Tribes of the World

Meet some of the World’s oldest tribes that carry on and live by the traditional customs of their ancestors

Julia Lachica

Our planet holds many secrets; some are not even discovered by man yet or they have yet to be understood. From the depths of the oceans to the depths of our cultural identity, some of these can sometimes be a mystery.

Part of these mysteries are the lives of some Southeast Asian tribes that hold on to their roots. Not much is known about them but they impose fascination and wonder thanks to their close connection to nature and tradition.

Meet the Southeast Asian tribes that live on their cultural identity through their heritage and customs from way before then.

 

Orang Batek

In west Malaysia, deep within the Taman Negara National Park, lives the hunting and gathering people of Batek.

Currently facing the speedy effects of modern society, the natives are slowly integrating urban living into their daily lives.

The Batek people traditionally live their lives through the gathering of leaves, fruits and others alike, as well as hunting of fish and smaller land animals. Their hunting skills of Batek amplifies their ability to move about their jungles.

Sama Bajau

Living their lives on the oceans of Southeast Asia and dwelling in boats and floating huts, the Sama Bajau are sometimes called ‘sea gypsies’ or ‘water nomads’ by many.

Evolving together with the sea, the Bajau people live disconnected with the modern evolutions of the 21st century. No clocks or calendars to mark birthdays or special occasions, they go with the flow. As the Bajau people drift from one place to another, they also drift away from the materialistic world land-dwellers tend to get attached to.

As the people of this tribe get exposed to the elements of the sea at a very early age, the Bajau people have become masters of the oceans. This early exposure allowed them to become expert freedivers and fishers that is unmatched by any other.

Dayak Kenyah

Residing deep within the forests of East Kalimantan in Indonesia, the Dayak Kenyah has been living hand-in-hand with their forbidden forests, or Tana Olen, for centuries.

The Oma Lung tribe, a sub-tribe of the Dayaks, has been known to the world for their drastic efforts in conserving and protecting their precious forest.

The tribe uses knowledge from those that came before them to sustain their natural landscapes. In this modern era, the tribe practices organic farming to create a livelihood to help manage their forest.