Finding Eden by Robin Hanbury-Tenison

Author:Robin Hanbury-Tenison
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Travel;Borneo;indigenous tribes;Royal Geographical Society;rainforests
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2017-09-22T06:46:26+00:00

Early recce across the park, to the Limbang River and back from Base Camp, with David and Lian Labang

Wed. 12. […] Walked to Melinau Gorge in 2 hours, easy going. Good view of gorge from Melinau crossing. Arrived in rain to find only Barry and some men of Paul Chai’s in camp. Sandra and Gwilym [Lewis] came in soaked later, having been lost with Ding the Kayan, whom everyone is now against. Trouble brewing, so made contingency plans. Letter from John D[ransfield] who had gone up to Bukit Buda with Paul. Looked longingly at the Tiger Cave which Usang climbed up to when he was 16. Big cave inside and not difficult but no time now for Mark. Nyapun went off to fetch a brother, Ta’ee, who, with 2 other families, is not far away up the Melinau. Hugged me and introduced me as his father when he got back. Sited the jamban, which has not yet been built. Set up my hammock, much to Usang’s consternation, as he said I would be cold. It seemed to be keeping the rain out. Long evening in camp. Talked with David, Lian and Usang about walking to Long Seridan (6 days and nights, crossing 3 main rivers). Lian came down the Tutoh 6 years ago. He also went with Tom Harrisson across my route to the Belaga. No way through the gorge to Long Seridan – only the escaped prisoner Lawai did this – but easier way is round by Medalam River. Should do circuit of the park. Nagan and Lawai (after 2 shots with David’s double-barrelled shotgun) came back with a mouse deer. No comment. Off to my hammock. Talk of numbers of Penan increasing in the park. Most arrived 20 years ago – Nyapun, etc. – following the wild sago and the migrating pigs, stayed, and more have arrived since. If we find that the population really is around 500, then it will pose a severe strain on the park and measures will have to be taken. The brother of Nyapun, Ta’ee, had a brand-new Aguirre Spanish shotgun (3 months old) belonging to Lusing. Well looked after, single-barrelled with shiny clean inside. Maybe there could be a rule about nomads being allowed to use only blowpipes, but hard to enforce.

[This was a time when the idea of tribal people owning and managing their own land was still in its infancy. Since then much has changed in many parts of the world. In Brazil and elsewhere in South America vast areas traditionally occupied by Indian tribes have been legally recognised as theirs, and these are often the only environments still being protected from exploitation. Satellite imagery can reveal this in a very powerful way. For example, there is a part of central Brazil which I first visited in 1958 into which only a handful of pioneering settlers had then penetrated. In 1961 a national park the size of Belgium was created for the 6,000 or so Indians, from 17 tribes, who lived on the Xingu River.

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