PERFORMANCE AND IDENTITY AMONG THE DIASPORA MARITIME COMMUNITY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA: AN EXAMPLE OF SAMA DILAUT OF MALAYSIA

Abstract

Maritime communities in Southeast Asia have a close relationship with the sea. Traditionally, migration since ancient times has become a traditional practice known by various terms such as merantau, berdagang, etc. Despite continuing their lives as a diaspora, traditional cultural practices inherited from ancient times are continued to ensure that relationships with descendants continue. This paper will discuss the Sama Dilaut community or Bajau Laut, a diaspora from the Southern Philippines, through maritime migration, settling and continuing traditional practices inherited from ancient times, whether sacred or non-sacred. Through sacred performances, Sama Dilaut maintains its original cultural characteristics. They believe in ancestral practices, Omboh, as a source of power. The ancestral practices are performed through the spirit bearer, Jin, male and female (Jin Lella and Jin Denda). Through ethnographic research and observations, the sacred performances were observed and analysed. The study found that rituals, music, and dance-making are continuously performed due to the inheritance of the heirloom, the maintenance of the relationship with the ancestors, and the sustained sacred traditions among the Sama Dilaut diaspora. This paper will also discuss the participation of the younger generation of the Sama Dilaut community in exploring their ancestral tradition and practices into permissible dance and music performances, igal and tagunggu’. By doing this, the young generation appreciates their ancestral tradition, enabling them to continue Sama Dilaut or Bajau Laut as a diaspora generation.