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C - OTHER GROUPS DESCENDING FROM HUNTER-GATHERER POPULATIONS

Let us mention briefly a few small-scale societies, descendants of nomads who now live off swidden agriculture ; what distinguishes them from the previous populations is that they show no particular interest in wild sago. The history of these groups shows that adopting agriculture is a gradual process : the Punan Murung took 150 years to become full-time cultivators (SeLLATO, 1986 in ROUSSEAU, 1990 : 247).

a) Aoheng

Groups made up partly of former mobile forest populations who have integrated families of swidden cultivators and thus produced a heterogeneous ethnic group. It is a stratified society with dispersed village communities, each independent from one another. They grow dry rice, but 15% of their time is devoted to collecting products for trade (see SELLATO, 1989 : 253-254; ROUSSEAU, 1990 : 245).

b) Bukitan

This is a group of swidden cultivators that are gradually being absorbed by the Iban (SELLATO, 1989 : 214-215).

c) Lebu

This is a group of former mobile hunter-gatherers, settled in 1981 along the Kelai River (East Kalimantan). They grow dry rice, maize, a little coffee, and gather forest products (rattan, eagle-wood, damar). They hunt with blowpipes. It is an egalitarian non-stratified society. They belong to the 'Basap' (a collective name in Malay referring to different groups of inland hunter-gatherers) (GUERREIRO, 1985).

d) Seputan and Sihan

Two heterogeneous groups made up of descendants of nomads and swidden cultivators. They are both full-time agricultural communities.

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