Koompassia Excelsa (Becc.) Taub.] Tree for the Berawan of Loagan Bunut, Sarawak, Malaysia
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Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge Vol. 13 (1), January 2014, pp. 63-69 Biocultural importance of the Tanying [Koompassia excelsa (Becc.) Taub.] tree for the Berawan of Loagan Bunut, Sarawak, Malaysia Merlin Franco F1*, Bibi Aminah Abdul Ghani2 & Syafitri Hidayati1 1Curtin Sarawak Research Institute, Curtin University, CDT 250, 98009 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia 2School of Continuing Studies, Curtin University, CDT 250, 98009 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia E-mail: [email protected] Received 08.07.13, revised on 02.09.13 This article explores the biocultural importance of the Tanying tree (Koompassia excelsa (Becc.) Taub.) for the Berawan people of Loagan Bunut, Sarawak; the study argues that the Tanying tree is a Cultural Keystone Species for the Berawan people. To support the argument, the values for Identified Cultural Influence (ICI) and Use Value (UV) indices were calculated using open ended interviews. The ICI value was moderately high (29/35) while the UV value was found to be relatively low (2.7). Though this appears contradictory at the first instance, a close scrutiny shows that the Tanying tree owes its unique position in Berawan culture to the spiritual values surrounding it, as the tree is revered for the hives of the honey bee Apis dorsata. Owing to the spiritual values, there is a taboo on the felling of the tree, which in turn has led to the conservation of the tree and the various animals depending on it. The Tanying tree is an example for ecologically important species also considered as a Cultural Keystone Species (CKS). The inferences drawn from this qualitative research suggests that the conservation of bioculturally important species such as the Tanying will help in the conservation of both indigenous cultures as well as the local ecosystem. Keywords: Traditional Knowledge, Pollinator, Scattered trees, Biological legacies, Conservation, Tapang IPC Int. Cl.8: A01 The idea of ‘diversity of life’ goes beyond in an ecosystem with varying degrees of importance5. biodiversity. It includes the cultural and linguistic Rarity, abundance, utility and perpetuity are some of diversity found among human societies1. The notion the factors generally held responsible for this. Since of biological diversity as ‘mere existence of diverse the needs of communities, the nature of their form of living organisms’ is redundant as the earth’s ecosystems and TK vary, the importance accorded to diverse forms of living organisms are recognised, species too is not uniform across communities and identified, utilised and managed by different human ecosystems. It can be argued that the approach of societies across the globe in characteristic ways, using conserving biodiversity alone is only half done as it Traditional Knowledge (TK) and skills. In other conserves the biological entities alone, ignoring the words, there is a whole ‘body of culture and cultural and TK diversity associated with them6. The knowledge’ whose existence depends on the presence emerging field of Biocultural Diversity (BCD) is of the respective species and ecosystems. The co- based on this understanding that the factors evolution of human beings with their ecosystem and responsible for the loss of biological diversity and the biological resources at their disposal has shaped cultural diversity are the same; and that the world’s cultures2. Likewise, practices or methods to indigenous languages, cultural diversity, TK and manipulate the ecosystem followed by communities biological diversity are being lost quicker than ever across the globe has shaped the ecosystem to a great before7. BCD recognises that TK, culture and extent that there are plant and animal species existing biodiversity are inseparable from each other and the only in anthropogenic biomes today3&4 loss of one might lead to the loss of the other. Thus, Indigenous cultures, through their folk the concept of BCD runs parallel to the concept of classification system, recognise all important species Socio-Ecologial Systems (SES) which is a systems based approach, aimed at promoting a holistic —————— *Corresponding author understanding of biological diversity and the 64 INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 13, NO.1, JANUARY 2014 interacting socio-economic aspects8,9. Examples show research methodology, the methodology was kept that a proper understanding of the biocultural unchanged. Both group interviews (n=16) and importance of species and the traditional management individual focussed interviews (n= 20, 12 males and regimes can help planners to devise participatory 08 females) were conducted by the first two authors, conservation strategies that could translate into more using open ended questionnaires that consisted of efficient species conservation on the ground10,11. ‘leads’ designed to elicit information necessary for Based on the understanding that the cultural calculating the Identified Cultural Influence of importance of a species should also be taken into cultural keystone species (ICI) developed by account while planning conservation strategies, this Garibaldi and Turner14 and the Use Value index (UV) article looks into the Biocultural importance of the developed by Rossato et al. 15 as a modification from Tanying tree (Koompassia excelsa (Becc.) Taub., Phillips and Gentry 16,17. For calculating the ICI, the Fabaceae/Leguminosae) for the Berawan people. The questions available within the template provided by objectives are twofold: 1) to understand the Garbaldi and Turner were used as leads and for the biocultural importance of the species for the Berawan UV index, the participants were requested to list down people; 2) to understand the TK and cultural elements the uses they could attribute to the tree. The group that could promote conservation of the tree. interview focussed on obtaining information related to the ICI while the individual interviews focussed on Methodology the use value index. This is justifiable as the ICI laid The authors chose to work with the Berawan emphasis on the overall importance of a species in a people of Loagan Bunut, Sarawak, Malaysia chiefly community while the UV index is concerned with the because of the unique ecosystem that they inhabit. knowledge of an individual in the community. Each Loagan Bunut is famous for its 650 ha ‘vanishing participant for the individual interview was lake’ that dries out occasionally giving rise to a interviewed in isolation to avoid any influence of unique ecosystem which is now protected as the other participants. For the purpose of this study, the Loagan Bunut National park (LBNP)12,13. ‘The Star’ UV index was modified so as to consider the newspaper of 21st April 2007 reports that there are individual uses cited for the tree and not the use 750 Berwan people living in Loagan Bunut. For these category. people, survival in the predominantly marshy ecosystem requires precise TK, especially on the Use value, UV = ΣUi/n, ecology of fishes and trees. Hence, it was presumed that along with a rich body of TK, the community’s Where, ‘Ui’ is the number of uses mentioned by each culture too should have co-evolved with the unique informant for a given species and ‘n’ the total number ecosystem. of informants. After obtaining the necessary permits from the The tree was identified with the help of the Flora of State Planning Unit, Sarawak and Forest Department, Sabah and Sarawak18 and its nomenclature and author the authors sought the mandatory ethical clearance citation was confirmed as accurate by referring to from Human Research Ethics Committee of Curtin Tropicos19. The entire study conforms to the code of University, Sarawak. Suggestions raised by the ethics of International Society of Ethnobiology 20. reviewers were incorporated into the research design. Koompassia excelsa (Becc.) Taub. is a large tree Following this, in March 2013, the first and second belonging to the family Fabaceae. It is commonly authors met the headmen of the longhouses Rumah known as Impas, Kempas, Tanid (Murut), Menggris Kajan Sigeh and Rumah Meran Surang and obtained (Bidayuh), Tahid (Kayan, Kenyah, Punan Tutoh) their Prior Informed Consent (PICs) for the study. The Tapang or Tualang (Bahasa Melayu). It grows in the participants for the group interviews and individual primary forests of Peninsular Thailand, Sumatra, interviews were selected randomly from the pool of Singapore, Malaysia and throughout Borneo in the adult community members available in the altitudinal range of 400 to 600 m. The tree can be longhouses at the time of interview. They were easily identified in the forest due to its smooth grey apprised of the research methodology and individual bark, steep buttresses and tall nature (88 m). The PICs were also obtained from them. As the pinnately compound leaves possess 7-12 leaflets participants did not have any suggestions on the arranged alternately in the rachis. The flowers are MERLIN FRANCO et al.: BIOCULTURAL IMPORTANCE OF THE TANYING TREE IN MALAYSIA 65 small and borne in axillary or terminal panicles. Pods Use value, UV= are elliptic-ovate with a single flat seed surrounded by =2.7 18 a papery wing . The responses obtained for the UV index shows Results that the Tanying tree can be used to make axe handles, The ICI value of Tanying tree for the blowpipes, tables and other furniture as the wood is Berawan people of Loagan Bunut was found to large in size and strong. The wooden planks attain a be 29/35 (Table 1). desirable pattern upon finishing and hence used as Tanying is the Berawan name for the tree. flooring material in longhouses. The participants are Literatures often mention the Berawan name for K. of the view that the more one walks on a floor of excelsa as Tanyit18. However, the knowledge holders Tanying plank, the shinier it becomes. Moreover, the interviewed for the study pronounced the name as wood is believed to ‘cool’ the feet. Tanying and hence, the name ‘Tanying’ is used The tree can also be used to make gasing (tops) for throughout this article. The tree is conspicuous in all kids to play and also to make drums.