Kadazan-Dusun

The Kadazandusun people are an ethnic group from Sabah, Malaysia. They are made up of the closely related indigenous Kadazan and Dusun peoples and are the largest group in Sabah, with almost a million people. They mainly live in areas such as Kudat Division, West Coast Division, and Interior Division, as well as parts of Sandakan Division and Tawau Division.

Traditionally, the Kadazandusun are farmers who celebrate the annual Kaamatan festival to honor the spirit of rice. Their main leader is called the Huguan Siou, meaning "brave leader." Although many Kadazandusun now follow Christianity or Islam, they once had a traditional religion called Momolianism.

The Kadazandusun call themselves Mamasok and Momogun, meaning "indigenous people" and "people of the land" respectively. They are recognized as an indigenous nation of Borneo, with their heritage documented by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since 2004. As part of the bumiputera in Malaysia, they have special rights related to land, rivers, education, and their own customs.

Etymology

The name "Kadazan" is used by the Tangara/Tangaa’ tribe along the west coast of Sabah, Malaysia, to describe themselves. Other tribes in the same area, but living farther inland, prefer the name "Dusun."

Historically, the term "Orang Dusun," meaning "orchard people," was used by rulers from Brunei to describe the native people of part of Sabah. British colonial leaders later used "Dusun" as a general name for many tribes in the area.

Over time, tribes along the west coast, like the Tangaa’, began calling themselves “Kadazan,” meaning “people of the land.” In the 1980s, leaders tried to unify these groups under one name. In 1989, they created the term “Kadazandusun” to include both Kadazan and Dusun people, helping to bring the community together.

Origins of the term 'Kadazan'

The exact origin of the name "Kadazan" is not clearly known. Some local people believe it came from words like "kakadazan," meaning towns, or "kadai," meaning shops. This idea suggests the name might have described people living near shops or in towns. This explanation comes from a Tangaa' dialect and was discussed by Richard Francis Tunggolou. However, records show the term was used even before the 1950s. In 1929, Owen Rutter noted that some Dusun people called themselves "Kadazan," especially in areas like Papar.

Origins of the term 'Dusun'

The Dusun people do not use the word 'Dusun' to describe themselves; it is a name given to them by others. The word "Dusun" actually means "farm" or "orchard" in the Malay language. It is thought that the term 'Orang Dusun' was used by the Sultan of Brunei, a leader from the Malay culture, to refer to the farming communities living in the inland areas of what is now Sabah.

Genetic relatedness

Scientists studied the genes of people from the Northern Borneon Dusun groups, including Sonsogon, Rungus, Lingkabau, and Murut. They found these groups are closely related to people from Taiwan, like the Ami and Atayal, and to some groups in the Philippines, such as the Visayan, Tagalog, Ilocano, and Minanubu. They are not as closely related to other groups living in different parts of Borneo.

Origins of the Kadazandusun people

Some people have thought the Kadazandusun people might come from China or be related to the Bunun tribe in Taiwan. But studies using special tests on DNA have shown these ideas are not true.

Scientists looked at DNA from the mothers’ side and found the Kadazandusun people have many different groups of DNA. One group, called Haplogroup M, was found most often. These DNA groups show that the Kadazandusun have been in Sabah and Borneo for a very long time.

They also studied DNA from the fathers’ side and found another group, called O2-P31, which is very old—about 34,100 years. This is older than similar DNA groups found in Taiwan. This helps show that the Kadazandusun people have lived in Sabah and Borneo for thousands of years and are one of the original groups in Southeast Asia.

Culture and society

Religion

Most Kadazandusuns are Christians, mainly Roman Catholics and some Protestants. Islam is also practised by a growing minority, especially among the native Dusuns in Ranau and the Bisayas in Beaufort and Kuala Penyu.

The influence of English-speaking missionaries in British North Borneo during the late 19th century helped Christianity, especially Roman Catholicism, become popular among Kadazans in Penampang and Papar, as well as many Dusuns in Tambunan district.

Harvest Festival

Main article: Kaamatan

The Harvest Festival, or Pesta Kaamatan, is an annual celebration for Kadazandusun people in Sabah. It lasts for a month, from May 1 to May 31, with big celebrations on May 30 and 31. Today, it includes beauty pageants, singing competitions, food stalls, and cultural performances.

In the past, Kaamatan was a way to thank ancient gods and rice spirits for good harvests. Now, most Kadazandusuns are Christians or Muslims, but they still celebrate Kaamatan to honour their ancestors and spend time with family.

Food

Traditional foods include hinava (sourced fish), pork soup, lihing (rice wine), and chicken soup.

Traditional costumes

The traditional Kadazandusun costume is called Koubasanan, made from black velvet with beads, flowers, buttons, golden laces, and special embroidery. The design varies by region. For example, women in Penampang wear sleeveless blouses and long skirts, while women in Papar wear long-sleeved blouses and knee-length skirts with hats.

Traditional dance

The Sumazau dance is a traditional Kadazandusun dance usually performed by a pair of men and women in traditional costumes. It is accompanied by gongs. The dance includes arm and foot movements that mimic a flying bird.

Traditional music

Kadazandusun traditional music uses instruments like the bamboo flute, sompoton, togunggak, gong, and kulintangan. Common instruments in ceremonies are the gong and kulintangan, with beats varying by region.

Traditional handicrafts

Kadazandusun people make handicrafts from natural materials like bamboo, rattan, and wood. Some well-known handicrafts include wakid, barait, sompoton, pinakol, sioung hat, parang, and gayang. These were once tools for daily life, farming, and hunting.

Headhunting

The Kadazandusun people, along with the Rungus and the Murut, were known in history for certain old traditions. These traditions included special rituals and beliefs about protecting homes and places. For example, they believed certain items could guard houses from harm. They also had specific customs for new bridges to keep the water spirit, called tambaig, peaceful. Today, these old practices have stopped, and they are no longer part of life for the Kadazandusun. Some stories say a few remote groups might still follow these traditions, but there is no proof of this.

The Kadazandusun used various tools and weapons in the past, such as Ilang, sakuit/mandau machetes, gayang swords, tandus/adus spears, and wood as shields.

Kadazandusun languages

Kadazandusun people speak Dusunic languages, which belong to the Austronesian language family. These languages are mainly spoken in the northern part of Borneo.

Notable people

Here are some well-known people from the Kadazan-Dusun community:

• Alto Linus, a former Malaysian and Sabah footballer.
• Arthur Joseph Kurup, current Deputy Minister of Science Technology and Innovation and member of parliament for Pensiangan.
• Bernard Giluk Dompok, former chief minister of Sabah and ambassador to the Vatican.
• Clarence Mansul, former deputy minister of Malaysia and member of parliament for Penampang.
• Cornelius Piong, Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Keningau.
• Dass Gregory Kolopis, a former Sabah footballer.
• Darell Leiking, former Malaysian cabinet minister and state assemblyman for Moyog.
• Donald Mojuntin, Malaysian politician and lawyer.
• Ewon Benedick, current member of parliament for Penampang.
• Ewon Ebin, former federal minister of Malaysia.
• Fuad Stephens, former chief minister and governor of Sabah.
• Gunsanad Kina, a famous tribal chief from Keningau.
• Mohd Hamdan Abdullah, former governor of Sabah.
• Ahmad Koroh, former governor of Sabah.
• Mohamad Adnan Robert, former governor of Sabah.
• Jeffrey Kitingan, deputy chief minister of Sabah and member of parliament for Keningau.
• James Ongkili, former cabinet minister in the 1980s.
• Jonathan Yasin, current member of parliament for Ranau.
• Julius Dusin Gitom, Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Sandakan.
• Juhar Mahiruddin, governor of Sabah since 2011.
• Joseph Kurup, former federal minister of Malaysia.
• Joseph Pairin Kitingan, former chief minister of Sabah.
• Kasitah Gaddam, former federal Cabinet minister and senator.
• Maximus Ongkili, former minister for Sabah and Sarawak Affairs.
• Peter Anthony, former Sabah state cabinet minister.
• Peter Mojuntin, former State Minister of Local Government and Housing.
• Richard Malanjum, former chief justice of Malaysia.
• Ronald Kiandee, former deputy speaker for the Dewan Rakyat and member of parliament for Beluran.
• Sedomon Gunsanad Kina, tribal chief of Sabah's interior division.
• Wilfred Madius Tangau, former federal minister and deputy chief minister of Sabah.
• Stacy, a Malaysian singer from Penampang.
• Marsha Milan, Malaysian singer and actress.