Sarawak natives to document oral histories, use drones to map traditional lands

Native chieftains in gathering of indigenous leaders in Miri organised by Society for Rights of Indigenous Peoples of Sarawak (Scrips). Scrips secretary general Michael Jok is in batik shirt. -Photo by Stephen Then

MIRI: Two crucial pioneering projects have started in Sarawak. First, an effort to publish the oral history of the 6,000 indigenous settlements statewide, and second, to use drones and GPS devices to do aerial mappings of native land.

The documentation of native oral history is meant to ensure that rich ancestral traditions and ways of life will not be forgotten.