Kadazan-Dusun

The "Kadazan" term is used among the Tangara/Tangaa' tribe on the west coast of Sabah to refer to themselves. Non-Tangara tribes within the same dialectal and cultural continuum in the interior and eastern part of the state prefer the term "Dusun". Historically, 'Orang Dusun' (literally means "orchard people") was an exonym, Malay language term used by the Bruneian Sultanate (or more specifically the tax-collectors) to refer the native of part of Sabah (west coast region) they ruled in the past. An account of this fact was written by the first census made by the North Borneo Company in Sabah, 1881. Administratively, all Kadazans were categorised as Dusuns. When colonial British took over control of North Borneo, they continued to use 'Dusun' as a generic term to call almost all the natives of the state regardless of languages division. At the time, the natives consist of various unintegrated tribes. In the west coast of Sabah, specifically in Papar, the Tangaa' and several other tribes began to unified themselves under the term "Kadazan," the Tangaa's pronouncoation for the word "Kadayan" meaning "people of the land" in west coast Dusunic language. As the word "kadayan" not existed in Tangaa' language vocabulary, it is possible that they got the name from the Dusunic Kadayan tribe in Papar (not to be confused with Malayic Kadayan people) which they assimilated with when the tribe expanded their territory southward from Penampang. Tangaa' is a tribe who migrated from Nunuk Ragang (the same case with other Dusunic tribes such as Tobilung, Tindal, Bundu and Tagahas) to the west coast while Kadayan are a plain dwelling group of people original to the west coast of Sabah (to Brunei) who did not take part in inland migration to Nunuk Ragang hundreds of years before. Other members of this group including the Kadazan Membakut and Kadazan Klias, Dusun Kadayan in Manggatal, Lotud in Tuaran and Dusun Tempasuk of Kota Belud; all carrying the "Kadayan" identity which means "people of the land" in their language. The Kadayan languages formed a sub-family within the Dusunic languages family. Other sub-family within Dusunic are Bisayic, Nunuk Ragang-based Dusun languages (including Kadazan and Rungus) and the Paitanic languages. While in the other part of Sabah, mainly in the interior, northern and eastern regions; various tribes began to unified under the 'Dusun' identity which introduced by the British. In fact, Kadayan tribes such as Manggatal Kadayan, Lotud and Tempasuk Dusun and Bisayic Tatana in the west coast also accepted the term 'Dusun' as their own identity. Non-Dusunic speaking tribes included in the Dusun categorisation are Gana, Tombonuo, Lobu, Bonggi, Segamo and Begak which continued to this day. Fellow Dusunic tribes other than Tangaa' namely the Tobilung, Kimaragang, Ulu Sugut Dusuns, Tindal, Liwan, Bundu, Tagahas, Kwijau and lastly the Minokok, Labuk Dusuns and Kinabatangan Dusuns (Mangkaak, Sukang and Tindakon) have strong 'Dusun' identity. However, this trend caused the perception that 'Dusun' is only exclusive to the latter tribes although 'Dusun' originally encompasses almost all the natives of North Borneo in the time of British administration. Through the establishment of the KCA – Kadazan Cultural Association (KCA was later renamed to KDCA – Kadazan-Dusun Cultural Association) in 1960, this terminology was replaced by 'Kadazan', which was also used as the official designation of the non-Muslim natives by the first Chief Minister of North Borneo, Tun Fuad Stephens @ Donald Stephens. When the Federation of Malaysia was formed in 1963, administratively all Dusuns were referred to as Kadazans which sparked opposition from both Kadazan and Dusun sides who wanted the ethnicity term to be officialised and administrated separately. In 1985 through the KCA, the term "Dusun" was reintroduced after much pressure from various parties desiring a division between the Kadazan and the Dusuns once again. This action only worsened the conflict by developing the "Kadazan or Dusun identity crisis" into "Kadazan versus Dusun feud". It was also a largely successful and a precursor to the fall of the ruling political state party Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS). In November 1989, through the KCA, PBS coined the new term 'Kadazandusun' to represent both the 'Orang Dusun' and 'Kadazan'. This unified term "Kadazandusun" was unanimously passed as a resolution during the 5th Kadazan Cultural Association's Delegates Conference. During the conference, it was decided that this was the best alternative approach to resolve the "Kadazan versus Dusun" conflicts that had impeded the growth and development of the Kadazandusun since "Kadazan versus Dusun" sentiments were politicised in the early 1960s. It was the best alternative generic identity as well as the most appropriate approach in resolving the "Kadazan versus Dusun" conflicts. Although this action is seen as the best alternative to resolving the ongoing "Kadazan versus Dusun" conflicts since the 1960s, its positive effect is only seen by the year 2000 to the present day when the new generation is no longer in the "Kadazan versus Dusun" feudalism mentality. The unification has since strengthened the ties and brought the Kadazandusun community together as an ethnic group towards more positive and prosperous growth in terms of urbanisation, sociocultural, economic and political development. ==Origins of the term 'Kadazan'==

There is no proper historical record that exists pertaining to the origins of the term or its originator. Between the late 1950s and early 1960s, the term "Kadazan" has always been theorised by local folks as derivatives from the word "kakadazan" which means towns, or "kadai" which means shops, the term itself is of a Tangaa' dialect (see Tangga language). The derived term was speculated as a reference to townies, or communities living near shops. This has also been explained in an article by Richard Francis Tunggolou. However, there is evidence that the term has been used long before the 1950s. According to Owen Rutter (The Pagans of North Borneo, 1929, p31), "The Dusun usually describes himself generically as a tulun Tindal (landsman), or on the West Coast, particularly at Papar, as a Kadazan". ==Origins of the term 'Dusun'==

The Dusuns do not have the word 'Dusun' in their vocabulary, and the term Dusun is an exonym. Unlike the term "Kadazan," which means "people of the land", "Dusun" means "farm/orchard" in the Malay language. It has been suggested that the term 'Orang Dusun' was a term used by the Sultan of Brunei, who was a Malay to refer to the ethnic groups of inland farmers in present-day Sabah. == Genetic relatedness ==

According to a Genome-wide SNP genotypic data studies by human genetics research team from University Malaysia Sabah (2018), the Northern Borneon Dusun (Sonsogon, Rungus, Lingkabau and Murut) are closely related to Taiwan natives (Ami, Atayal) and non–Austro-Melanesian Filipinos (Visayan, Tagalog, Ilocano, Minanubu), rather than populations from other parts of Borneo. ==Origins of the Kadazandusun people==

Since the 90s, it has been said that the Kadazandusun people are descendants from China. Most recently, rumour has it that Kadazandusun is closely related, or might be a descendant of the Bunun tribe in Taiwan. Such speculations were made from observed similarities of physical features, and cultures between the Kadazandusun and the Bunun people. However, these rumours were proven irrelevant through both mtDNA and Y-DNA studies. mtDNA studies Maternal or Matrilineal Studies Using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), is a test used to explore genetic ancestry from the mother using mtDNA that is obtained from outside of a nucleus cell that isn't contaminated by the presence of Y-chromosome. According to a study published in 2014, by Kee Boon Pin on 150 volunteers from the Kadazandusun people all over the Sabah region, the Kadazandusun people belongs to 9 mtDNA Haplogroups (subjected to the numbers and types of samples involved in the study), with Haplogroup M being the highest frequency, where it represents (60/150 40%) of all maternal lineages. Followed by Haplogroup R (26/150 17.33%), Haplogroup E (22/150 14.67%), Haplogroup B (20/150 13.33%), Haplogroup D (9/150 6%), Haplogroup JT (6/150 4%), Haplogroup N (4/150 2.67%), Haplogroup F (2/150 1.33) and Haplogroup HV (1/150 0.67%). These mtDNA Haplogroups have multiple subgroup distribution into several subclades due to genome mutations for thousands of years. The Haplogroup M subclades founded were: ''M7b1'2'4'5'6'7'8 (22%), M7c3c (12.67%), M31a2 (0.67%), and M80 (3.33%). The Haplogroup E subclades founded were: E1a1a (8%), E1b+16261 (4.67%), and E2 (2%). The Haplogroup B subclades founded were: B4a1a (3.33%), B4b1 (1.33%), B4b1a+207 (3.33%), B4c2 (0.67%), B4j (0.67%), B5a (2%), and B5a1d (1.33%). The Haplogroup D subclades founded were: D4s (1.33%), and D5b1c1 (4.67%). For Haplogroup F, H, JT, R and N, there were only 1 subclade founded for each haplogroup: F1a4a1 (1.33%), HV2 (0.67%), JT (4%), R9c1a (17.33%), N5 (2.67%)''. Kee Boon Pin studies confirmed the mtDNA studies conducted by S. G. Tan, on his claim of genetic relation between Kadazandusun to another Taiwan aboriginal, the Paiwan people through the sharing of Haplogroup N as the fundamental DNA. However, in his studies published in 1979, S.G. Tan did not emphasise the significant of this finding to the Out Of Taiwan theory due to the very small percentage of Haplogroup N found in the Kadazandusun test subjects that is insufficient to represent the whole Kadazandusun ethnicity. S.G. Tan did state that the Kadazandusun ethnic have close genome relation to the other ethnics currently present in Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia and the Philippines, including the Ibans, Visayan, Ifugao, Jakun Aboriginal Malays, Dayak Kalimantan, and Tagalog. Although the Kadazandusun ethnic group shared some of maternal mtDNA haplogroups with the Bunun and Paiwan ethnic groups of Taiwan, the high frequency results of haplogroup M and low frequencies of haplogroups B, E, F and N (insignificant to represent the entire said nation) in the genetics of Kadazandusun ethnicity is enough to refute the theory of Kadazandusun ethnic origin from Taiwan. Kee Boon Pin studies also mentioned that the mtDNA of the Kadazandusun ethnic are more diverse with plenty of variability that is missing which might have depleted (through mutations) in the mtDNA of the Bunun ethnic. Genetic depletion indicates newer mutation from the maternal DNA group. Professor Hirofumi Matsumura, who studies in Genetics and Anthropology, stated that mtDNA sub-haplogroup M7b1'2'4'5'6'7'8 founded in majority of Kadazandusun DNA is one of the oldest mutations from M7 series from haplogroup M that was founded in ancient graveyards in the jungles of Borneo, with estimated age around 12,700 years. It is even older than most discovered ancient M7 series, and spread throughout the Southeast Asia continent creating more M7 mutation series. The mutation series products from M7b1'2'4'5'6'7'8 are present today in several ethnics including Jakun the aboriginal of peninsular Malaysia, Dusun in Brunei, Tagalog and Visayas in the Philippines, and Dayak in Kalimantan and Riau Islands of Indonesia. Y-DNA studies Y chromosome DNA test (Y-DNA test) is a genealogical DNA test that is used to explore a man's patrilineal or direct father's-line ancestry. According to a study by Prof. Dr. Zafarina Zainuddin from Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kadazandusun ethnic belongs to Y-DNA haplogroup of O2-P31 (O-268), which she believes plays an important role in the modern Malay genome sequence. O2-P31 is a mutation product of M214 as a maternal haplogroup with the following mutation sequences: M214> M175> P31> O2. This study was also validated by a genetic study group from National Geographic that revealed STR test results through samples taken from Kadazandusun residents of Belud City in 2011. The STR results were: DYS393: 15 DYS439: 12 DYS388: 12 DYS385a: 16 DYS19: 15 DYS389-1: 13 DYS390: 25 DYS385b: 20 DYS391: 11 DYS389-2: NaN DYS426: 11 DYS392: 13, which explains the specific composition of the Y chromosome according to the Y-DNA haplogroup of O2-P31 (O-M268). Mutation sequences for O2-P31 are shown in the Phylogenetic tree below. According to the Y-DNA study by Jean A Trejaut, Estella S Poloni, and Ju-Chen Yen, the Bunun ethnic in Taiwan belongs to Y-DNA haplogroups of O1a2-M50 and O2a1a-M88. Both of these Y-DNA haplogroups are also the result of mutations of M214 as their maternal Y-DNA haplogroups with the following mutation sequences: M214> M175> MSY2.2> M119> M50> O1a2, and M214> M175> P31> M95> M88> M111 / M88> PK4> O2a1a. Mutation sequences for O1a2-M50 and O2a1a-M88 shown in the Phylogenetic tree below. The age of Y-DNA haplogroup O2-P31 (O-M268) is estimated to be at around 34,100 years through conducted DNA ageing tests on the ancient human bones discovered in Niah Cave, Sarawak. Based on the mtDNA and Y-DNA studies, as well as philosophies from genetic and anthropology experts, it is plausible to conclude that Kadazandusun people are indeed the aboriginals of Sabah, and Borneo, as well as one of the leading genetic contributors to Southeast Asian societies. == Culture and society ==

Religion The majority of the Kadazandusuns are Christians, mainly Roman Catholics and some Protestants. Islam is also practised by a growing minority, but it is the majority religion amongst the native Dusuns in Ranau as well as the Bisayas in Beaufort and Kuala Penyu. The influence of the English-speaking missionaries in British North Borneo during the late 19th century, particularly the Catholic Mill Hill mission, resulted in Christianity, in its Roman Catholic form, rising to prominence amongst Kadazans in Penampang as well as Papar in Sabah's West Coast division as well as a large majority of Dusuns in Tambunan district. Harvest Festival Harvest Festival or Pesta Kaamatan is an annual celebration by the people of Kadazandusun in Sabah. It is a one-month celebration starting from 1 to 31 May (but celebrations begins as early as April as per the traditional calendar once the harvest season ends in that month). In modern-day of Kaamatan Festival celebration, 30 and 31 May are the climax dates for the state-level celebration that happens at the place of the yearly Kaamatan Festival host. Today's Kaamatan celebration is very synonymous with beauty pageant competition known as Unduk Ngadau, a singing competition known as Sugandoi, Tamu, non-halal food and beverages stalls, and handicraft arts and cultural performances in traditional houses. During the old days, Kaamatan was celebrated to give thanks to ancient God and rice spirits for the bountiful harvesting to ensure continuous paddy yield for the next paddy plantation season. Nowadays, the majority of the Kadazandusun people have embraced Christianity and Islam (and Kadazandusun-dominated churches also incoporate Kaamatan into their liturgies). Although the Kaamatan is still celebrated as an annual tradition, it is no longer celebrated for the purpose to meet the demands of the ancestral spiritual traditions and customs, but rather in honouring the customs and traditions of the ancestors. Today, Kaamatan is more symbolic as a reunion time with family and loved ones. Domestically, modern Kaamatan is celebrated as per individual personal aspiration with the option of whether or not to serve the Kadazandusun traditional food and drinks which are mostly non-halal. Food Traditional foods include hinava (sourced fish), pork soup and lihing (rice wine) and chicken soup. Traditional costumes The traditional costume of the Kadazandusun is generally called the Koubasanan costume, made out of black velvet fabric with various decorations using beads, flowers, coloured buttons, golden laces, linen, and unique embroidery designs. The traditional costume that is commonly commercialised as the cultural icon of the Kadazandusun people is the Koubasanan costume from the Penampang district. The koubasanan costume from the Penampang district consists of Sinuangga worn by women and Gaung for men. Sinuangga comes with a waistband called Himpogot (made out of connected silver coins, also known as the money belt), Tangkong (made out of copper loops or rings fastened by strings or threads), Gaung (decorated with gold lace and silver buttons) and a hat that is called Siga (made out of weaved dastar fabric). The decorations and designs of the koubasanan costume are usually varied by region. Traditional music The Kadazandusun traditional music is usually orchestrated in the form of a band consist of musicians using traditional musical instruments, such as the bamboo flute, sompoton, togunggak, gong, and kulintangan. Musical instruments in Sabah are classified into Cordophones (tongkungon, gambus, sundatang or gagayan), Erophon (suling, turali or tuahi, bungkau, sompoton), and Idofon (togunggak, gong or tagung, kulintangan) and membranophones (kompang, gendang or tontog). The most common musical instruments in Kadazandusun ceremonies are gong and kulintangan. The gong beats usually varies by regions and districts, and the gong beats that is often played at the official Kaamatan celebration in KDCA is the gong beats from the Penampang district. Traditional handicrafts Kadazandusun people use natural materials as resources in producing handicrafts, including the bamboo, rattan, lias, calabash, and woods. Few of the many handicrafts that are synonym to the Kadazandusun people are wakid, barait, sompoton, pinakol, siung hat, parang, paddy cutter linggaman, and gayang. Before the mentioned handicrafts were promoted and commercialised to represent the Kadazandusun cultures, they were once tools that were used in daily lives. In fact, some of these handicrafts are still used for its original purpose to this day. Wakid and barait are used to carry harvested crops from farms. Sompoton is a musical instrument. Pinakol is an accessory used in ceremonials and rituals. Parang/machetes, gayang/swords and tandus (a kind of spear) are used as farming and hunting tools, as well as weapons in series of civil wars of the past, which indirectly made the Kadazandusun known as headhunters in the past. == Headhunting==

The three main ethnic groups in Sabah that are known for headhunting practices history are the Kadazandusun, Rungus and the Murut. The beheaded heads are kept and maintained using ancient practices and rituals. One of the uses of the beheaded heads is as a housekeeper amulet or talisman. The ancient Kadazandusun people believed that every house should have its guardians. Thus, they will use the "tandahau" spirit from the beheaded head for the purpose of protecting the house and its inhabitants from the attacks of enemies and wild animals. It is also important to place beheaded heads under the newly constructed bridge. The ancient Kadazandusuns believed that every river had a spirit of water that is called tambaig. The beheaded heads will be placed or hung below the bridge as a peace offering for the tambaig so that the tambaig will not demolish the bridge. Beheaded heads are also used by bobohizan or bobolian for medical purposes, as well as the worship of the ancestors' spirits. The most common weapons used by the ancient headhunters of the Kadazandusun are Ilang, sakuit/mandau machetes, gayang swords, tandus/adus spears, and a taming wood as a shield. This gruesome practice has been banned and no longer practice today. However, there is a rumour saying that primitive Kadazandusun clans living in isolation in the deep jungles are still actively practising the headhunting culture today. Yet, there has been no evidence to support this claim. == Kadazandusun languages==

Kadazandusun people speak Dusunic languages, an Austronesian language family spoken in the northern part of Borneo. == Notable people ==

• Alto Linus, former Malaysian and Sabah footballer. • Arthur Joseph Kurup, current Deputy Minister of Science Technology and Innovation, president for United Sabah People's Party (PBRS) and current member of parliament for Pensiangan. • Bernard Giluk Dompok, Malaysian ambassador to the Vatican from 2016 to 2018, former chief minister of Sabah and former federal minister. • Clarence Mansul, former deputy minister of Malaysia and former member of parliament for Penampang. • Cornelius Piong, Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Keningau. • Dass Gregory Kolopis, former Sabah footballer. • Darell Leiking, former Malaysian cabinet minister and state assemblyman for Moyog. • Donald Mojuntin, Malaysian politician and lawyer, son of Peter Mojuntin. • Ewon Benedick, current member of parliament for Penampang. • Ewon Ebin, former federal minister of Malaysia. • Fuad Stephens, former first and third chief minister of Sabah and former third Sabah state governor. • Gunsanad Kina, famous Sabah tribal native chief from Keningau. • Mohd Hamdan Abdullah, former fourth Sabah state governor. • Ahmad Koroh, former fifth Sabah governor. • Mohamad Adnan Robert, former sixth Sabah state governor. • Jeffrey Kitingan, deputy chief minister of Sabah, current member of Malaysian Parliament for Keningau and state assemblyman for Tambunan. • James Ongkili, former cabinet minister in the 1980s. • Jonathan Yasin, current member of parliament for Ranau. • Julius Dusin Gitom, Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Sandakan. • Juhar Mahiruddin, state governor of Sabah since 2011. • Joseph Kurup, former federal minister of Malaysia. • Joseph Pairin Kitingan, former chief minister of Sabah. • Kasitah Gaddam, former federal Cabinet minister and senator. • Maximus Ongkili, former minister in the prime minister's Department for Sabah and Sarawak Affairs. • Peter Anthony, former Sabah state cabinet minister. • Peter Mojuntin, former fifth State Minister of Local Government and Housing • Richard Malanjum, 9th chief justice of Malaysia and the 4th chief judge of the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak. • Ronald Kiandee, former deputy speaker for the Dewan Rakyat and current member of parliament for Beluran. • Sedomon Gunsanad Kina, tribal chief of Sabah's interior division during the colonial and early nationhood eras in 1963. • Wilfred Madius Tangau, former federal minister of Sabah and former deputy chief minister of Sabah. • Stacy, Malaysian singer, hailing from Penampang. • Marsha Milan, Malaysian singer and actress. == See also ==