Narratives about space and place in Eastern Penan

Abstract

Space as 'landscape' (rather than 'seascape'), rainforest in this case, has been fundamental for satisfying the resource needs of Borneo's foragers in East Malaysia. Due to deforestation in areas where Eastern Penan reside, a foraging existence has become less viable or even unsustainable. A primary aim has been to gain a richer understanding of their relationship with the environment, referred to by Eastern Penan as tana' 'rainforest'. A question arises as to whether or not this term may actually be undergoing semantic narrowing or a meaning shift, given unprecedented levels of deforestation, permanent settlement of most Eastern Penan and, for many, their entry into the lowest stratum of society.