island before 1980 with Urak 3. Former villages and traditional camping Lawoi’ place names sites of Urak Lawoi’ in the Adang 9. Lipe Island in 2005 with Urak Lawoi’ Archipelago place names 4. Islands of the Adang Archipelago 10. Adang island 5. Fresh water sources and mangrove sites 11. Rawi island in the Adang Archipelago 12. Tong island 13. East side of Lipe island in 2005 List of Photos: 1. Urak Lawoi’ boys playing in the sea 18. Urak Lawoi’ man paddling a boat 2. To Kiri wooden statue 19. Common woman’s dress 3. Typical scenery in 20. Common man’s dress the Adang Archipelago 21. Making bamboo walls 4. Lipe island 22. Women and their work 5. Urak Lawoi’ man picking coconuts 23. The oldest man takes care of the air 6. Temporary shelter hose, the youngest man the boat motor 7. Urak Lawoi’ trap fisherman 24. Wooden carving of turtle hunting with 8. Cooking fish a spear 9. Wooden boat toy 25. Bamboo trap 10. Making thatched roof from nipa palm 26. Using hook and line to catch squid 11. Rowboat 27. Oysters on boulder 12. Priya 28. Cleaning sea urchin 13. Hubihara 29. Drying sea cucumber 14. Nibok 30. East side of Lipe 15. Baru 31. Guyoi 16. Tho’tho’ or pho’pho’ 32. Tonan 17. Temporary shelter site at Patay Panyok 33. Spotted king mackerel of Lipe in 1997 34. Hook-and-line fishing for spotted king mackerel Photo Courtesy Brendan Carroll 6 List of Maps 35. Fishermen unloading and sorting fish at 61. Completed ceremonial boat the landing site 62. ‘Ghost-preventing poles’ 36. Rattan trap with plastic rope and steel 63. Taxi boat wire 64. Trawlers 37. Getting ready to place trap underwater 65. Light-luring boats 38. Fixing trap on the sea floor 66. Telo’ Cengan on Adang 39. Using plastic bucket as flotation device 67. Beachfront popular for tourist 40. Urak Lawoi’ diver with hookah bungalows 41. Rolling up air hose after each dive 68. Daya beach before the tourism boom 42. Decorative shells 69. Giant clams 43. Long-tailed boats 70. Urak Lawoi’ boat builder 44. Drive-in net fisherman chasing fish from 71. Modern house the reefs 72. Urak Lawoi’ father and son 45. Drive-in net fisherman