Kauman Sama Online: Sinama Social Network for Sama & Bajau

Sinama & the Cinema | 7 Sama Films

May 24, 2013 in Addat Sama by Luke

Travelers to the Southern Philippines & Eastern Malaysia often find their camera lenses gravitating towards the Sama tribe (note: Bajau & Badjao are Sama). This truth has proven itself even with movie producers both small and big time. We are proud of the Bangsa Sama. All the more it makes us proud to see Sama culture or hear the Sinama language on a major TV channel, the big screen or on popular Youtube videos.

Here is our list of 7 must see Sama Films. We will start with the movies you might see when you turn on the TV.
Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: video
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by erik

Bajau Laut – Fishermen without Fish

March 26, 2013 in Addat Sama, Guest Post by erik

Erik Abrahamsson is a Master’s student in Social Anthropology at Lund University, studying about Bajau Laut. His blog is www.theaquaticape.org

Suddenly, Edjie reached the surface with a big smile in his face. He had caught a grouper with his speargun – and it was still alive. “Bagahak!” said Edjie, “Itu ahalga ma Chinatown” (Translation: Grouper! This is expensive in Chinatown). Immediately, we canceled the fishing trip, docked at Magsaysay Park and ran into Chinatown. Me, Edjie and his son Loglog, with wet clothes, no shoes and a living fish in our hands. After a while we entered a jewelry store and met a Chinese man with an amazed look. He brought a scale and weighted the grouper – more than two kilo. Edjie sold it for 320 pesos (8 USD). The day was saved!

My first encounter with Bajau Laut took place in the beginning of 2010 when I was studying about indigenous peoples at Lund University. My first intention was to go to Tawi Tawi but researchers advised me not to go there … so I continued to read about Bajau and found a blog were a man wrote about his encounters with Bajau in southern Mindanao. I asked him if he could help me and he replied that Bajau are living only 200 meter from his house in Davao City.

“Isn’t it dangerous?”, I asked and looked at the map of Mindanao.

“No, not here”, he replied. “I will assist you.”

Superb divers

A few weeks later I moved in to the Bajau community in Matina Aplaya hosted by one of the leader’s families. From the beginning I was fascinated with their amazing diving and fishing skills. We used to go fishing daily: Me, the community leader Edjie and his “sehe’” Issau. They caught fish after fish – including groupers, octopuses and muray eels.

One day, I was contacted by Prof. Erika Schagatay at Mid-Sweden University who asked me to clock their dives in order to estimate their total under water working time during a typical fishing tour. I continued the study in the end of 2010 using Ultra Sensus Dive Recorders. The result was fascinating, it shows that Bajau are spending more than 50% of their total time in the water under the surface – no matter if they stay on the sea for one, two or three hours.

The study can be found here: Underwater working times in two groups of traditional apnea divers in Asia: the Ama and the Bajau

In the end of 2010 I returned for a new field work among the Sama-Bajau. During this journey I also visited Semporna, Malaysia and remote Bajau villages in Indonesia. Now, a new world was opening for me: the language Sinama. What I had understood as a small dialect in Davao, proved to be a wide-spread language spoken in four countries. In Semporna it is the town’s everyday language.

Study on Fish Bombing

Presently in 2013, I am making a study on dynamite fishing in Semporna. Fish bombing is an industry driven by international demands, diminishing resources and the migration policy of Malaysia. Risking deportation, many Bajau fishermen make a living from destructive fishing methods – feeling no connectivity to the land.
Most Bajau Laut, however, are not involved in any destructive fishing. They continue to fish with the spear, the net and the hook – even if many of the spearfishers have started to use compressors.

Unique Knowledge of the Sea

Bajau Laut have a unique knowledge of the sea – they know hundreds of species, they adapt to the ocean’s tides and can harvest reefs sustainable. In hundreds of years they have co-existed with the sea using fishing methods with little impact on the marine life.

Unfortunately, the Bajau’s lifestyle is threatened by declined fish populations, rising temperatures, bleached corals and even chemicals spreading in the seas. In Davao City the fishermen still go fishing every day, bringing nothing but their homemade spear-guns, wooden goggles and swimming feet. But at the same time as they hunt for fish on the sea bed fishing ships return to the Fish Port after a night at sea.

The catches for Bajau get smaller every day and it is a pity to see how the new water environment is affecting people like Edjie and Issau. One day they will be fishermen without fish.

Tags: Bajau Laut, dynamite fishing, fishing, theaquaticape.org
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by Luke

Learning about Freediving among the Sama

March 15, 2013 in Addat Sama by Luke

Competitive Freediving and its search for the Sama

Though competitive freediving has only recently taken the form of a sport, freediving has existed for centuries as a means of livelihood and an alternative source of income for those that have an aptitude for it. Recently I received an e-mail from Wolfgang Dafert of www.freediving-philippines.com. He has been teaching freediving for over 7 years and they recently held the first freediving competition in the Philippines. He approached me for help finding the deepest and best Badjao freediver. After explaining to him that the Badjao (Sama Dilaut) are actually part of a larger tribe, I told him that here in Davao alone I know of at least 5 very good freedivers.

Apnea, as the term is used in freediving for being able to hold one’s breath underwater, is readily translated into the Sinama language as ap’ddon. Here in Davao, my experience is that when asking the question of who among the divers are ap’ddon, the people are often Sama from the island of Silumpak. Though when asking Sama Silumpak they will also state that the Sama Dilaut (Badjao) are also ap’ddon. Of the five divers here in town I knew of, all of them were at least part Sama Silumpak. Regular dives are around 20 d’ppa (20 fathoms or about 100ft). On occasion they have done dives reaching 40-50 d’ppa (as high as 250ft). I also shared with Wolfgang that I knew of a story of a man who dove 105 d’ppa (525 ft). (Content Removed: More information on the 105 d’ppa dive will be provided as it becomes verifiable).

Connecting Freediving Knowledge to Sama Freediving Practice

These things were of enough interest to Wolfgang that he came and visited us here in Davao on Saturday. Sama divers could learn a lot from Wolfgang that would help them in their pagusaha (livelihood). For instance when we were sitting down with a Sama Imam (community religious leader), he mentioned that sometimes he spits out blood after freediving. It usually happens when he hasn’t been diving for a while and he goes quite deep. The reason, we found out from Wolfgang, was that after a few weeks of not diving, lung muscles that were once stretched out and conditioned, return to a normal state. Just like if you haven’t played basketball for a while it is easy to strain your muscles, resulting in injury. In the same way you can damage your lungs by not stretching them properly during extended periods of rest from freediving. Wolfgang gave an example of lung stretches that he uses when away from freediving. That way when he starts diving again there is no blood. This is especially important for Imam who always takes a break from freediving during Ramadan, the Muslim month for fasting. There are also breathing techniques that can aid a freediver in using air more efficiently while underwater so that they can stay there for quite some time. Wolfgang has done 7 minutes on one breath before.

In just a two day visit, Sama that have been my friends for years could relate better with my guest. This is due to similar experiences that I do not yet share with them. Wolfgang is also a spear-gun fisherman. The Sama were quite interested in how he marks areas that have lots of fish when he goes out. In the end I think its not so different than their own techniques. He also mentioned that when he fishes near coral, he often goes about 20 ft or so beyond the coral in the direction of the current. Bigger fish are often waiting out their to find smaller fish that come out from the reef.

I think Wolfgang also learned quite a bit from the Sama. Traditionally the Sama dive headfirst when diving. The men that knew the diver from Tinoto who dove 105 d’ppa, recalled that he would always go feet first. The reason as explained by freedivers is that it is actually easier to equalize the pressure in your body when your ears are above your lungs. Wolfgang still can’t comprehend how the Sama equalize to relieve the pain in their ears. They don’t tend to mention plugging their nose and blowing. Those that are using full masks do blow out some of their air into their mask as a method to relieve pressure on the ears. Though it is a common tale that Sama and Badjao blow their eardrums on purpose in order to dive with greater ease, no one I have met has ever confirmed that. Imam said that none of the divers he knows even have blown eardrums, except for one. This man blew his eardrums at a young age. It was an accident since he was expected to provide for his family at a time when his father was sick.

I will return to the topic of the diver who dove 105 d’ppa. Wolfgang was amazed that when he did the dive, he stopped about 3-5 d’ppa from the surface to relax his body. Most likely this was done in an attempt to avoid decompression sickness. Among competitive freedivers a technique like this has only recently been used and has proved helpful.

Traces of the Impact of Freediving on Sama Culture

I had thought that freedivers weren’t at risk of getting the bends, but Wolfgang corrected me. He said that decompression sickness is especially dangerous because it doesn’t always manifest itself immediately. I find this interesting as I have ran into several Sama men that are suffering from diving related sicknesses. The man who dove 105 d’ppa is said to have been poisoned. In the last few years of his life he was said to not be able to dive more than 1 d’ppa. Stories among the Sama about poisonings are frequent. I wonder how many of the stories might actually be rooted in diving related sicknesses that only manifest themselves over time.

There are also quite a few stories about the most ap’ddon Sama fishermen being connected to spirit beings or mermaids in the deep ocean. Interestingly enough, Wolfgang did not deny this account, but instead noted that high levels of nitrogen in the body while deep in the ocean are known to introduce hallucinations and highly euphoric experiences. This of course can be a very dangerous high, which is why he stressed how important it is to always dive with a partner. The Sama in most cases already do this, especially when diving at greater depths.

Freediving can be more Effective than Scuba Diving

I learned a lot over Wolfgang’s two day visit. I always thought that scuba divers would dive deeper than freedivers. Scuba divers have limitations based on their air. Its not recommended to go over 24 d’ppa (120 ft) on regular air, though some will push the limit as high as 36 d’ppa (180 ft). This is the reason that a Sama freediver would be hired to prove the presence of a shipwreck. For anything over 36 d’ppa the freediver is more useful than your ordinary scuba diver.

What the Increasing Popularity of the Sport of Freediving could do for the Sama

For me it was an honor to host Wolfgang for a two day visit. Any freediving instructor in the Philippines should do as much as possible to connect the sport with its roots. I was pleased to introduce him to some of the deeper divers among the Sama. Too often the Sama are looked down upon by their Filipino countrymen and even their fellow Muslims. The pearl is a parable woven into the lives of the Sama. The pearl which once held great value has now become a cheap commodity. Its now farmed, processed, manufactured. It used to be strove for by diving to great depths. The Sama are indeed a great tribe, worthy of honor, but they have been kicked about by the modern world who does not care so much about culture and heritage as it does materialism and commercial value.

I am hopeful that the sport of competitive freediving as it begins to develop in the Philippines can serve as a means to bring honor and dignity once again to this awesome tribe, the Sama.

Tags: freediving
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by Luke

Mother Tongue Based Children Songs in Sinama

February 22, 2013 in Kalangan Sama, Reading Tools by Luke

I went on a short trip to Tinoto, Sarangani to inquire about the teaching efforts being made towards Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education. The school there is Datu Abdulbali Elementary School. There are over 700 students with the majority of these being Sama speakers. The founder of the school and its first principal was a Sama from Sisangat, Sulu.

I found out the school was being used as a pilot program in MTB-MLE (Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education). Teachers there are obviously working hard at implementing MTB-MLE. They have created books in Sinama and written songs. They expressed to me that they are having a bit of difficulty taking the children’s mother tongue, Sinama, and going beyond oral learning. Reading and writing in Sinama is a key for making this Mother Tongue Based Education program effective. It will only succeed with a good system for writing the Sinama language.

We have that system. The Sinama orthography is well designed to represent spoken Sinama on paper. Unfortunately, parents and teachers for the most part are unfamiliar with the Sinama orthography. I am glad to get to partner with a 1st grade class at Datu Abdulbali. They sang for me several great songs in Sinama and allowed me to videotape them. My agreement with them was to give their songs back to them on both Youtube and DVD. I added the lyrics to the songs hoping that this would help them learn written Sinama.

Here are 6 Sinama songs sung by children for whom Sinama is their mother tongue. I have included lyrics and translations.

Kuhita’ Bata’-Bata’

Lyrics:

Si Abdul, Si Fatima’.
An’bba ma tōng kalang.
Akalanggal kuhita’.
Kuhita’ bata’-bata’.
O, Ina’, O Ina’
Pal’kkas ka pi’itu.
Mbal na ta’abutnu.
Paloklok na ni batu.

Translation:

Abdul and Fatima are collecting food at the edge of the coral. They find an octopus. A young octopus. “Mother! Mother! Come quickly. You didn’t make it in time. It has now hidden again in the coral.

Manuk-Manuk Paleyang

Lyrics:

Si manuk, si manuk paleyang-leyang.
Si manuk, si manuk paleyang-leyang.
Dikayu’ manuk-manuk pat’ppak ma sanga.
At’kka dikayu’. Duwa na sigā.

Si manuk, si manuk paleyang-leyang.
Si manuk, si manuk paleyang-leyang.
Duwa manuk-manuk pat’ppak ma sanga.
At’kka dikayu’. T’llu na sigām.

Si manuk, si manuk paleyang-leyang.
Si manuk, si manuk paleyang-leyang.
T’llu manuk-manuk pat’ppak ma sanga.
At’kka dikayu’. Mpat na sigām.

Aniya’ Tanganku

Lyrics:

Aniya’ tanganku.
Gibang maka kowan.
Pinariyata’.
Al’ssin sidda.
Angalagpak
Issa, duwa’, t’llu.
Tanganku.
Al’ssin sidda.

Translation:

I have hands, the left and the right. Hold them up. They are very clean & neat. Clap your hands. One, Two, Three. My hands are very clean & neat.

Sangpū’ Ambak

Lyrics:

Sangpū’ ambak palangi-langi.
Pariyata’, pareyo’. Palibut-libut.
Amūng ina’, “Atuli na.”
Amūng ambak, “Mbal. Mbal.”
Sangpū’ ambak palangi-langi.
Pariyata’, pareyo’. Palibut-libut.
Amūng ina’, “Amangan na.”
Amūng ambak, “Aho’. Aho’.”

Translation:

10 frogs are swimming. They go up, down, and all around. Their mother tells them to sleep. The frogs say, “No!”
10 frogs are swimming. They go up, down, and all around. Their mother tells them to eat. The frogs say, “Yes!”

Angitung Kitam!

Manuk-Manuk Enggong-Enggong

Tags: kalangan, mother tongue based multilingual education, mtb-mle, Sama music, video, youtube
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by Luke

Pagtipunan Bangsa Sama ma Internet

February 20, 2013 in Addat Sama, Sama/Bajau Research by Luke

Aniya’ h’lling bagayku ma wordpress site-na buwattitu: “Alungay Bissala, Alanyap na Bangsa.” B’nnal h’llingna ilu. Angkanna bang ma aku, bang akosog bissala (Bahasa Sinama), aga’os isab Bangsa. Ma waktu tagna’ aniya’ saga paltanda’an pangilahan saga linguists bang masi akosog bahasa dakayu’ bangsa. Ai baha’ saga paltanda’an itū? Ya na itu:

Aniya’ saga būk tasulat ma bahasa sigām maka aniya’ isab radju ma bahasa inān.
Bang bahasa sigām niusal ma tabu’, ma luma’, ma iskul, maka ma langgal.
Bang aniya’ saga kalangan baha’u ma bahasa itu.

Kamemon itu paltanda’an masi akosog dakayu’ bahasa. Buwattina’an pagga yukta “high-tech” na patahunan itu, subay lagi’ ginanapan duwa paltanda’an pangilahanta akosog masi dakayu’ bahasa:

Kaissana, bang magtext saga a’a ma bahasa sigām ma cellphone
Karuwana, bang bahasa sigām niusal ma internet, ma facebook, ma youtube, maka ma saga website kasehe’an.

Ma tahun 2008 aniya’ bay palniyatanku angahinangan Bangsa Sama website ma internet. Kabaya’anku website itu “Community website” bo’ supaya magtipun saga kasamahan min saddi-saddi lahat ma kaluha’an dunya. Sinama isab ya bahasa niusal ma website itu. Subay du isab aniya’ saga video ma bahasa Sinama maka saga patta’ min Lahat Kasamahan. Kabaya’anku to’ongan aheka kasamahan tahinang member ma website itu maka makapagsuli-suli sigām ni saga pagkahi sigām Bangsa Sama.

Bang ma bistahanku, halam gi’ asampulna’ palniyatanku. Sogō’ minsan mbal gi’ aheka member Sinama.org, kinōgan aku sabab aniya’ tabākku ma internet saga kasamahan bay angahinang community website sigām ma bahasa Sinama. Angkan minsan mbal pinabantug Sinama.org., pabantugku saga website sigām bo’ supaya sai-sai amassa sulatku itu makajari na ameya’ ma saga group maka website sigām.

Magtagna’ aku ma saga umpigan Kasamahan ma Facebook.

Facebook Groups for Sama People

1. Tabawanians | Duma’inka aku a’a Tabawan. Aniya’ saga bagayku a’a min Tabawan maka aheka isab lahasiya’ h’ndaku minnē’ angkan aku bay ameya’ ma group itu. Aheya pagaddatku ma sigām sabab proud sigām ma lahat sigām, ma bangsa sigām maka ma bahasa sigām. Minsan Bangsa Sūk, bang ma Tabawan, magsinama du isab. Ma umpigan itu, minsan kasehe’an sigām bay na paluwa’ min lahat Pilipin, masi sigām bilahi anabang ma bangsa sigām maka ma lahat sigām.

Bahasa Group itu: English, Sinama, Melayu

Pila member: 261 (2-19-13)

2. Bajau Community (Semporna, Sabah) | Umpigan itu aheya min kamemon Kauman Sama ma internet. Labi araran sigām magmalayu min magsinama sogo’ addat Sama sigām. Aniya’ isab tabākku ma umpigan sigām saga stori ma bahasa Sinama maka patta’ beya’ maka sulatna ma bahasatam Sinama.

Bahasa Group itu: Melayu, Sinama

Pila member 3,787 (2-19-13)

3. Anything about Sama Balanguinguih | Ariki’ du umpigan itu sogo’ ahāp bang paheya. Ya pagsuli-suli saga Kasamahan ma umpigan itu pasalan history Lahat Pilipin maka saga ai-ai ma pasalan bangsa sigām, Sama Banguingi’.

Bahasa Group itu: English, Tagalog, Sinama

Pila member 51 (2-19-13)

4. Tawi-Tawians(Sama)Group Chat | Bang aniya’ talistaku umpigan ma saga Bangsa Sama Banguingi’, aniya’ isab ma saga kasamahan min Tawi-Tawi. Ya itu umpigan saga a’a min Tawi-Tawi.

Bahasa Group itu: Tagalog, Sinama

Pila member 292 (2-19-13)

5. Kamus Bajau | Araran aniya’ saga post min admin maitu. Magsinama maka magmalayu saga a’a ma umpigan itu.

Bahasa Group itu: Sinama, Melayu

Pila Member: 897 (2-19-13)

6. Madrasa Bahasa Sinama | Ya sara’ karuwana ma umpigan sigām: Bang ka mag-post subay Bahasa Sinama. Angkan ahāp to’ongan umpigan itu ma sai-sai bilahi anganad ma pasalan Agama Islam pasal aniya’ saga hadith maka ayat min Kura’an bay sinalin ni Bahasa Sinama.

Bahasa Group itu: Sinama, Arabic

Pila Member 139 (2-19-13)

Other Facebook Groups:

Websites for Sama People

1. MyTabawan | Baha’u website itu. A’a min Facebook Group Tabawanians ya bay angahinang MyTabawan.

Website Features: Blog, Chat, Photo, Forums

2. Tawi-Tawi Patriots | Halam na website itu. Ahāp bay gara’ tagdapū Tawi-Tawi Patriots. Kaugun halam bay pinalanjal. Buwattina’an halam aniya’ tagdapū website itu. Bang ka bilahi, makajari ka am’lli min website grou.ps.

Website Features: Members, Blog, Chat, Photo, Videos, Forums

3. Bangsa Sama (Sama Tawi-Tawi) | Kamemon website itu tasulat ma Bahasa Sinama Tawi-Tawi.

Website Features: Dictionary, Photos, Videos, Kitab, Other Sinama Writings

4. Lumah ma Dilaut Blog | Blog min Lumah ma Dilaut, dakayu’ NGO maghinang ma Sambuwangan. Saga sulat sigām ma pasalan politics maka education.

Kauman Sama Online (Website Itu) | Favorite Website kami ma Bahasa Sinama.

Website Features: Dictionary, Members, Photos, Music, Videos, Teaching on Writing Sinama, Software, News

Saga Youtube Account Bangsa Sama ma Internet

CherishMoments536 143 SMS Aljibkhan Ladjahiran Kauman Sama Online

Bilahi Kam Anabang?

Bang ka kabaha’uwan ma saga website itu ati kabaya’annu isab subay pinabantug Bangsa Sama maka Bahasa Sinama ma internet, kalu bilahi ka angahinang website ma Bahasa Sinama. Makajari kami amuwanan ka’a URL bo’ ka angahinang website. (Saupamana bang address website-nu: tawi-tawi.sinama.org, siasi.sinama.org, pangigal.sinama.org, usulan.sinama.org).

Bang aniya’ website halam talistaku maitu, bā’in pa’in aku bo’ tapaganapku.

Bang aniya’ isab subay pinahāp atawa nihinang ma website kami Sinama.org supaya labi aheka kasamahan ameya’ atawa pasōd ni website itū, bā’in isab kami.

Ya na itu waktu subay pabantugtam Bangsa Sama ma Internet!

Tags: facebook, Sama Blogs, Sama Websites, youtube
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by Kauman Sama

Patta’ min Tinoto, Philippines

February 15, 2013 in Lahat Sama by Kauman Sama

Information about Tinoto

Tinoto, Sarangani is famous to foreigners in the Philippines for its beaches and biodiversity. While foreigners may have only recently discovered Tinoto for its great scuba diving, the Sama have been living there for 50 years now. In Sinama Tinoto should be spelled Tinutu’. The school, Datu Abdulbali Elementary school has over 700 students. The majority are Sama. The Sama community in Tinoto originate from Siasi, Sulu with most being Sama Musu’. Several times a year larger boats will travel directly from Tinoto to Siasi. The original reason for the Sama migration was to escape war found in their homeland. Here you can find all sorts of Sama livelihood. Residents frequently scour the coral at low tide for shells and other food. Fish traps, net fishing, spear fishing, & hook and line fishing are some of the fishing methods used in Tinoto.

The following are pictures collected of the Sama community in Tinoto.

Pictures of the Sama Community

Tinutu', Sarangani
By Sinama.org: Kauman Sama Online | View on Facebook

Please comment if you have any questions about the pictures. If you are from Tinoto or have visited there before you should drop us a comment here at the Kauman Sama Online.

Tags: facebook, Lahat Sama, patta', pictures, Tinoto
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by Luke

What language do the Badjao speak?

January 4, 2013 in Language Learning, Sama/Bajau Research by Luke

Problems with identifying what language the Badjao speak

When asking Sama from Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan, or Zamboanga what language do the Badjao speak, their answer is all the same. Sinama. However, when linguists examined the Sinama from these areas closer, they concluded that there are actually 4 languages described as Sinama. Northern Sinama (Sama Banguingi), Central Sinama, Sinama Pangutaran, & Southern Sinama.

The largest subgroup or dialect of the Central Sama group are the Sama Dilaut who are known by most as the Badjao. Throughout Luzon, Visayas, & Mindanao the Sama Dilaut we have met all speak Central Sinama. I have often heard that there are two Sama Dilaut groupings: Those from Sulu & those from Tawi-Tawi. According to Arlo Nimmo in his book, “Magosaha”, the Sama Dilaut from Siasi & Zamboanga tend to travel much farther in their houseboats than the Badjao he studied in Tawi-Tawi.

As a student of Central Sinama, I have wondered at the prospects of studying Central Sinama in Malaysia. It is well known that Southern Sinama is more frequently found there, but the strong presence of Sama Tabawan and Sama Dilaut hints at language learning opportunities for me in Semporna. But what Sinama do the Badjao (Sama Dilaut) of Semporna speak.

Clifford Sather in his book, “The Bajau Laut: Adaptation, History, and Fate in a Maritime Fishing Society of South-eastern Sabah” states the following, “Within the Semporna-Sibutu area, all Sama Dilaut speak the same dialect, which Walton and Moody identify as a variety of Southern Sama.”

At first it was by gut feeling that I felt this to be untrue. After listening to Sinama spoken in several documentaries about the Bajau Laut of Semporna, my wife, a Sama Siasi, agreed that seemingly they are speaking the same Sinama as the Badjao that we know. That is Central and not Southern. This again was her impression when we met a family living on a houseboat in Semporna. Unfortunately on our trip we were unable to collect a wordlist from a Sama Pala’u.

Thanks to friend, Erik Abrahamsson, we were able to get a Swadesh Wordlist Collected from a Sama Pala’u living in Semporna. To see the actual wordlist click the following: Badjao Swadesh Wordlist.

These are my initial observations:

Most of the adjectives collected in the Swadesh Wordlist were prefixed with the a- affix. An affix that is absent in Southern Sinama. An example of this is the word aheka, the Central Sinama word for many as opposed to heka the Southern Sinama rendering of the same word.

Several verbs collected use the prefix aN-, also a Central Sinama prefix. Examples of this are anginum, amangan, angutta’, ang’nda’ etc.

Several words collected are only used by Central and not Southern Sinama. Examples are ngga’i ka being used for the word not. The Southern Sinama would be sikeya or siraka. Sai was the word used for the English word who. The Southern Sinama is sayyan or seyyan. To be afraid was atāw as collected. The Southern Sinama is talow. Bu’un is a Central Sinama word. Bū kōk is the Southern Sinama.

Southern Sinama would pronounce words such as daing as deyng, daun as down, ka’a as ka’u, atay as atey, togel as tegol.

There are a few words that may be closer to Southern Sinama than Central. Ulagat is a good example of this. Also using ongka‘ to describe music is characteristic of Southern Sinama. Alabu’ is the Southern Sinama for ahūg or ahulug, meaning to fall.

Conclusion that the Badjao (Sama Dilaut) in Malaysia are Central Sinama Speakers

Actually this wordlist even though it may have many imperfections is a very clear evidence that the Sama Dilaut, those known by Malaysians as the Bajau Laut of Semporna, are speaking Central Sinama. This may make very little difference to the Sama people themselves. They will go on recognizing themselves as speakers of Sinama. For the most part they can understand across the four languages. For researchers and also local governments in Malaysia, this is an important discovery. One that you might be misled about when reading some of the more extensive works on the Bajau/Sama.

Tags: Badjao, Central Sinama, linguistics, Research, Semporna, southern sinama
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by Luke

Badjao Swadesh Wordlist | Bajau Semporna

January 4, 2013 in Sama/Bajau Research by Luke

The following is a Badjao Swadesh Wordlist collected from a man named Gunani, living on a houseboat near the island Pulu Gaya, Semporna, Sabah, Malaysia. Gunani is better described as a Sama Dilaut or a Sama Pala’u. Pala’u refers to the fact that he lives on a houseboat with his family. Gunani is somewhere between the age of 35 to 40 years old. He was born in Semporna to parents who were also born there. His grandparents migrated to Semporna from Tawi-Tawi.

I had been looking to collect a Swadesh wordlist from a Sama Dilaut from Malaysia. In particular a Sama living on a houseboat. The purpose of collecting such a list would be to examine whether the Sinama of the Badjao from Tawi-Tawi & the Badjao of Semporna should be classified as Central or Southern Sinama. Interpretations of the Badjao Swadesh Wordlist can be found in our post: What Language do the Badjao Speak?

As I was not able to accomplish this task in my family’s short trip to Semporna in April 2012, I am grateful to anthropologist Erik Abrahamsson (website http://theaquaticape.org/) for collecting this Swadesh Wordlist for me on his trip this late November 2012.

We have used the terms Badjao and Bajau only due to their recognition by outside observers. Badjao referring to the Sama Dilaut as they are called by non-Sama in the Philippines. Bajau referring to all Sama people as they are called in Malaysia.

As a disclaimer, I would like to note that some faults in the data may exist due to the usage of the Malay language to elicit words. Also difficulty in spelling by the transcribers may have resulted in misinterpretation of certain words.

Badjao Swadesh Wordlist (Sinama) with English, Malay, & Tagalog Equivalents

No.	Sinama	English	Malay	Tagalog
1	aku	I	aku, saya	ako
2	ka’a	you (singular)	engkau, kamu, awak, anda, saudara, saudari	ikaw, ka; kayo
3	iya	he	dia / ia, nya	siya
4	kita, kami	we	kita, kami	tayo, kami
5	ka’am	you (plural)	kamu, kalian, engkau, anda, saudara-saudari	kayo
6	sigām	they	mereka	sila
7	itu	this	ini	ito
8	itu^a	that	itu	iyan, iyon
9	maitu	here	sini	dito
10	mahē’	there	situ sana	Diyan, doon
11	sai	who	siapa	sino
12	ai	what	apa	ano
13	maingga	where	mana	saan, nasaan
14	sumiyan	when	bila kapan	kailan, kelan
15	buwattingga	how	bagaimana macam mana	paano
16	ngga’i ka, mbal	not	tidak, bukan	hindi
17	kamemon	all	semua, segala	lahat
18	aheka	many	banyak	marami
19	dangay-dangay	some	beberapa	ilan, iilan
20	akulang	few	sedikit	kaunti
21	saddī	other	lain	iba, otro
22	dakayu’	one	satu, esa	isa, uno
23	duwa	two	dua	dalawa, dos
24	t’llu	three	tiga, telu	tatlo, tres
25	mpat	four	empat	apat, kwatro
26	lima	five	lima	lima, singko
27	aheya	big	besar, raya	malaki
28	ataha’	long	panjang	mahaba
29	aluha	wide	lebar	malapad
30	akapal	thick	tebal	makapal, ispiso
31	abuhat	heavy	berat	mabigat
32	ariki’	small	kecil	maliit, munti, pandak
33	areyo’	short	pendek	maikli, maigsî
34	asigpit	narrow	sempit	makitid
35	anipis	thin	nipis, tipis	manipis
36	d’nda	woman	perempuan	babae
37	l’lla	man	lelaki	lalaki
38	mandusiya’	man (human being)	orang	tao
39	onde’	child	anak	anak, bata
40	h’nda	wife	isteri	asawa
41	h’lla	husband	suami	asawa
42	nggo’	mother	ibu, emak, induk, ina	ina, nanay, mama
43	mma’	father	bapa, ayah, rama	ama, tatay
44	sattuwa	animal	binatang, haiwan	hayop
45	daing	fish	ikan	isda
46	manuk	bird	burung	ibon
47	ero’	dog	anjing, asu, kuyuk,	aso
48	kutu	louse	kutu	kuto
49	sowa	snake	ular	ahas, sawa
50	kalog	worm	cacing	uod, bulati
51	kayu	tree	pokok, pohon	puno, punung-kahoy
52	talun	forest	hutan, rimba	gubat
53	batang	stick	batang	patpat
54	buwa’	fruit	buah	prutas, bungang-kahoy, bunga
55	baja^b	seed	benih	binhi
56	daun	leaf	daun	dahon
57	ulagat^c	root	akar	ugat
58	kulit kayu	bark (tree)	kulit kayu	balat, bakbák
59	bunga^d	flower	bunga	bulaklak, suchil
60	parang	grass	rumput	damo
61	k’llat	rope	tali	lubid, tali
62	kulit	skin	kulit	balat
63	isi	meat	daging	karne, laman, lamang loob
64	laha’	blood	darah	dugo
65	to’olang	bone	tulang	buto
66	al’mmok^e	fat (noun)	lemak	taba
67	nt’llo	egg	telur	itlog
68	tanduk	horn	tanduk	sungay
69	togel	tail	ekor	buntot
70	bulu^f	feather	bulu	balahibo
71	bu’un	hair	rambut (head-hair)	buhok
72	kōk	head	kepala, hulu	ulo, kabesa
73	talinga	ear	telinga	tenga, tainga
74	mata	eye	mata	mata
75	ūng	nose	hidung	ilong
76	bowa’	mouth	mulut	bibig
77	empon	tooth	gigi	ngipin
78	d’lla’	tongue	lidah	dila
79	kukku	fingernail	kuku	kuko
80	tape’	foot	kaki	paa
81	pa’a	leg	kaki	binti
82	kōk-tu’ut	knee	lutut, tuhut (Brunei)	tuhod
83	tangan	hand	tangan	kamay
84	kepet	wing	sayap, kepak	pakpak
85	b’ttong	belly	perut	tiyan
86	usus^g	guts	usus	bituka, laman-loob
87	k’llong	neck	leher	leeg
88	bukut, kalompang	back	punggung, belakang	likod, likuran
89	jantung^h	breast	payudara, titik	suso, dibdíb
90	atayⁱ	heart	jantung	puso
91	tina’i^j	liver	hati	atay, igado
92	anginum	to drink	minum	uminom, inumin
93	amangan	to eat	makan	kumain, kainin, lumamon, lamunin
94	kineket	to bite	gigit	kumagát, kagatin
95	ssa^k	to suck	hisap	sumipsip, sipsipin
96	ludja’	to spit	ludah	dumura
97	angutta’	to vomit	muntah	sumuka
98	tiyup	to blow	tiup	umihip, gulpi
99	magnapas	to breathe	nafas, hirup	huminga
100	atittowa	to laugh	ketawa	tumawa
101	ang’nda’	to see	lihat, tengok	makita
102	pakalehin	to hear	dengar	Márinig, dinggin
103	tahatiku^l	to know	tahu	umalam, alamin, malaman
104	pikil	to think	fikir	mag-isip, isipin
105	ūng, siniyum^m	to smell	bau, cium, hidu	amuyin
106	atāw	to fear	takut	takot, matakot
107	atuli	to sleep	tidur	matulog
108	allum	to live	hidup	mabuhay
109	amatay	to die	mati, meninggal, mangkat (royal term)	mamatay, pumanaw, mapaslang
110	binono’	to kill	bunuh	pumatay, patayin, pumaslang
111	magatu	to fight	lawan	lumaban
112	(no response)	to hunt	buru	mangaso
113	kinakal	to hit	pukul	tamaan, tumbukin
114	pinōng	to cut	potong	putulin, hiwain
115	binahagi’	to split	belah	magbiyak, biyakin
116	nirugsu’an	to stab	tikam	manaksak, saksakin
117	magbono’ ⁿ	to scratch	garu	kamutin
118	angalut	to dig	gali, korek	maghukay, hukayin
119	lumangi	to swim	renang	lumangoy, languyin
120	lumeyang	to fly	terbang	lumipad, liparin
121	magl’ngngan	to walk	jalan	maglakad, lumakad
122	at’kka	to come	datang	dumating, datingan/datnan
123	palege	to lie (as in a bed)	baring	humiga
124	aningkō’	to sit	duduk	umupo
125	an’ngge	to stand	diri	tumayo
126	pabalito^o	to turn	belok, pusing, putar	lumiko, bumilíng
127	alabu’^p	to fall	jatuh	bumagsak
128	nde’in, pamuwan	to give	beri, bagi	magbigay, ibigay
129	amalut	to hold	pegang	humawak, hawakan, tanganan, tangnán
130	anaksuy^q	to squeeze	perah	pisilin, pigas
131	kinusu-kusu	to rub	gosok	magkuskos, kuskusin
132	angose’	to wash	cuci	maghugas, hugasan
133	sapu	to wipe	lap	magpunas, punasan
134	hella’	to pull	tarik	bumatak, batakin, humila, hilahin
135	ijujalan^r	to push	tolak	magtulak, itulak
136	tinimanan	to throw	baling, campak, lempar, lontar	maghagis, ihagis
137	engkot	to tie	ikat	magtali, itali
138	angala’it	to sew	jahit	tahiin
139	itung	to count	kira, hitung, bilang	bumilang
140	ah’lling, angistori	to say	kata, cakap, tutur	sabihin
141	angongka’	to sing	nyanyi	umawit, awitin
142	angongka’	to play	main	maglaro, laruin
143	palantun-lantun	to float	apung	lumutang
144	(no response)	to flow	alur, alir, salur, salir	umagos, iagos
145	amatuwas	to freeze	beku	maging yelo, mabuô manigas
146	am’ngkong	to swell	bengkak	mamaga
147	mata-llaw	sun	matahari	araw
148	bulan	moon	bulan, cendera	buwan
149	mamahi	star	bintang	bituin
150	bohe’	water	air	tubig
151	ulan	rain	hujan	ulan
152	sowang	river	sungai, batang	ilog
153	danaw	lake	tasik, danau,	lawa
154	dilaut^s	sea	laut	dagat
155	asin	salt	garam	asin
156	batu	stone	batu	bato
157	gusung	sand	pasir	buhangin
158	baliyu agabu^t	dust	habuk	alikabok
159	tana’	earth	tanah	lupa
160	ma tonga’an, tai’-baliyu	cloud	awan	ulap
161	kabus^u	fog	kabus	ulap na hamog
162	ma tonga’an	sky	langit	langit, kalangitan
163	baliyu	wind	angin	hangin
164	salji^v	snow	salji	niyebe
165	aes	ice	air batu, air beku, ais	yelo
166	humbu	smoke	asap	aso, usok
167	api	fire	api	apoy
168	abu	ash	abu	abo
169	tinunu’	to burn	bakar	magsunog, masunog, sunugin
170	lān	road	jalan	daan, kalsada, lansangan
171	būd	mountain	gunung	bundok
172	keyat	red	merah	pula
173	gaddung	green	hijau	lunti(an), berde
174	baning^w	yellow	kuning	dilaw
175	pote’	white	putih	puti
176	ettom	black	hitam	itim
177	sangom	night	malam	gabi
178	llaw	day	siang, hari	araw
179	tahun	year	tahun	taon
180	apasu’	warm	panas, hangat	Mainit, maligamgám
181	t’nne	cold	sejuk	malamig, magináw
182	ap’nno’	full	penuh	puno
183	baha’u	new	baharu	bago
184	ato’a, ma’as	old	lama, tua (life-age)	luma, matanda
185	ahāp	good	baik, bagus	mabuti
186	busuk, abuhuk	bad	buruk, teruk	masama, maldito/a
187	abuhuk	rotten	busuk	bulok, panis
188	al’mmis	dirty	kotor, kumuh	marumi
189	abontol, atilud	straight	lurus	tuwid
190	palikong^x	round	bulat	bilog
191	atalom	sharp	tajam	matalim
192	atompol	dull	tumpul	pudpod, mapuról
193	(changed) angalu’ud^y	smooth	licin	makinis
194	abase’	wet	basah	basa
195	atoho’	dry	kering	tuyo
196	b’nnal	correct	betul	tama, tumpak
197	asekot	near	dekat, hampir	malapit
198	atā	far	jauh	malayo
199	kowan	right	kanan	kanan
200	gibang	left	kiri	kaliwa
201	ma	at	di	sa
202	mareyom	in	di dalam	sa
203	maka	with	dengan	kasama
204	maka	and	dan, serta	at
205	bang	if	kalau, jikalau, jika	kung
206	pasal	because	kerana, sebab	dahil, sapagkat, kasi
207	ōn	name	nama	(pa)ngalan

Footnotes concerning possible issues with the Swadesh Wordlist

If you are a Sama speaker from Sabah, Tawi-Tawi, Sulu or Zamboanga, we would appreciate your feedback on the concerns that we have listed below with the Badjao Swadesh Wordlist.

a This appears to be a mistake in word elicitation derived from the Malay word itu meaning that. In Sinama the word would most likely be either inān, ina’an, or ilu.

b We do not recognize the word baja. It could also be baya. The transcriber used “j” for the “y” sound one other time in the wordlist.

c This might be a dialect difference or an issue with word elicitation using the Malay language. Gamut seems like a better choice unless there is a dialect difference. The word ugat can also mean root in Sinama. Sama Dilaut would possibly have it rendered as ulagat.

d Bunga is the Malay for flower. Most likely this is an error in elicitation where the Sama assumed that bunga meant fruit. Another possibility is that the Sama in Semporna have started borrowing the Malay word for flower, bunga. We would expect this word to be sumping.

e Al’mmok is the adjective for a fat person. We would expect this word to be l’mmok or taba‘.

f Bulu is certainly the Malay for feathers. We are more familiar with the term bū, which is a contraction of bulu. Sama Dilaut have a tendency of not contracting words that other Central Sama contract.

g This appears to be a mistake in word elicitation derived from the Malay word usus meaning guts. In Sinama the word would most likely be either tina’i or longon-longon.

h The words for breast, heart and liver seem to be confused here. Most likely the Sama word for breast would be duru’ or daggaha’. Heart should be jantung and liver should be atay. The word tina’i fits better the description of guts.

i The words heart and liver are readily confused in various Austronesian languages due to the difference between these words anatomically and as they are used to describe emotion. In the past atay anatomically would be the liver, but is also the seat of emotion or from where Sama speakers think of feelings coming from.

j (see footnotes h & i)

k We do not recognize the word ssa in this sense. We would expect this word to be an’ssop from the root s’ssop.

l Maybe better rendered as kata’uwanku instead of tahatiku. The difference is between knowing and understanding.

m This appears to be a mistake in word elicitation. Ūng is the Sama word for nose. Siyum is the Sama word for kissing. Sama kissing involves smelling as opposed to contact with an individuals lips. We would expect nihamut to be the appropriate term here.

n This appears to be a mistake in elicitation. We would expect this to be magkatol, magkaskas, or magkamas.

o Pabalito: Unrecognized word.

p Alabu’:

q Anaksuy: Unrecognized word.

r The prefix i- as found in ijujalan is unfamiliar. Most likely it is a mistake in transcription. More likely the word should be nijujalan.

s Dilaut means deep sea. It is very possible that eliciting this word list using the Malay language influenced this answer. Tahik would be a more generic term.

t Baliyu agabu seems to be better rendered as baliyu angabu. This may have been a transcription error.

u Kabus is the Malay word for fog. We do not recognize it. It may very likely be used by Sama from Malaysia as a borrowed word.

v Salji is the Malay word for snow. We do not recognize it. It may very likely be used by Sama from Malaysia as a borrowed word.

w Baning was not found in Kemp Pallesen’s Central Sinama Dictionary. It is recognized as a dialect variant of the word biyaning.

x Palikong: Unrecognized word.

y Angalu’ud: This word was transcribed angalaud We assume this as a transcription error and corrected it to angalu’ud a Central Sinama word meaning slippery in connection to something being smooth.

The original Malay Swadesh wordlist used for eliciting the Badjao Swadesh Wordlist can be found at: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Malay_Swadesh_list

Tags: Bajau of Semporna, Central Sinama, linguistics, Semporna, southern sinama
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by Luke

To the depths- Sama & Badjao Diving

December 10, 2012 in Addat Sama, Sama/Bajau Research by Luke

Lessons learned about Sama & Badjao Diving

Badjao diving has received a lot of attention from several documentaries about the ocean and the Badjao tribe. I’ve met scientists that have come to take data with a focus only on the “Badjao” people. Sadly this overlooks that the Badjao are actually part of a larger group, the Sama. It is not only the Sama Dilaut (our term for Badjao) that are experienced divers, but several of the Sama subgroups are known for being quite capable divers. I convinced a scientist to take measurements of a Sama friend’s spear fishing dives. My friend did at least 5 consecutive dives of over 80 ft each. He stayed underwater for over 50% of his time within a 1 hour period.

That happened over a year ago. Since then I have learned some interesting things about Sama diving.

Sama dive in order to shoot fish with their spear gun. They will also look for oysters, pearls and other edible/sellable things on the ocean floor.
Distances are measured in d’ppa. One d’ppa is a fathom, in other words it is the distance between the fingertips of a person with their arm’s outstretched. A traditional fathom is said to be 6 ft. I would estimate the Sama d’ppa at about 5.
Near shipping yards they will dive for scrap metal. Here in Davao that is 12 d’ppa (approximately 60 ft). Diving at the wharf stretches the limits of the newer inexperienced Sama divers.
The channel between Davao City and Samal Island is about 20 d’ppa (approximately 100 ft). Around Ligid or Talikud Island the ocean depth can be as high as 30 d’ppa (approximately 150 ft). Near General Santos and Sarangani depths are much deeper.
There are several Sama Silumpak in Davao that have reached as deep as 50 d’ppa when diving.
The Sama word that describes a person with a strong capacity for reaching great depths while diving is ap’ddon.
Sama Silumpak are most certainly ap’ddon. They also describe the Badjao as ap’ddon at diving.
Though you will find many Bisayans fishing in Davao, the Sama say they are not ap’ddon and only the Sama tend to find their livelihood through diving.
Bapa’ Mabini, a Sama from Tinutu in the Sarangani province, is said to have dove 105 d’ppa on two occasions (possibly 525 ft!). He did it twice on a bet and received ₱8,000. This far surpasses the world record of 126 meters (413 ft) for free diving set by Alexey Molchanov.
Bapa’ Mabini as well as many other Sama divers suffered from lung complications before he died in 2012.

Article on Badjao Diving Study

Freedivers set world records

Tags: Badjao divers, Badjao Diving, Sama divers, Sama Diving, video
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by Kauman Sama

Thy Womb: Starring Tawi-Tawi & Sama Culture

November 29, 2012 in Addat Sama, News Updates by Kauman Sama

Shooting Sama Culture Up Close

After watching the movie Thy Womb in Gaisano Mall, Davao, a newspaper editor approached my Sama wife asking, “Is that really how it is?” The response was, “Yes, with only a little bit of exaggeration.” Reviews that have called the film more of an ethnography than a drama, ring with some bit of truth. Brillante Mendoza in the film, Thy Womb, was privileged to get to shoot Tausug & Sama culture up close and promote it throughout the Philippines and the world.

The movie opens inside a home, presumably with an ocean view, and kids jumping off of what looks like the porch into the ocean. Shaleha, Nora Aunor’s character, is helping with a home birth. This isn’t all that uncommon of a sight in the Philippines, an island nation with many homes built on stilts over the ocean. Zoom out the shot and you find out you were viewing one of the increasingly rare houseboat communities of the Sama in Tawi-Tawi. Shaleha and her husband Bangas-an, played by Bembo Roco, drive off in their papet, a Malaysian boat common among the Sama in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

Next snapshot of Sama culture: Your in their home where the couple is weaving tepo‘, the Sama banig or mat that has reached high enough demand that SM sells them. The whole process of dying the mats and starting the weaving is abbreviated into about a two minute conversation about searching for a second wife because Bangas-an is childless.

Gender Roles in Sama Culture

In this case the relationship of Bangas-an and his wife Shaleha seems unnatural. The making of a tepo’ from start to finish would most likely be done solely by women, not a joint work of husband and wife. In Sama culture there is usually a clear separation of the sexes when working. Usually a man and wife would not go out to sea together fishing. Of course, Bangas-an has no son to do this with. Certainly the husband of a midwife would not be there at a birth and most likely the father would be sent out as well. Other than that the birthing scenes, the fishing scenes, and the process for making the Sama tepo’ follows the culture.

Dangers in Tawi-Tawi

The next scene is for the viewers who disdain the Bajau that you’ve seen begging for money in the Philippine’s major cities. Many have the impression that the Bajau are lazy and don’t work for their own living. In contrast to many of your perceptions of Bajau, throughout the film you will see how hard working the Sama are. This couple earn a living from Shaleha’s work as a midwife, they sell mats, they dry and sell fish and they search for food at low tide. Here you see the couple net fishing and pleased with their large catch. Suddenly they are chased down by bandits. Bangas-an is shot before jumping into the water. When the bandits leave Shaleha must help her husband back into the boat. This cultural reality of the Sama is what causes many Sama fishermen to carry guns when fishing or not to fish at all. Many of the more ocean based Sama (Sama Dilaut/Badjao) have fled their sea based lifestyle to live in the Philippines larger and safer metropolitan areas. What often gets sacrificed is their traditional ways of supporting themselves.

The scene with the bandits attacking Bangas-an in his boat is also one of the biggest cultural bloopers in the film. For all that I can tell the bandits take the fish and not the motor. In real life they throw the fish and take the motor. Bangas-an and Shaleha would be forced to paddle home. Later, however, we see that they must sell the motor of their boat in order to pay for the dowry that it costs to marry a second wife.

Sama Dowries

The searching for a second wife and preparing to pay the dowry make up the majority of Thy Womb’s plot. I heard gasps from the audience when the number P200,000 was mentioned as the dowry for one of the brides. To non-Muslim Filipinos this may come as a shock. Bride price may vary depending upon social status as well as individual tribal custom, but the stated P200,000 is considered a reasonable amount for a college graduate, especially among the Tausug. The film showed well the struggle that a man’s family, wishing to marry, must go through in order to pay the price. Gold jewelery may be pawned or exchanged. They must approach close and distant family members for help. Often several family members will go into debt just to help their relatives pay a dowry.

Sama Cultural Ceremonies

Director Mendoza catches on film several cultural ceremonies. When dead fish are found floating around their community they perform the Sama custom of Tulak Bala’. It literally means, “The departure of a plague.” They say Arabic prayers while members of the community are washed and cleansed in the ocean. A local imam burns incense in a dried out coconut shell before they send the shell and handcrafted miniature boats out to sea, thus asking that the plague that has come to their community would leave.

The Sama wedding scene that took up a major portion of the film truly captured the essence of the Sama ceremony. As the groom is prepared you hear the traditional chanting, loved by many Sama, called lugu’. The groom is dressed in his best attire. He is carried on the shoulders of his groomsmen and shielded from the sun by an umbrella. The bride is wearing the makeup of a Sama bride. All that she lacks is the painted uni-brow, kilay langgung, that Sama culture finds beautiful. Mercedes Cabral does a great job of imitating Sama Pangigal in the film (Later you will see that Nora & Bembo don’t). She is to be commended for this considering that unlike every Sama girl from Sulu & Tawi-Tawi, she didn’t grow up dancing the pangigal. Midway through the wedding it is disrupted by gunshots. This is certainly not unheard of happening at weddings in Tawi-Tawi and the wedding participants manage to carry on almost as if nothing even happened.

Also filmed in Thy Womb is the engagement ceremony of Bangas-an and his soon to be second wife Mersila. Culturally the ceremony is natural although something to be noted is that multiple wives, though allowed in Islam, is not common in Sama culture. Much more common would be the divorcing of a wife due to her inability to provide a child. As seen in the movie, it takes a groom three times to profess that he accepts his wife. It also takes the same three times to say, “I divorce you” and thus be divorced. This indeed becomes one of the things demanded of Bangas-an, that if Mersila can provide him a child, he will divorce his first wife, Shaleha.

In the End

The movie ends with a shocked and unsatisfied audience pondering the injustice of putting away a wife that sacrificed so much for her husband and yet there is no clean ending to the film, just as their is no clean ending in divorce and betrayal.

Whether it is the various run-ins with the Philippine military, the shots of sea turtles giving birth, the slaughtering of a cow in accordance with Islamic law, the beautiful shots of Sama communities and serenity of Tawi-Tawi’s islands, the ceremonies, or the everyday living of the Sama, we commend the movie Thy Womb and director Brillante Mendoza for its portrayal of what it means to be a Sama. I personally thank him as I end in quoting his speech at the SM Lanang Premiere Showing, “I would like to thank the people of Tawi-Tawi, the Bajau, to whom I dedicate this film.”

Here are some pictures we took from the Premiere Showing at SM Lanang, Davao: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151288853135091.515517.225592355090