Fieldwork Across the Border: The Sabah Experience

An Exhibit at the U.P. Anthropology Museum (October 3, 2007)

Sabah’s historical links and proximity to the Philippines make it a familiar name to Filipinos.
With its tourist destinations and rich culture, academics around the region find it a good place for conducting research. This year, the U.P. Anthropology Department made history when it held its first overseas Anthropology Field School (AFS) in Sabah, Malaysia. The field school is a trademark of the B.A. Anthropology program of U.P., started by noted archaeologist Robert Fox in Tabon Caves, Palawan during the 1960s. With 17 senior anthropology majors, Dr. Nestor T. Castro, also the Associate Dean for Administration and External Affairs of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, headed the UPAFS last April 23-May 20.

Before going to Malaysia, UPAFS 2007 students underwent a series of numerous preparations which includes a crash-course on Bahasa Melayu, Malaysia’s national language, to equip them with the basic syntax and vocabulary of the language. The students also gained insights from former fieldschoolers in a forum arranged by Prof. Emilita L.Cruz, Linguistics Department chair.

The students were enrolled in two courses (Anthro 195- Field Methods in Archaeology and Anthro 196- Field Methods in Social Anthropology) during the UPAFS 2007. They studied the culture of the three main ethnic groups in Kota Belud—the Bajau, Dusun and Iranun. They came up with good results, not to mention the warm hospitality and worthy experiences they enjoyed while on the field.

And what’s the best way to showcase these good learning experiences? The answer: an exhibit.
On a Wednesday afternoon, October 3, 2007, students, professors and guests had a glimpse on the exhibits “Fieldwork across the Border: The Sabah Experience” and the separate “Salakot: Juan de la Cruz’s Headgear of Choice” in the Anthropology Museum. These have been made through the efforts of the students of Anthropology 119 – Introduction to Museology. There are five sections, namely: “Tamu: Meet you at the Market,” “Perkahwinan: Weddings and the Performance of Ethnicity,” “Kenduri: Gendered Celebrations,” the Sabah Fieldwork Experience and “Salakot: Juan de la Cruz’s Headgear of Choice.”

The student-organizers of the event wore traditional dresses like the baju korong of the Kenduri group and the sarong of the Perkahwinan girls that gave spectators a glimpse of Sabah’s traditional costumes.

A peek in each exhibit would make anyone see the effort exerted by the Anthro 119 class. The “Salakot: Juan de la Cruz’s Headgear of Choice” area showcases the diversity of salakots in our country. It also shows the local name for the salakot in a particular place, together with its design. On top of that is a Philippine map that gives information on the specific provinces and cities which have traditionally utilized and appreciated the salakot. There is also a section that shows the 36 steps in salakot-making. The steps are grouped into three major processes, namely: preparation of the materials, shaping and finishing. Moreover, the Regalado Trota Jose Salakot Collection features a variety of salakots donated by Regalado Trota to the U.P. Anthropology Museum.

Next stop is “Tamu: Meet You at the Market.” In this area, a mural of the tamu mingguhan or weekly open market serves as the main attraction. Tamu is the Melayu word for “market” derived from the word “temu” which means “to meet”. In the glass cases featuring the tamu mingguhan, products made by the different ethnic groups and sold to natives and tourists alike are displayed. Examples of the artifacts displayed are the beaded crafts and gongs made and sold by the Dusun Rungus of Kudat and also the sarongs worn by the people there.
How do some ethnolinguistic groups in Sabah perform marriage ceremonies?

The “Perkahwinan: Weddings and the Performance of Ethnicity” section will show the details of it. The exhibit features two-dimensional life-size models wearing the marriage costumes of the Bajau and the Dusun Tebilung. The Bajaus costumes are very colorful while the Dusun Tebilung costumes have black as the dominant color. The Bajau are the second largest indigenous group in Sabah, Malaysia and their marriages have three wedding ceremonies held in separate days—Akad Nikah (the solemnization of the marriage contract), Mandi Badak (the blessing of couple by family and friends), and Bersanding (symbolizes the couple’s union and also a day for feasting). On the other hand, the marriage rituals of the Dusun Tebilung, a group located in many parts of Sabah, have five stages, namely: the Merisik (the meeting of the groom with the parents) Mengantung Cincing (engagement), Pertunangan (negotiation of the bride price) Maklis Perkahwinan (exchange of vows) Miatod-atod (the couple will live in one roof). Just like the Bajau, their wedding ceremony is commonly celebrated with music and dancing. All these stages are shown using photographs of mock weddings taken by the Anthropology students during the field school.

In “Kenduri: Gendered Celebrations”, museum visitors would discover that the people of Sabah are like Filipinos too when it comes to celebrations. The featured Kenduri, a Malay term for feast or celebration, is held for various reasons—to celebrate special occasions such as weddings and engagements, to commemorate the memory of departed loved ones, among others. It reaffirms and strengthens family and community ties as people gather together in unity and celebration. Why gendered? It’s noteworthy that in a house where the Kenduri is held, there is an immediate separation between men and women. The women were directed to enter the house through the back part where the kitchen was while the men entered the house through the front. This aspect of the Kenduri is highlighted by making the male guests enter the left side of the exhibit while the female guests enter the right side.

The last exhibit is about the fieldschoolers on their Sabah experience. It includes pictures showing their interaction with the people of Sabah and activities on the field. Their journals and tape recorders are also put on display, obvious reminders of a tedious yet fulfilling fieldwork experience.

Seeing the photographs of Sabah’s countryside in sections of the exhibit (apart from the Salakot section) would make remind Filipinos of their homeland. The pictures show scenery very similar to the Philippines’ rural areas. Coconut trees and lush greenery line the long and seemingly never-ending road. Houses are far apart, with large windows often made of capiz. It is easy to confuse the locals with Filipinos, since both belong to the Malay race. Even their language has many words similar to Tagalog.

It seemed that everybody present in the exhibit opening learned something from each section. Mr. Michael Chua, a history lecturer in the university said, “Maganda ang placements ng mismong exhibit. Effective din ang paglalagay ng mga things na di natin masyado ine-emphasize like the steps,etc. Basta, ang ganda talaga niya. I’ll invite my students to visit this.”

Indeed, everybody was happy. The visitors were then treated to a smorgasbord of Filipino delicacies collectively known as kakanin, plus siomai and a chocolate cake.

Kudos to all the people who toiled in the exhibit! It is high-time students will be acquainted with societies where Filipinos share cultural similarities. And mounting this big exhibit is a good undertaking to showcase this endeavor.