ON TRAIL OF THE HISTORY OF KUNAK - PART 5

We pick up from our last story that took place around 16,000 BC when the Tingkayu Lake drained out. The tribe scattered to other parts of South East Asia. Some might even met other tribes, their cousins, who had been there earlier.

 That time the sea level was up to 300 or 400 feet lower than today so that the group that travelled south through Balikpapan would come to the shore where they can clearly see the highland of Mamuju in Sulawesi. 

The water that separated them from the land that looked so rich and green was only a few kilometers distance. Being adventurous and curious, some took up to the sea with rafts and crossed over to settle in Sulawesi. It is thus not surprising that later on the people of Sulawesi emerged as one of the most prominent seafarers. Their ancestors are the pioneers of sea travel. 

Back in the nearby Baturong Caves, the remaining tribe continued with their usual life as in Tingkayu. However, they did not stay for long. Around 10,000 BC the shelter at Baturong was in turn abandoned. It was the end of the Ice Age. The massive blocks of ice that had covered most part of Europe and Northern Asia melted and flowed down, the sea level rose separating Borneo from mainland Asia, Palawan, Sumatra and Java. Borneo found its present shoreline and the coastal environment moved significantly towards the Madai-Baturong region. 

Coastal resources were laid within an easy day’s walk from the Madai Caves. To get closer to the new resources, the people of Baturong moved in to two of the large caves at Madai, Agop Atas and Agop Sarapad. Archaeological studies proved that the two shelters were intensely inhabited during the early Holocene, between 10,000 and 5,000 BC. 

KUNAK DISTRICT LEVEL OF KAAMATAN CELEBRATION

A physio-therapist from Hospital Kunak, Victoria Yam, 24, was crowned as "Miss Unduk Ngadau of Kunak 2009". She was among six finalists who participated in the beauty pageant (click to view video) in conjunction with the Kunak District Level Kaamatan Festival held at Kampong Kadazan on 23rd May 2009. The runner-up position went to Kimberly C. Fay, 20, while second runner-up went to Aflin Joseph, 21.  

   Kunak State Aseemblyman, Nilwan Kabang who officiate the opening ceremony said that he is very happy to see other ethnic communities beside the Kadazan-Dusun ethnic, attending and participating in programs held in conjunction with the celebration. He added that their (the other ethnic communities) participation will enhance mutual respect and cooperation among the multiracial people of Kunak.

   Nilwan called on the people of Kunak to comprehend and put into action the Kaamatan Celebration theme, Together We Mould a Better Future, by being more tolerant, cooperative, and helping one another.

    Meanwhile, in his welcome address the chairman of the organizer, Valentine R. Sebastian appealed to Nilwan and Kunak District Officer, Susilo Sumarto to help in getting Kampong Kadazan gazetted in the near future. According to Valentine, Kampong Kadazan occupied an area of 4.5 acres within the land title of Mostyn Estates. It was allocated by the original land title owner, British Abaca Limited (BAL) Plantations in 1958 to the families of its employees from the Kadazan-Dusun ethnic. At that time BAL Plantations also allocated two other areas namely Kampong Selamat to the Cocos ethnic and Cooperative (now Kampong Sri Bahagia) to Bugis and Chinese ethnics. The land title had since changed hands twice, from BAL Plantations to Golden Hope Plantations and finally under the current owner Sime Darby Plantations Berhad.

Also present were Kunak District Officer, Susilo Sumarto and his two assistants, the People Development Head of Department (PKR), Halid Harun and his staff as well as other dignitaries of Kunak.

PRODUCT OF KUNAK - GIANT CASSAVA CRACKER

If you are a tourist or a traveler who use the road transport system returning from Sabah famous island resort of Sipadan in Semporna to the state capital Kota Kinabalu, you have to pass through Kunak, a small town located just at the deepest mouth of Darvel Bay. Seconds after passing through the main roundabout of Kunak, you would notice a row of stalls on the left hand side shoulder of the road. Items sold are mostly locally produced food items as well as canned and bottled drinks including, of course Coca Cola and Pepsi. If you are a passenger of one of the express coach buses chances are good that you will have the opportunity to stop by at the stalls as bus drivers and conductors are among the regular customers of those stalls.

Presently the most popular item among tourists and travelers is the Kerepek Ubi, a kind of wafer or cracker with cassava or tapioca (Manihot esculenta) as the main ingredient. It is often referred to as the Giant Cracker as a piece of kerepek ubi measures about 10 by 15 inches compared to normal tapioca crackers or chips that measure to only about one square inch. A packet of kerepek ubi that contains 3 pieces of the giant size crackers is sold at RM 2.00 per packet.

Health conscious consumers prefer the Kerepek Ubi of Kunak as it is free of chemical preservatives. The ingredient is simple and made up of only four items, i.e., fresh tapioca, tapioca flour, white sugar and cooking oil (for frying).

The production Line: The schematic diagram below shows how the kerepek ubi is produced.

ON TRAIL OF THE HISTORY OF KUNAK - PART 4

For a few thousand years the Tingkayu Tribe thrived around the lake. Undoubtedly, the lake habitat had provided them with most of their simple need – water supply, fish and other aquatic fauna from the lake, bountiful hunt, vegetables and fruits from the shores. However, as all good things in life, the wonderful environment at the Tingkayu Lake did not last forever.  There was a low point on the north-eastern part that eroded continuously. As centuries passed, the water became more and more murky and not so suitable anymore for the need of the tribe. Aquatic life became less abundant and animals found it difficult to get to the water. Little by little the prosperity factors of the Tingkayu Tribe weathered away. Clan by clan, the tribe left in search for new and better environment. Eventually, around 16,000 BC the lake drained off and the Tingkayu site was totally abandoned.

To where exactly the Tingkayu Tribe moved, is yet to be ascertained. There is a place about eight kilometers to the south-west of Tingkayu known as Baturong. Bellwood suggests that “during the lake period, the Baturong massive formed a towering limestone island, and the rock shelters along the base of its southern cliff were all drowned.” After the lake drained off, the shelters were exposed and inhabitable. One group from the Tingkayu Tribe, most probably the last one to leave Tingkayu, could have moved to this place. Stone tools had been excavated in this area that were dated to be produced between 17,000 to 12,000 years ago, exactly the time when the Tingkayu Lake dried up and abandoned by the tribe.

Clans that left earlier, even before the Tingkayu Lake drained up completely, could have travelled by mean of the land bridges present during that time to other parts of South East Asia and the Pacific bringing along their unique skill in the art of manufacturing fine stone tools. One very likely destination is Tabon, a place in now the Palawan Island in the Philippines. The Tabon Cave Complex is located in the west coast of Palawan. It is located on a limestone promontory which is visible from any direction for many kilometers and honeycombed with at least 200 caves and rock shelters. In this area archaeologists excavated stone tools very similar to that of Tingkayu, tools but only date back to between 15,000 BC and 18,000 BC. Is it just co-incidence that the date is parallel to the time when the Tingkayu Lake drained out? 

NEW KAMPONG TO BE DEVELOPED IN KUNAK

Kunak, 12 May 2009. A new kampong (village) will be set up in the vicinity of the present Kampong Kunak Tiga. The local State Assemblyman, Nilwan Kabang said this in his speech at a get-together in Kampong Kunak Tiga this morning. The proposal is part of the government effort to get Kunak to a zero squatter district position in the near future as well as giving opportunities to the people to live in a more comfortable and well-structured kampong. It is quite difficult for the government to convey infrastructures and basic amenities to kampongs with disarrayed houses. According to Nilwan, his team is in the process of submitting applications to the government for the project.

After a dialogue session with the villagers, Nilwan, accompanied by a few government officers and some villagers made a quick inspection of the proposed area where the new kampong is to be developed.

At the opening of the get-together, a cultural dance was presented by dancers from Kampong Kunak Tiga. Click here to view the video clip.

ON TRAIL OF THE HISTORY OF KUNAK - PART 3

According to Bellwood (1984), the prehistoric Tingkayu Lake may have covered up to 100 square kilometers. 

The Tingkayu stone industry shows a unique level of skill for its time period in Southeast Asia, and the tools are mostly made on a locally quarried tabular grey chert together with a few riverine pebbles of brown chert. 

Several lanceolets (spear-like shape of stone tools) and other bifaces have been excavated together with their manufacturing debris. 

The lanceolets with razor-sharp edges suggest that they have been used both as projectile points and knives. At one site, the manufacturing floor of these tools is estimated to cover a total area of 800 square meters.  

Why was mass production of stone tools by the Tingkayu tribe? One possibility is that there was trade – exchange of the tools with other items. If this was the case, who were their trading counterparts? What material did they take in exchange? Unfortunately, the acidic forest soil in which these sites lie has left no trace of either the material or bone that can yield some answers to our questions.

It is however quite obvious that the Tingkayu tribe were hunters. They did not need to go far for hunting as many animals would have come to the lake for water. A group of hunters would lie down quietly waiting for their prey. 

On a quite warm afternoon a herd of seladang (Bos gaurus) emerged from the jungle. Comprised of three cows and a calf, the herd was unusually small. Without a bull as their leader, the herd was easy prey.  The hunters sprang and speared one of the cows. 

In panic, the herd scattered and dashed to the jungle. 

The hunters followed the trace of blood from the wounded cow. Badly hurt and so much blood loss, the injured animal did not go far. The hunters took their price and happily went back to their cave home. That night the tribe had a fiesta.

ON TRAIL OF THE HISTORY OF KUNAK - PART 2

PART 2: FROM THE CRADLE OF MANKIND

From where did the Tingkayu Man come?

 Commonly accepted archaeological theory tells that the ancestors of Man first walked the earth in South Africa about 100,000 years ago. The vast Sahara Desert prevented these early people to venture out of the cradle of mankind. 

However, as the population grew, sources especially food becoming scarcer, they have no other choice but to look somewhere else. In fear of the unknown that lay ahead, yet driven by the basic need of survival, they were forced to face the harsh desert. Countless must had fallen in their perilous journey.

Finally, 40,000 years ago and after 60,000 years of confinement in their cradle, a group of survivors arrived at the Mediterranean. There, they were further divided into four smaller groups; the first decided to stay at the Mediterranean, the second moved on north to Europe, the third travelled across central Asia and to the Americas and the fourth turned south to Afghanistan, Mongolia, China, South East Asia and finally, the Pacific.

Chronologically, it is just possible that the Tingkayu Man were the direct descendants of the fourth group of this first massive migration of mankind. Along the way, the number of these hunter-gatherers multiplied, broke up into several groups and went their separate ways. After 10,000 years, one group crossed the land bridges of Sundaland and arrived at Tingkayu in Kunak.