Culture Semai people

sculpture of semai woman @ new york museum of natural history.

the semai horticulturalists have gift economy. among indigenous peoples of malaysia (see orang asli) have been pushed hills , mountains later, more technologically powerful incoming peoples. have no police , no government per se. according dentan, adults appear controlled public opinion. semai there no authority here embarrassment. although popular , verbally facile individuals influential in public affairs, semai have no formal leaders.

disputes in semai community resolved holding becharaa, or public assembly, @ headman s house. assembly may last days , involves thorough discussion of causes, motivations , resolution of dispute disputants , whole community, ending headman charging either or both of disputants not repeat behavior lest endanger community. semai have saying there more reasons fear dispute tiger.

semai children never punished or forced against will. if parent asks child , child says don t want to, matter ended. however, semai parents use fear of strangers , violence in nature such thunderstorms , lightning control children s behavior if ever becomes necessary. concept similar karma prevalent children told stories of sprites (mambang in malay) , forest spirits take retribution if sanctity violated. children appear taught fear own aggressive impulses. concept of mengalah or giving in cherished children since young taught give way others preserve peace , harmony of village.

the games semai children play non-competitive. these games include forms of sports encourage physical activity , exertions body becomes tired , therefore made ready sleep , subsequent dreaming. 1 game involves hitting @ other children sticks; sticks, however, stop short few inches target no 1 gets struck. modern games played significant modifications. game of badminton example uses no partition nets , keeps no score. shuttlecock deliberately hit intercepted other player , passed back, , forth. objective seems purely exercise.

with regards space , dominion, there appears no distinction between public , private realms, , thus, western concept of privacy, domestic or otherwise, not found. . concept shared rural malays, of whom, many descended mixed marriages semais , other orang asli people. carry them wisdom , lore of semais, including non-violent , pacifist tendencies, harmonized other prevailing religions of adoption.

the semais live in villages , of structures built wood, bamboo weaved walls , thatched roofs using palm leaves. semai houses have no visible bedrooms, children, sleep in main hall. separation seems in form of wooden-beaded curtains parents chambers. form of separation adopted coastal malays, use instead curtains made of seashells, , deutero-malays, use batik cloth form curtains. there no locks or otherwise, usual devices used preventing unwanted entry of these rooms. simple way of telling entry unwanted drawing down curtains. allow entry, curtain drawn sides , tied form opening. expressed permission must requested in cases entry needed when curtains closed. entry without permission transgression , entails sort of natural retribution.