Cornell University Library Digital Collections
Boat with fishing net in river
- Title (English):
- Boat with fishing net in river
- Collection:
- Perema: Digital Museum of Penan Culture
- Set:
- Penan Cultural Digital Museum
The Penan people along the Baram
- Photographer:
- Morrison, Hedda
- Creation Date:
- 1955-1965
- Community Estimated Creation Date:
- 1965-1969
- Location:
- Sarawak, Malaysia
- ID Number:
- RMM04516_b15_v01_034
- Collection Number:
- 4516
- File Name:
- RMM04516_b15_v01_034.jpg
- Work Type:
- photographs
- Materials/Techniques:
- black-and-white photographs
- Subject:
- boat
fishing
river
travel
Kenyah
Lakau betēē' (hunting)
Penan futures (Transition from nomadic to settled life)
- Description:
- The long engine pictured in the photograph was used to propel the boat, but could only be used in the high tide. Before engines, it would take traders one to two weeks to travel upstream at the cost of a large pig. The Kenyah people would fish from these boats by throwing a net (made from cotton thread or something similar) from the front of the boat. Eventually, the net material changed over time.
Person/people pictured from the Kenyah indigenous group.
- Notes:
- In nomadic times, fishing was rarely done with nets as the material was scarce and the Penan people usually travelled in the hills, where there were no rivers. Poison from Laka Ilang and Laka Parei was obtained from crushing leaves, veins and branches. The poison was then placed upstream and allowed to flow downstream, with the Penan following the flow of the river (easily visible as it was a white river) to collect fish.
- Source:
- Image source: 'The Penan people along the Baram' photobook by Hedda Morrison.
Metadata source: Franklin George, Garen Jengan, Kase Jengan and the Penan community of Long Lamai.
- Cite As:
- Hedda Morrison photographs, #4516. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
- Related Work:
- An alternate printing of this image in "Penans of Sarawak" is available as an "additional view".
- Repository:
- Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library
- Archival Collection:
- Hedda Morrison photographs
- Box:
- 15
- Format:
- Image
- Rights:
- Cornell University holds the copyright to this item and provides access to this item for research and personal use. The written permission of any copyright and other rights holders is required for distribution, reproduction, or other use that extends beyond what is authorized by fair use and other statutory exemptions. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item. Inquiries regarding reproductions of and/or permissions to use this item may be sent to rareref@cornell.edu.
