The Pesta Ka’amatan is
Sabah’s very own, joyous and exuberant rice harvest festival. Not so
long ago most of Sabah’s indigenous peoples were mainly agrarian
folks and subsistence rice farmers. This, they had been for times
immemorial, and they have emerged as proud and valiant people with
their very own social orders and religious belief systems in which
the Bobohizans, the female shamans of Sabah, played a paramount
role. The Pesta Ka’amatan, the rice harvest and thanksgiving
festival remembers those times in an era where customs and
traditions are changing much too fast. If you want a glimpse of
Sabah’s many ethnic entities, and capture the true spirit of the
mystical “Land Below the Wind”, this is the time to visit us!
The Importance of the Harvest Festival in Sabah
For Borneo’s rural agrarian-based
population the rice harvest festival, or Pesta Ka’amatan in Sabah,
is intricately connected with rice cultivation, and with the cycle
of life. Rice is Sabah’s golden crop, the grain of life, and the
Pesta Ka’amatan marks the end of the planting cycle. It is closely
associated with religion, culture and social order. People gather in
villages to thank God and the spirits for a good harvest and pray
for blessings for an even better harvest the following year, very
much like other harvest and thanksgiving festivals throughout the
world. The life of the peoples of Borneo, not so long ago
essentially that of hunters, gatherers and subsistence rice-farmers
was a hard one. Preparing rice-fields, be they flooded such as the
Kadazan danau, or on steep hills in the interior was an arduous task
that was the responsibility of the men. The womenfolk’s’ work was
not less backbreaking: clearing fields and collect firewood,
weeding, looking after the seedlings, planting and finally
harvesting the ripe crop. Aside from the period between harvesting
and the new planting season, the work was continuous. But it wasn’t
just the labour-intensive nature of rice-cultivation that caused
such veneration for the cereal. Not enough rice meant famine. Over
thousands of years of rice farming superstitions and taboos sprung
up, and no one thanks God for rice more gratefully than the humble
farmer who does not know fertilisers and herbicides.
Historical Background of the
Pesta Ka’amatan in Sabah
Since times immemorial it has been the traditional practice of the
natives of Sabah (the Kadazandusuns and Muruts in particular) to
hold a yearly harvest celebration. Historically and traditionally,
the Ka’amatan Festival was usually held at the first sighting of the
full moon immediately after the harvesting season. The appearance of
the full moon was commonly referred to as the period of tawang
(literally: full moon). During the tawang the natives made strict
observances and would refrain from hard labour. Instead, they would
rest to hold a village celebration that could last for two to three
days.
In the district of Tambunan, as in many other areas, the
preparations for the Pesta Ka’amatan involved everyone, young and
old. The men used to organise group hunting expeditions to provide
enough meat for the celebrations, while the women organised
themselves to produce enough rice for making rice wine (tapai) and
for cooking on the day of the Ka’amatan celebration.
At village (or kampung) level, the eve of the Ka’amatan Festival was
lead mainly by the Bobohizans, the ritual specialists paying homage
and offering thanksgivings to Bambaazon, the rice spirit, for the
good harvest. Then, on the first day traditional sports took place,
and on the second day communal reunion through feasting, drinking,
music and dancing.
The Ka’amatan Festival is particularly significant as it marks not
only the occasion to honour Bambaazon and to thank God for the
bountiful harvest and his generosity in prolonging life on earth. It
is also an occasion where the promise of friendship and brotherhood
is renewed through mutual forgiveness.
The Kadazan Ka’amatan Festival is perhaps the most indigenous and
grandest Festival in Sabah. Merry celebrations are held at all
levels, commencing with the kampung (village) level, then district
level and climaxing with the state level celebrations on 30th and
31st May.
The Magavau Ceremony
A very important stage of the Pesta Ka’amatan is the Magavau
ceremony. The Kadazan word "magavau" or "maga'au", means-to recover
what one has lost, by whatever means. In the yearly Ka’amatan
Festivals, the Magavau Ceremony refers to the arduous task of the
Bobohizans to search and salvage as well as to bring home the lost,
stolen or strayed Bambaazon. It is in the traditional belief of the
Kadazandusun that Bambaazon is embodied in every part and form of
rice, and padi pests and predators such as insects, birds and
animals, or calamities such as floods and droughts can harm, hurt
and lead away parts of Bambaazon. Furthermore, man may carelessly
drop rice grains during the process of harvesting, transporting,
winnowing, pounding or milling, thus leaving some of them at the
mercy of environmental hazards. Innocently, children may waste some
of their rice or the irresponsible drunkard may pour his tapai
(rice-wine) all in disregard of Bambaazon's well being.
When the Bobohizan cuts the first ear of ripe padi grains to mark
the beginning of the harvesting time, a long, beckoning prayer is
recited to invite Bambaazon to return home to the household rice
barns to rest until the time comes for selecting the grains to be
sown anew.
However, even when the harvesting is over and all the padi grains
have been winnowed and stored in the barns, it is believed that many
parts of Bambaazon's mystical body are still scattered. The
Bobohizans are therefore summoned to perform the Magavau Ceremony,
and the rites may be performed at individual households, or on a
village-communal level. The village level Magavau is organised and
planned by the village elders comprising the village headman, the
village Chief Bobohizan (or Bohungkitas) and the informal Council of
Elders. In normal cases, the date chosen must not be too far from
the winnowing and storage period. In the days of old, the Magavau
was performed to coincide with the first appearance of the full moon
after the padi was safely stored in the barns. This was necessarily
so in order to allow for the Chief Bobohizan and her entourage to
actually travel through the harvested rice fields to search, salvage
and gather all the strayed parts of Bambaazon and join them with the
main mystical body.
Today, the Magavau ‘dance’ as it is performed in the Ka'amatan
Festival depicts that part of the Magavau, where the Chief
Bobohizans (both men and women) and their followers actually leave
their communal longhouse and begin their arduous journey to the open
padi fields during the night of the first full moon after the
harvest.
The male Bobohizans normally take to the front, waving a warriors
sword as if a fight was needed in the process of recovering the lost
parts of the Bambaazon. The female Bobohizans mainly perform the
praying part and chant to beckon the strayed Bambaazon to come home
with them.
The intermittent pangkis (triumphant war-cry) uttered by the male
Bobohizans are expressions of joy each time some part of Bambaazon
is found and recovered, and welcomed to join the others on their
journey home.
Throughout the Magavau ceremony, the Bobohizans and their followers
have to stick closely together with their hands on the shoulders of
their foreman. This is to maintain an orderly manner of procession
and to reduce the risk of stumbling in the night and thus to anger
many other unseen spirits in the soil, water, wind and vegetation.
Should a Magavau participant miss a step or should he have to
adjourn for reasons of answering nature's call, he or she has to get
the immediate follower behind to occupy his or her position so as to
prevent the line from breaking up. He or she would then join the
last participant in the manner described earlier.
And so, the Magavau goes on. By all means, welcome and join the
line! For in the words of the Bobohizans:
"Each and everyone of us is
responsible for the happiness and the well-being of Bambaazon
that gives us food to eat......."
"If you must refuse to join us, please be prepared to fast for a
day that you may know the ways of Bambaazon....." |
Feeding of Bambaazon
While the Magavau is in session, other parties are busy preparing
food offerings for Bambaazon. The components of the offerings vary
from place to place, however popular inclusions are specially
fermented rice or tondut wrapped in leaves, seven bamboo cups (suki)
of first class tapai, fermented pickled serawi fish (nonsom), eggs,
salt, the feathers of the chicken slaughtered especially for the
spirits, and the flower of a banana, amongst others.
In Tambunan, the ritual specialist leads the procession – often the
Magavau congregation – from the main house to the padi-store hut
where she leaves the offerings to Bambaazon on a woven bamboo mat
covering the padi. After prayers the procession then heads back to
the house.
After the feeding of Bambarayon, an open-to-all merry making feast
takes place. It used to be celebrated in the main gathering place,
and nowadays in the Balai Raya (community centre) of the village, or
in the house of an affluent person. Whoever has the chance to be
present at the Pesta Ka’amatan in a village is heartily invited to
take part in all aspects, regardless of his or her provenance or
creed. Traditional foods are served, especially chicken porridge
with eggs, and certain meats. It is believed that green vegetables
connote disrespect to the guests of Bambaazon. Only the best tapai
is served to maintain the qualitative spirit and well being of
Bambaazon.
During present day State Level Ka’amatan Festivals it has become
increasingly expensive to provide food and drinks to the enormous
crowds. Only cultural participants representing the various ethnic
populations of Sabah and special guests are catered for. The rest
will have to buy from the many side-stalls offering traditional and
contemporary dishes.
Nonetheless, where the spirit of sharing, forgiving and fellowship
is practised, there Bambaazon thrives. For Bambaazon does not seek
to consume its own creation, but gets nourishment from being one
with its main mystical divine body effected through the harmonious
mingling and interactions of the Ka’amatan celebrants who come from
all walks of life, from various colour, creed and cultural
traditions.
The feast used to last for days on ends as the Kadazandusun beat the
gongs and danced to the joyous rhythm of life that only they have
learned to live.
Unduk Ngadau
An integral part of the Pesta
Ka’amatan is the Unduk Ngadau Beauty Pageant. There are many legends
and myths about Huminodun, the daughter of Kinoringan (the one and
only God). Huminodun, sometimes even referred to as Bambaazon, is
personified in this popular as well as culture-enhancing event.
The term "Unduk" or "Tunduk" literally means the shoot of a plant,
which, in its most tangible description, signifies youth and
progressiveness. Likewise, in its literal meaning, "Ngadadau" or "Tadau"
means the noon sun, which connotes the total beauty of the heart,
mind and body of an ideal Kadazandusun woman. In essence therefore,
the "Unduk Ngadau" is an event of selecting from among the
Kadazandusun beauties one who would best resemble the ascribed
personality of Huminodun.
There are a number of stories trying to explain why there should be
an Unduk Ngadau Beauty Contest during the Harvest Festival, and one
goes as follows:
It happened
once, so the lore, during one of the Ka’amatan Festivals that
questions from the younger minds arose as to how Bambaazon or
Huminodun looked like. So the Kadazandusun Bobohizans and elders
sat together and made a selection from among the most beautiful,
modest and humblest of the young ladies around to provide a
resemblance of Bambaazon and described her as the "Unduk
Ngadau". |
This was how the "Unduk Ngadau" or
Ka’amatan Festival Beauty Queen Selection came into being as one of
the highlights of the Ka’amatan Festival today.
In every Ka’amatan Festival the "Unduk Ngadau Contest" normally
assumes the highlight of the day's occasion. More than being a
highlight, to the Kadazandusun the Unduk Ngadau is the culmination
of all the activities undertaken, and a symbolic response to
Kinoingan's ever-abounding love for his people.
Unduk Ngadau owes its origin to that part of the Kadazan Genesis
that pertains to the sacrifice of Huminodun, Kinoingan's only
daughter. One of the many variant legends relates the following (for
a different legend click here):
One day,
Kinoingan started a farm, but after ploughing he realised that
he had no seeds to plant. So he set off in search of some seeds
with his valuable brass gong which he carried everywhere on his
shoulder. On his way, he met birds and animals, and asked them
if they had any seeds, to which they replied that they did not
have any yet, having just been created by him. Even though
Kinoingan knew that they had none, he nevertheless purposely
asked this question to make them all realise that they would
have to work hard for their livelihood.
Because there were no seeds in the
world then, Kinoingan in the end resourced to sacrificing his
only, beautiful and obedient daughter so that all his people
would have seeds to grow food they needed. Her head gave rise to
coconuts, her flesh became rice padi, her blood (the most
precious part) red rice, her fingers ginger, her teeth maize,
her knees yams and other parts of her body many more edible
plants.
When the padi began to ripen,
Kinoingan's wife, Suminundu was requested to first pick a little
of it, thresh it, fry it, mix it with coconut flesh and its
water and share it with her people and pets. Later, when the
harvest came and Suminundu cut the stems of the padi with her
sickle the voice of her daughter was suddenly heard requesting
her to be careful.
When the time came for Kinoingan and his wife Suminundu to
ascend to the heavens Kinoingan informed his wife that they had
yet to perform some ceremonies, including a great feast for all
the people he had created. For it was the request of Huminodun
that it be done to "bestow their love and respect to her for the
inheritance of the people of this world". But first he wrote
down the customs of each country to guide the people. For those
who could not read, he taught priestesses prayers for festive
days and for curing sicknesses.
But when the time for the feast came, Kinoingan was not happy.
He felt a deep paternal longing for Huminodun and thought that
she would surely be leading the feast if she were to be alive.
Sadly, he played a tune with his bamboo flute and called his
daughter's name.
Miraculously, Huminodun came out of a big jar that was used to
hold the remains of the threshed padi. Her return to life added
untold joy to the festivities. When the feast was over,
Kinoingan, his wife and his daughter disappeared in the heavens,
bidding farewell to their guests. |
To this day the elderly Kadazandusun
believe that when harvesting, such customary practices should be
observed, otherwise padi stubble might cut them during the harvest,
and they would get sores when consuming rice. Underlying this
practice is a universal morality of not taking for granted the
abundance of food, and not to waste anything edible.
The Unduk Ngadau ‘contest’, or Beauty Pageant is thus an integral
part of every Kadazan Ka'amatan Festival. It is a further manifest
function of the deep sense of respect and admiration that the
Kadazans have for Kinoingan, and his legendary daughter Huminodun.
Besides the commercially interesting aspect of the Unduk Ngadau
Pageant nowadays, the title actually bears sacredness as Huminodun
also signifies absolute trust in her father Kinoingan, so much as to
become a willing sacrifice for the sake of her father's creation.
Evolution of the Ka’amatan
Celebrations
To hold District and State Level
Ka’amatan Festival Celebrations was first mooted by the late OKK Sodomon (the Keningau Native Chief) in 1956. At the 6th Annual
Native Chiefs Conference in November 1956 OKK Sodomon tabled his
proposal that the local government recognise officially the native
Ka’amatan Festival, and that the festivity be given a three-day
holiday. The proposal was debated and finally agreed upon. April 24,
25 and 26 of each year, irrespective of the full moon, were declared
public holidays for the Ka’amatan celebrants, mainly the
Kadazandusuns and Muruts. How to organise their Ka’amatan
Celebrations was then was left to the different districts.
Meanwhile, at an executive committee meeting of the Society of
Kadazans Penampang, the late Tun Fuad Stephens proposed that the
Ka’amatan Festival holidays should not be restricted to the Kadazans,
Dusuns and Muruts only but should be extended to the entire native
population of Sabah (then North Borneo).
On Jun 29, 1960, Tun Fuad made a plea that all the natives of Sabah,
"who use the good earth of Sabah for growing their food" should
celebrate the Ka’amatan Festival as heartily as the Kadazandusun.
Hence the first Sabah State-wide Ka’amatan Festival celebration was
proclaimed and held from June 30th to July 1st, 1960 at the old St.
Michael's School in Penampang. The two-day state holiday for the
Ka’amatan Festival was officially approved by the government in
response to the request made by the Society of Kadazans. Letters
from various Kadazandusun ethnic groups throughout the State of
Sabah to the Society of Kadazan expressed that their members were
happy to celebrate the Festival simultaneously with their fellow
Kadazans and natives throughout the State.
The first State Level Ka’amatan Festival Celebration began on the
morning of June 30th, 1960 with a sung mass followed by a procession
of the Holy Eucharist. Fourteen kampungs in the district
participated in the presentation of various local dances and sounds
of music. For the first time State leaders and community leaders
from various districts of Sabah attended the Festival.
Three buffaloes were slaughtered to feed the crowd and over a
hundred jars of tapai flowed to quench the people's thirst. Non-stop
beating of gongs provided the music and mood for non-stop Sumazau
dance. Other highlights included were the "Unduk Ngadau", Orang Tua
and Native Chiefs’ traditional dress contests, other local
traditional sports, and football matches.
The first State-wide Ka’amatan Festival was a significant step
towards the reunion of the various native-ethnic populations of
Sabah and this paved the way for the changing of the “Society of the
Kadazan Penampang” to “Kadazan Cultural Association (KCA), Sabah”
(now KSCA, or Kadazandusun Cultural Association). In the early 60's
KCA opened its membership to all Dusuns, Muruts, Rungus, Paitans and
other native ethnic groups whose culture and language have close
affinity to each other.
The State-wide Ka’amatan Festival has since then been observed and
celebrated annually under the active organisation of the Kadazan
Cultural Association Sabah. In order to align the celebration with
cultural tourism promotion the Kadazan Cultural Association resolved
in 1986 that the date be fixed to May 30th and 31st of every year.
The Ka’amatan Festival month is to be launched on May 1st each year,
to mark the beginning of district and kampung level Ka’amatan
celebrations, culminating and climaxing in the State Level Ka’amatan
Festival on May 30th and 31st.
The Significance of the Present Day Ka’amatan Festival
Today the Sabah State Level Ka’amatan Festival has become a yearly
expectation and epitome of all local cultural communities
celebrations and heritage expressions through songs, dances, music,
traditional attires, traditional sports, cultural shows, arts and
crafts sales, agricultural product exhibitions, local architectural
and building competitions.
People of all races, colour, creed and cultural traditions join in
to participate and add to the variety, colour and gaiety of the
celebration. Indeed, the Ka’amatan Festival has become a vital
platform and venue for fostering, preserving and propagating harmony
and unity through diversity for the multi-ethnic, multi-racial
population of Sabah.
Ka’amatan Highlights
The highlights for kampung and
district level Ka’amatan Festivals vary from kampung to kampung and
district to district according to the socio-cultural contextual
relevance.
Among the common program of activities included are:
- Traditional sports such as
buffalo race (melumba kalabau), arm wrestling (mipulos),
knuckle and finger wrestling (mipansa), wrestling (migogo),
blow pipe shooting (monopuk), stilts race (manampanau), tug of
war (mitalik dugugk), running (menangkus), bamboo rafting (mamangkar),
single-bamboo pole rafting (manampatau) etc
- Best tapai (Rice wine)
competition
- Gong beating competition
- Traditional dance competition
- Singing contest
- "Magahau or Magavau" ceremony
- "Unduk Ngadau" or Ka’amatan
Queen Selection
|
The State Level Ka’amatan Festival
involves state-wide participation and has an even more elaborate and
richer programme. The highlights include:
- State level finals for
traditional sports
- Modern Sports such as football
finals, sepak takraw finals
- Arts and crafts quality
competition, sales and exhibition
- Best rice wine competition
- Traditional music and gong
beating presentations
- Traditional dance
presentations
- Multi-ethnic cultural shows
- Singing contest
- Magavau Ceremony
- Agricultural products
exhibition
- Traditional architectural huts
building competition
- Unduk Ngadau or Ka’amatan
Queen selection for the year
- Open to all participatory
traditional dances
- Feasting, drinking and dancing
|
Winners and champions of the various
state level contested events are to reign for the year till the next
Ka’amatan Festival comes with new challengers. |