There are an estimated 20 000 people referred to by these names, nomads or descendants of settled nomads. There are also an estimated 3500 descendants of nomads that have settled down to swidden agriculture.
Very few Penan are still mobile nowadays (less than 500).
In all, there are 9237 Penan, in 78 villages (1985, 1987, 1988 censuses, LANGUB 1989 : 170), i.e. about 0,6% of total population of Sarawak (LANGUB, 1991). They are divided into 2 groups speaking dialects of the same language (related to Kenyah) :
* Eastern Penan :
[lozenge] 4294 people, 62 communities (BROSIUS, 1990, 1987 census) ; no names for the sub-groups (except where the name of the locality is the name of the band).
[lozenge] Mobile groups (all in Sarawak, it seems) : less than 5% of all the 'Penan', 299 people (8 bands) (1987 census, LANGUB, 1989 : 173) - or 388 people (11 bands) (LANGUB, 1990, BROSIUS, 1992). They all live around the watersheds of Tutoh and Limbang (LANGUB, 1990).
* Western Penan
-2251 people, 18 communities (BROSIUS, 1990, 1987 census), and approximately 500 in Kalimantan (BROSIUS) (the two sub-groups have been separated since around 1895).
Many sub-groups : Penan Gang, P. Silat, P. Lusong, etc. They have settled down since the 1960s.
It is important to remember that the Penan population in Sarawak has been constantly increasing since the beginning of the century and is well documented since the 1950s. Population growth is about 200% (BROSIUS, 1990 : 4).
Punan sub-groups (especially in East Kalimantan) :
ethnic group
|
population
|
number
of villages
|
date
|
source
|
| P.
Aput
|
370
|
2
|
1970
|
Wurm,
Whittier
|
| P.
Ban
|
20-30
|
2
or 3
|
1970
|
Whittier
|
| P.
Batu {Sajau}
|
50
|
-
|
1981
|
Wurm
|
| P.
Benalui {Badang}
|
107
|
1
|
1970
|
Whittier
|
| P.
Busang {Musang}
|
3
000
-
|
-
20
|
1981
1975
|
Wurm
Nicolaisen
|
| P.
Kelai
|
~
500
|
10
|
1970
|
Whittier
|
| P.
Merah {Kohi}
|
137
|
-
|
1981
|
Wurm
|
| P.
Oho'
|
107
|
1
|
1970
|
Whittier
|
| P.
Pemping
|
no
available data
|
|||
| P.
Segah
{P. Melanau}
|
2
000
(with Kelai)
|
-
|
1981
|
Wurm
|
| P.
Tubu
|
1514
2 000
|
21
|
1970
|
Whittier
Wurm
|
[lozenge] N.B. : the Punan Bah (in Sarawak) have been engaged in agricultural activities for a very long time and have nothing to do with the groups we are discussing here. They are part of the Kajang population (NICOLAISEN, SELLATO).
Several groups, scattered throughout Sarawak and Kalimantan, are not called Punan, but are occasionally referred to as such because they are descendants of nomads who have settled down in the last 40 years. Depending on how long the different groups have been sedentary and their choices, they have adopted different economic systems.
Bukat (Ukit, Bukot) : 400 people (WURM), 600 people (SELLATO)
Hovongan (Punan Bungan) : 575 people (WURM)
Kereho (Punan Keriau) : 200 people (WURM), approximately 300-500 people (1980, SELLATO, 1989)
Lebu (Basap) : approximately 1500 people (ROUSSEAU 1990, HILDEBRAND, 1982)
Lisum (Punan Lisum) : have been absorbed by the Iban (ROUSSEAU, 1990 : 217)
These groups partly descend from nomads and have adopted agriculture by integrating other groups of swidden cultivators within which they are more or less absorbed.
Aoheng (Penihing, Mahakam) : 2630 people (WURM, 1981), approximately 3000 people (ROUSSEAU, 1988)
Bukitan (Bukit, Beketan, Baketan) : 410 people (WURM)
Seputan : no data available
Sihan : 70 people (WURM)
SELLATO (1989) distinguishes several sub-groups that he sees as related culturally :
- Kereho, Hovongan, Seputan and Aoheng in the Müller-Schwaner range ; they make up the 'Müller Punan complex'.
- Lisum and Bukitan in the west of Sarawak and in West Kalimantan upto middle-course of the Mahakam, maybe also related to the Punan Busang and to the Punan Merah in the Mahakam area.
Lebu (Basap) and Punan kelai, east of East Kalimantan.