Finally, a place we can call our own.
A small win for the community.
Hello everyone,
Wake up. September has ended!
As we planted the seeds of Singapore’s indigenous history into curious minds in the last few years, thankfully, our efforts have bore fruits. Recently, readers have approached us, expressing their support of our cause and wanting to be more involved. We are heartened by the support, which keeps the work we do relevant and remembered.
We want to announce that we have launched our heritage garden, Tanah dan Air, at City Sprouts, West Coast Park. This project was made possible because of the expertise of the Orang Laut/Pulau community, tireless efforts from our volunteers and Orang Laut SG interns, and support from our community allies who believed in us.
Why West Coast Park? West Coast Park has always been a significant connecting point for the former Southern islanders. Some may be acquainted with the sight of local sampans around the area, where islanders who inhabited the Southern Islands continue to stay close to the sea and their maritime practices. Nearby, native plants blossom quietly in our little heritage garden.
From the outside, you might spot batik pieces hanging in the greenhouse. Upon entering Tanah dan Air, we welcome you to a space designed to pay homage to the lives of coastal communities. Above, a Kajang, woven out of Nipah leaves by islanders in Riau and installed by a former Semakau islander, provides shade from the harsh sun, as the Orang Laut used to do for their Kolek (small wooden boat).
Below, Tikar Mengkuang lies on the gravel. In some coastal communities, the plain, undyed tikar were specifically used for burial rites, woven with mengkuang (pandan duri) leaves by Riau Islanders. A collection of maritime crafts donated as gifts from the islanders have also made the garden their home.
Within Tanah dan Air, one would find elements of land and sea, depicting the Orang Laut/Pulau practices and knowledge, alluding to how their lifestyle synergised with the ecosystem around them. In our garden, indigenous flora blooms, which is significant to the food, medicine, and culture of the Orang Laut/Pulau. An example is the Daun Sirih (betel leaf), which is a key ingredient for healing mothers out of labour while being part of Nusantara cuisines such as Nasi Ulam.
Tanah dan Air will be a space for gathering, knowledge sharing, and storytelling by descendants of coastal communities, arts and culture enthusiasts, and community allies. We envision this space as a place for Indigenous craft workshops and community events, creating a living heritage space at West Coast Park.
We would like to cordially invite members of the public to support our upcoming events at our space at West Coast Park, do keep a lookout for future events on our pages!
Moreover, Orang Laut SG is looking for opportunities to fundraise for our cause, and we are open to discuss sponsorships and fundraising opportunities. Do connect with us through our email: hello@oranglaut.sg.
Orang Laut SG made several news features this month.
Our founder, Firdaus Sani, was recently invited to speak on the Channel News Asia (CNA)’s podcast, the Daily Cuts, where we detail our aspirations in a podcast with Joel Chua as our host. Immense gratitude to be given this platform!
In addition, The Straits Times did an in-depth interview featuring Tanah dan Air, and we are delighted to be able to share a medicinal concoction made of Daun Dukung Anak (gale of the wind) in this article as well. Thank you for the feature!
Now for a recap of the activities in September!
This month, we hosted Serangoon Secondary School for a tour at West Coast Park. The students were fascinated to learn about the weaving and use of bubu traps from Cik Am, an expert fisherman and maritime craftsman from Pulau Sudong. He taught them about the types of fish caught in the traps, including ikan buntal (pufferfish) and accidentally catching an ikan yu (a reef shark), which was subsequently released. We are always heartened by the curiosity and enthusiasm of the students we work with, and we look forward to educating more youths in the coming months!
We also had the privilege of showing a group of educators from the Leaders in Education Programme at MOE around West Coast Park and Tanah dan Air. We are grateful that the future leaders in education were genuinely invested in our stories, and look forward to our continuing friendship together.
A launch event at City Sprouts for the Therapeutic Garden recently opened by NParks across from the community garden plots. We ran a craft booth, shook hands with Minister Desmond Lee, and visitors of all ages tried their hands at making prints using indigenous plants and fruit. Check out some of these beautiful cards made by the students from APSN Tanglin School and seniors from SASCO Senior Citizens’ Home!
We will officially debut Tanah dan Air on the 11th of October! Our collaboration with Singapore Art Museum co-creates a knowledge-sharing and dining experience with their Artist in Fellowship, Shooshie Sulaiman. Do sign up in the link below!
https://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/art-events/events/by-way-of-slowing
We’re also excited to announce that the team at @indestructibleproject will be screening Hero Borneo, an independent film from Sabah exploring the tension between tradition and youthful aspirations for the fishermen of Borneo. The first (and only screening in Singapore!) will be held on 6 October 2024, 3-5pm at The Projector. As the film highlights the importance of fishing traditions in Southeast Asia, we’d like to invite our readers to attend the screening here and join us in supporting the coastal communities of Sabah.
Our readers get to enjoy a 10% discount using this code: ORANGLAUT , and a portion of the ticket fee will also go to supporting Orang Laut SG’s work.
Click this link to buy tickets: Hero Borneo (theprojector.sg)
Hope to see you at our future events!