Here are great stories about Orang Asli culture to add to your bookshelf

The 'Cermor' storytelling zine, which features Semai folk tales, is a delightful series on how indigenous communities have shared their stories, their memories and their histories with their children, grandchildren and neighbours. Photo: Gerimis Art Project

Some might say the pandemic wiped out 2020, making it a lost year.

But for the small team behind Gerimis Art Project (Gerimis), it was arguably its most productive year. Gerimis, which features four creative individuals, spent the whole of last year writing, illustrating, designing and updating three independent zine/journal publications focusing on Orang Asli folklore, practices and crafts.

Based on three years of research and interviews, the three zines – Mad Weave (second print), Solastalgia: Forest, Crafts, & The People and Cermor: Semai Folklore (second print) – offer a broader view of Gerimis' work for the masses to explore and learn more about.

Founded in 2018 by copywriter Wendi Sia and illustrator Sebastian Heng, Gerimis is an arts initiative, funded independently, that works directly with Orang Asli communities to co-create products that provide sustainability to its makers. Its publications, research and exhibitions involve collaborations with Orang Asli artists, photographers, and traditional weavers.

In July 2019, the Gerimis art exhibition project, featuring six Orang Asli artists, was part of the programme at the George Town Festival in Penang. It gave the Gerimis team a running start in the art, photography, video, traditional craft and zine scene, involving Orang Asli participation.

The 'Mad Weave' publication featuring stories and weaving techniques found in Orang Asli craftswomen circles. Photo: Gerimis Art Project

“An Orang Asli friend said to me that it’s a great initiative for us to document Orang Asli stories in the form of books as there is a need to have more Orang Asli literature beyond research papers and articles. Even our school textbooks lack Orang Asli history, ” says Sia, 29.

“Books are also mobile and can be easily carried to remote villages where Internet access is not available.

“Books can also be used for knowledge exchange. For example, a Semai weaver we work with who lives in Perak is able to learn the mad weave technique from the Temuan master weaver who lives in Selangor through the documentation in the Mad Weave zine, ” adds the Gerimis project director.

The zines are currently in English, with plans to have them translated to Bahasa Malaysia and Orang Asli languages.

Keeping the stories alive

The 88-page Mad Weave zine – updated – gets behind the inspiring stories of the craftswomen behind Orang Asli craft-making, where their heart and soul are woven into creations. It features master weavers Yau Niuk and her daughter Nadiawati Miah from the Kumpulan Kembang Sejambak weaving group, based at Kampung Paya Rumput in Sepang, Selangor.

'Solastalgia' offers the direct interactions between people and nature. Photo: Gerimis Art Project

“In this second print, we included not only illustrations of the weavers but also photos of our visit throughout the past three years.

“The illustrations play a role in reimagining the past through the weavers’ memories, while the photographs capture their lives today, ” offers Sia.

Solastalgia: Forest, Crafts, & The People explores the book’s main themes through a series of conversations, observations, and reflections encountered throughout Gerimis’ field research.

The 60-page book offers direct interactions between people and nature, a relationship that intertwines land and traditions. It features the tales of nine Orang Asli villages.

Finally, the 96-page Cermor: Semai Folklore is a zine featuring the support of Persatuan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Orang Asal Perak.

This zine, now updated, is a collection of nine folk tales told by Wah Ngah Pandak of Kampung Sahom, Kampar, and Ajak Alang of Kampung OA Rasau, Tanjung Malim in Perak.

A screen shot of an upcoming Gerimis Art Project work, which shows that the pandemic has not slowed down this community-minded Orang Asli initiative.

"Cermor” is an oral storytelling session form among the Semai indigenous people. It is usually told at night as a form of entertainment as well as to convey moral teachings.

Outside the three zines, Gerimis has also been busy with its collaboration with Klima Action Malaysia and Students for Global Health UK for the “Weaving Hopes For The Future” project.

Supported by the British Council Malaysia, the project is an arts and cultural response to the climate degradation and injustice around us, with the focus on creating a space for Orang Asli youths and women to participate meaningfully in climate action both locally and globally.

The Gerimis team, based in the Klang Valley, is also working on a video series featuring Orang Asli contemporary artist Leny Maknoh, musicians Herry and Alang from the Luhiew Renawij group, and weavers Hanim and Noraini from KOA Sungai Buloh and Desa Temuan Damansara Perdana respectively.

“We are also putting together a gallery at GMBB KL where we will feature works from Orang Asli artists and artisans – both contemporary and traditional – as well as stories from our field work or research work in progress in an exhibition format, ” says Sia.

But due to the pandemic situation, this has been shelved for the moment. Gerimis, despite being a small team, keeps its social media active to share news, artworks and stay connected with its Orang Asli collaborators and the public during these lockdown days.

“As for the communities that we work with, we miss them, and we do what we can where we are to keep the conversation (going) about Orang Asli, the importance of protecting their way of life, culture, tradition and ultimately the forests, ” concludes Sia.