This documentary follows filmmaker Raphael Trezza as he embarks on a three-month journey to live with the Penan tribe, a nomadic hunter-gatherer group in Borneo known for their survival skills and deadly blowpipe darts. The documentary highlights the challenges faced by the Penan due to deforestation, logging, and the loss of their traditional way of life. It also explores their use of natural resources, such as poison from the Taj M tree for hunting, and their unique culture, including tattoo traditions and the use of monkeys as guards. The film sheds light on the struggles of indigenous tribes in the face of environmental and societal changes.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. In Borneo, there is a tribe of nomadic hunter-gatherers known as the Penan.
2. The Penan are known for their survival skills and the deadly poison they use on their blowpipe darts.
3. The Malaysian government has overseen the destruction of the vast majority of Borneo's primary rainforest for timber and palm oil plantations.
4. Sarawak, a Malaysian state, has seen massive deforestation.
5. Only a small percentage of Sarawak's primary rainforest remains intact, and much of it is replaced with secondary forests.
6. The Penan were the only tribe of hunter-gatherers able to live as nomads in Borneo's primary rainforest.
7. Logging companies, supported by a state government with mafia ties, caused the Penan to lose their traditional way of life.
8. The Penan use a deadly poison called Tajem on their hunting darts, derived from the Tajem tree.
9. They rely on foreign trade for iron and use resin, animal skins, and handicrafts for trade.
10. The Penan have a unique way of communicating with other tribe members using signs made of branches.
11. Some Penan families still live as semi-nomads in the jungle, while others have settled in remote villages.
12. The Penan have deep knowledge of medicinal plants and use them for various purposes.
13. Bruno Manser, a Swiss ethnologist and activist, lived with the Penan and helped them resist logging companies.
14. The Penan have been Christianized and no longer practice their traditional animist beliefs.
15. The Penan continue to face challenges in adapting to settled life in villages.
16. The even tribe, known as the headhunters, is located near the Indonesian border and is famous for their history of headhunting.
17. Some even families still keep skulls as trophies.
18. The even practice traditional tattoos that represent important life events.
19. Even tattoos have evolved, blending traditional styles with Western influences.
20. The Penan use monkeys as guards to signal danger in the jungle.
These facts provide an overview of the Penan tribe, their way of life, and the challenges they face due to deforestation and cultural changes.