There was a time when Sabahans processed the paddy that they planted into rice using traditional tools and celebrated in grand scale the harvest festival `Kaamatan' to appease the paddy spirit.
The locals were highly innovative and had their own traditional set of tools like the pestle and mortar, and grinder to remove the paddy husk and even ploughs to turn over the soil and reaping knives to harvest the paddy.
Yet, modernisation has crept in and since 1980s these traditional tools have become the museum piece and only seen when the paddy processing is demonstrated to the visitors.
While the Kamaatan is celebrated in a grand scale every May, the younger generation may not be aware of the significance of the paddy planting and processing culture that was very much at the heart of the celebration.
This is due to the fact that the traditional routines in paddy planting and
processing have virtually disappeared, almost totally replaced by the modern technology.
A legacy that has changed
According to the Monsopiad Cultural Village's Operations Manager Awad Bajarai, though the younger generation has lost touch with their traditional ways, there are some who were willing to learn the art of paddy harvesting and processing it into rice like what has been done traditionally in the state.
"Many from the present generation are willing to try their hands in pounding and grinding the paddy, many of their parents have related to them how the paddy was planted and processed into rice in those days.
"The traditional planting and processing methods has diminished with the modernisation wave, and since 1980s many of the paddy processing tools became obsolete. Therefore, here we still retain these tools so that the younger generation can to view and appreciate them," he explained.
The Monsopiad Cultural Village located at Kampung Kuai Kandazon, Penampang is among the locations where the use of the traditional tools in processing the paddy into rice is demonstrated to visitors. It is part of the effort to preserve the rich heritage of Sabah's Bumiputera community.
The ways of the ancestors
Previously, locals would scoop the paddy from 'tangkob' - the container made of tree barks, bamboos or rotan - and put it into the 'tosung' (pestle) often made from wood and pounded using the wooden mortar to separate the husk from the grain.
"The `tangkob' is often big enough to store paddy needed for the whole family, with the paddy being harvested twice a year.
"Often the paddy is taken out from the `tangkob' and dried under the hot sun and in the evenings it is pounded using the tosung," explained Awad.
This was how the villagers processed paddy into rice until the 1980s when they started sending their rice to the factories and this saved them lots of trouble.
But technology is not the only factor that prompted the transition to modern processing method, as outsiders who settled down in Sabah also influenced how the paddy is processed.
Awad provided an example where the locals used the indigenous 'kohintung' contraption to clean the grains from the paddy dust, but the contraption became obsolete after the people of the western part of Sabah began using the antique human muscle powered machine known as the 'kikizapan', that was introduced by the Chinese.
"The rice is put into the kikizapan, made out of a wood compartment with a fan attached that is rotated by hand. It blows the dust leaving clean white rice grains behind.
"It was the first rice processor machine introduced here by the Chinese," he said.
Another of the Chinese tool that influenced the locals is the 'guguzungan', used to grind the rice into flour.
"In those days Sabahans only ate rice. When the community from China started settling here, they brought the machines to make rice based delicacies," he explained.
No longer relevant
Unfortunately today, these tools are no longer relevant and only serve as a reminder of the past.
Awad, in 1999, with the help of villagers attempted to revive the
traditional way of ploughing using the buffalo and traditional tools, but no one was impressed.
"Now tools like the tosung and guguzungan are no longer in use, they only appear for symbolic reasons during each Kaamatan. We are definitely not eating the rice from the 'tangkob' anymore, or the one that we pounded ourselves.
"The tradition is gone for good but to ensure the tools and the methods are not forgotten, that is why we have these demonstrations each time we celebrate the Kaamatan," he said.
The Kaamatan that is also known as the Tadau Kaamatan or "Magavau" in the Kadazan language is celebrated to appease the rice spirit, `Bambazon'.
The Kaamatan celebrations culminates on the 30th and 31st May annually. During the celebration, a line up of activities like "Unduk Ngadau" (beauty pagent)and the Kadazandusun culture is highlighted.
This year, the Yang Dipertua Negeri Ahmadshah Abdullah will close the
state level Kaamatan Festival on May 31.
- Bernama
The locals were highly innovative and had their own traditional set of tools like the pestle and mortar, and grinder to remove the paddy husk and even ploughs to turn over the soil and reaping knives to harvest the paddy.
Yet, modernisation has crept in and since 1980s these traditional tools have become the museum piece and only seen when the paddy processing is demonstrated to the visitors.
While the Kamaatan is celebrated in a grand scale every May, the younger generation may not be aware of the significance of the paddy planting and processing culture that was very much at the heart of the celebration.
This is due to the fact that the traditional routines in paddy planting and
processing have virtually disappeared, almost totally replaced by the modern technology.
A legacy that has changed
According to the Monsopiad Cultural Village's Operations Manager Awad Bajarai, though the younger generation has lost touch with their traditional ways, there are some who were willing to learn the art of paddy harvesting and processing it into rice like what has been done traditionally in the state.
"Many from the present generation are willing to try their hands in pounding and grinding the paddy, many of their parents have related to them how the paddy was planted and processed into rice in those days.
"The traditional planting and processing methods has diminished with the modernisation wave, and since 1980s many of the paddy processing tools became obsolete. Therefore, here we still retain these tools so that the younger generation can to view and appreciate them," he explained.
The Monsopiad Cultural Village located at Kampung Kuai Kandazon, Penampang is among the locations where the use of the traditional tools in processing the paddy into rice is demonstrated to visitors. It is part of the effort to preserve the rich heritage of Sabah's Bumiputera community.
The ways of the ancestors
Previously, locals would scoop the paddy from 'tangkob' - the container made of tree barks, bamboos or rotan - and put it into the 'tosung' (pestle) often made from wood and pounded using the wooden mortar to separate the husk from the grain.
"The `tangkob' is often big enough to store paddy needed for the whole family, with the paddy being harvested twice a year.
"Often the paddy is taken out from the `tangkob' and dried under the hot sun and in the evenings it is pounded using the tosung," explained Awad.
This was how the villagers processed paddy into rice until the 1980s when they started sending their rice to the factories and this saved them lots of trouble.
But technology is not the only factor that prompted the transition to modern processing method, as outsiders who settled down in Sabah also influenced how the paddy is processed.
Awad provided an example where the locals used the indigenous 'kohintung' contraption to clean the grains from the paddy dust, but the contraption became obsolete after the people of the western part of Sabah began using the antique human muscle powered machine known as the 'kikizapan', that was introduced by the Chinese.
"The rice is put into the kikizapan, made out of a wood compartment with a fan attached that is rotated by hand. It blows the dust leaving clean white rice grains behind.
"It was the first rice processor machine introduced here by the Chinese," he said.
Another of the Chinese tool that influenced the locals is the 'guguzungan', used to grind the rice into flour.
"In those days Sabahans only ate rice. When the community from China started settling here, they brought the machines to make rice based delicacies," he explained.
No longer relevant
Unfortunately today, these tools are no longer relevant and only serve as a reminder of the past.
Awad, in 1999, with the help of villagers attempted to revive the
traditional way of ploughing using the buffalo and traditional tools, but no one was impressed.
"Now tools like the tosung and guguzungan are no longer in use, they only appear for symbolic reasons during each Kaamatan. We are definitely not eating the rice from the 'tangkob' anymore, or the one that we pounded ourselves.
"The tradition is gone for good but to ensure the tools and the methods are not forgotten, that is why we have these demonstrations each time we celebrate the Kaamatan," he said.
The Kaamatan that is also known as the Tadau Kaamatan or "Magavau" in the Kadazan language is celebrated to appease the rice spirit, `Bambazon'.
The Kaamatan celebrations culminates on the 30th and 31st May annually. During the celebration, a line up of activities like "Unduk Ngadau" (beauty pagent)and the Kadazandusun culture is highlighted.
This year, the Yang Dipertua Negeri Ahmadshah Abdullah will close the
state level Kaamatan Festival on May 31.
- Bernama
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