By Punan National Association
For centuries, the “Punan” of Borneo have been described as one of the last truly nomadic hunter-gatherer groups in Sarawak and Kalimantan. Among them are the Penan and the lesser-known “Punan Batu” or Cave Punan, often depicted as remnants of a primordial way of life. This perception, deeply entrenched in academic and popular narratives, has framed the Punan as anachronistic survivors in a rapidly modernizing world.
But what if this portrayal is fundamentally flawed?
Challenging the Narrative
In the 1980s, American anthropologist Carl Hoffman proposed a radical departure from conventional wisdom. He argued that Borneo’s hunter-gatherers were not primordial forest dwellers but rather former agriculturalists who had, for reasons unknown, abandoned farming and embraced a nomadic existence. His theory was met with skepticism, even hostility, with critics dismissing his ideas and, in some cases, attacking him personally.
Decades later, emerging linguistic and ethnographic research suggests that Hoffman may have been closer to the truth than previously acknowledged.
A Linguistic Breakthrough
Dr. Alexander David Smith, a linguist specializing in Austronesian languages, has spent years tracing the origins of Borneo’s indigenous communities. His research has revealed an unexpected linguistic and cultural link between the Punan Tuvu, a group classified as hunter-gatherers in East Kalimantan, and swidden agricultural societies such as the Punan Ba in the Rejang Basin.
These findings suggest that “Punan” is not merely a descriptor for nomads but a broader cultural and linguistic identity with deep historical roots.
To clarify distinctions among the many groups labeled “Punan,” researchers now use more precise terminology. The Punan of Sarawak, for example, are often referred to as the Punan Ba to distinguish them from other Punan-speaking groups scattered across Borneo.
Since 2023, Smith has been collaborating with the Punan National Association (PNA) to deepen understanding of Punan history and language.
Initially affiliated with the National University of Singapore, Smith has since continued this work at Fudan University in China. PNA president Donny Dhwie describes the partnership as “mutually beneficial and crucial for preserving Punan heritage and history.”
For Smith, the Punan remain an enigma. Their fragmented history, combined with a lack of serious academic inquiry, has allowed misconceptions to flourish.
He notes that in Indonesia, “Punan” is frequently used as an exonym—a label applied by outsiders to any nomadic or marginalized group, regardless of actual cultural or linguistic affiliation. This indiscriminate usage has obscured meaningful distinctions and reinforced stereotypes about Punan identity.
“Much like the Penan, the Punan have been subject to broad generalizations,” Smith explains. “Understanding their linguistic and cultural uniqueness is key to challenging these misrepresentations, particularly in Kalimantan, where the term ‘Punan’ has been widely misapplied.”
Bintulu, May 2024.
The Consequences of Misidentification
Punan communities in Sarawak have long recognized this problem. Calvin Jemarang, a founding member and advisor of the PNA, observes that the lack of academic interest in the Punan has led to conjecture and speculation.
“There seems to be little effort to understand who the Punan really are,” he remarks.
The absence of serious scholarship is striking. According to Jemarang, the only major study on the Punan was conducted by Danish scholar Ida Nicolaisen in the 1970s and 1980s. Since then, research has been sparse, leaving the Punan’s historical and cultural identity largely unexplored.
Building on Nicolaisen’s work, Smith—who is also a fellow at the Institute of Borneo Studies at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)—has been presenting his findings on the Punan at international platforms.
In June 2023, he and Jemarang co-authored a paper at the National University of Singapore titled Linguistic Approaches to Reconstructing Human History and the Historical Exodus of the Punan from Sarawak.
Next week, Smith will deliver a keynote address in China, focusing on the role of comparative linguistics in preserving indigenous histories, focusing on the Punan.
Rethinking Nomadism
Smith’s research has significant implications for how scholars understand nomadism in Borneo, particularly in relation to groups like the Punan Tuvu. His findings raise fundamental questions: What factors led certain Punan-speaking communities to adopt a nomadic lifestyle? Were they the last remnants of pre-Austronesian hunter-gatherers, or were they once farmers who, at some point, abandoned agriculture?
Linguistic evidence suggests the latter. By mapping the diversity of Punan dialects in Central Sarawak, Smith and his colleagues have identified the Rejang River as the likely historical homeland of the Punan people.
Their findings align with Punan oral histories and archaeological discoveries in the region. If the Punan originated from the Rejang Basin, what forced them to abandon their homeland? And why do Punan-speaking communities today appear scattered across Borneo, particularly in Kalimantan?
The Forced Exodus
Smith’s research suggests that the dispersal of the Punan was not a voluntary migration but a forced exodus.
Linguistic distribution patterns provide a crucial clue. When a single language dominates a vast geographic area with little variation, it often indicates recent migration. In contrast, when isolated linguistic pockets exist amid a sea of unrelated languages, it suggests that a once-cohesive community was fragmented by external pressures.
Smith believes this is precisely what happened to the Punan.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, waves of migration brought powerful agricultural societies—first the Kayan, then the Iban—into the Rejang Basin.
These groups, known for their territorial expansion and warfare, may have displaced the Punan from their ancestral lands. As a result, some Punan groups retreated deeper into the forests, adapting to a nomadic existence in Kalimantan.
History in the Landscape
Archaeological, linguistic, and historical evidence all point to a significant Punan presence in areas now dominated by the Iban and Kayan.
Ancient burial markers, such as the klirieng (elaborate wooden burial poles), further substantiate this connection, suggesting that the Punan once occupied a much larger territory in Central Sarawak.
The implications of this research extend beyond academic debates. If the Punan were indeed displaced from their ancestral homeland, their historical land claims take on new significance. These findings could shape future discussions on indigenous rights and territorial recognition in Borneo.
Smith’s work challenges long-standing assumptions about the Punan, offering a fresh perspective on the movement of peoples across the island. As scholars continue to unravel the complexities of Borneo’s past, one thing is clear: the story of the Punan is far from over. —DayakDaily
