THE SA’BAN OF BORNEO AND ZOMIA
Abstract
Much has been written about multiculturalism in Borneo, but little research has been done to explainit, let alone its persistence, despite gloomy forecasts of the decline in language and cultural diversityaround the world. The Sa’ban of Sarawak and Kalimantan are one of the smallest ethnic groups inBorneo and live in a uniquely multicultural setting. Does Scott’s influential depiction of Zomia offer aframework to explain, even predict, the continuance of Sa’ban identity? This paper offers somespeculative observations on the parallels between the Sa’ban and Scott’s Zomia societies in advance ofmore extensive fieldwork.
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