20 Chapter 3 | INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ PERSPECTIVE OF LAND CHAPTER 3 INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ PERSPECTIVE OF LAND SABAH INDIGENOUS TRADITIONAL TERRITORIES AND THE ADAT18 3.1 Communities from distinct villages in Sabah refer to their territory as Kampung (or now popularly referred to as wilayah adat), which includes the settlement area, backyard gardens, farms, old farms/village sites, cemetery, grazing area, ceremonial spots and forest within a defined village boundary. 3.2 Kokompungan or Kawalaian (in Dusun), Pamahunan (in Murut) or kampung (in Paitan) refers to the village settlement area, whether individual houses, hamlets or longhouses, which are customarily organised. For most kampung, the houses, hamlets or longhouses are grouped together with each household having a small plot as their vegetable gardens or other short-term crops. Social recreation areas such as football or takraw field and other village amenities such as the balairaya (village hall) are usually found within the settlement area. 3.3 Beyond the settlement areas are the pongugumaan (in Dusun), pantahumaan (in Murut) or pongumaan (in Paitan), which are areas that revolve around rice cultivation, and are owned by individuals or families. For wet rice cultivators, rice fields or ranahon (in Dusun), lanau (in Murut) or ranau (in Paitan) are usually located in a specific area that does not change as long as irrigation water is available. 3.4 Hill rice fields are rotated, having specific names according to the agricultural cycle. The tumo (in Dusun), umo (in Murut and Paitan) refers to farming land which is currently planted, while tomulok (in Dusun), amug/naumoh (in Murut) or repa (in Paitan) refers to land left fallow on which there are secondary growths (1 – 5 years). Areas that have undergone jungle regrowth (5-10 years) but still considered as part of fallow period in the traditional agricultural cycle, are referred to as kapanggor (in Dusun), katanaan (in Murut) or nokakas (in Paitan). Unlike the practice of the Sarawak natives, where any village member is free to take resources from land under fallow, Sabah natives restrict such collection only to the household who owns the field or has been granted permission by the owner. 3.5 Kabun (in Dusun, Murut and Paitan) refers to areas often planted with long-term commercial crops such as rubber, fruits, coconuts and/or oil palm depending on the type of crop which currently fetches good price in the market. In kampungs where land is scarce, families may buy such land referred to as tana’ pongindopuan or pangakanan (in Kadazan) or land for income generation. 3.6 Pogun or Pogun laid (in Dusun), namahunan (in Murut) or pogun (in Paitan) are abandoned sites of old family houses/longhouses/hamlets and gardens, but where various types of fruit trees still grow. 18 Information are based on field interviews by Doris Losimbang and Galus Ahtoi of PACOS Trust. chapter 3_a4.indd 20 7/5/13 6:43 PM