BC Cook
BORN on boats, they take their sustenance from the ocean: food, building materials, clothing. They master the art of fishing so they are capable of diving to extreme depths and can see under water as well as above. They understand navigation, currents, even the mood of the sea.
The Bajau, numbering less than 100,000, are an ancient race of people who live on the water, primarily in the Sulu Sea between the Philippines and Borneo. Ethnically, it is not clear how they fit into the human family, but they seem to trace their ancestry into Filipino, Malaysian, Indian and Chinese lines.
Most Bajau children are born on boats, are taught to swim right away, and puncture their eardrums at an early age so they can dive to extreme depths in search of food. Most overcome the sting of salt water in the eyes but some wear goggles.
As far as anyone knows, the Bajau have always lived this way. Their folklore contains scant mention of land-based life. According to their stories, passed down orally from generation to generation since the Bajau do not have a written language, the first Bajau was a very large man who was an excellent swimmer and fisherman. He was more prosperous at sea, so he set sail and never looked back and his descendants followed his example down through the ages.
The lifestyle may have worked in days past but two threats have emerged in the modern world, one of which is not of their making and the other which is. The Sulu Sea is notorious for pirates. Indonesian bandits roam the sea looking for anyone they can rob. They attack boats, kill the passengers and sail off with anything of value. Combined with total lack of police presence, it makes this one of the most dangerous places on earth. The Bajau do not carry weapons so they cannot defend themselves against the pirates. Their main tactic is to run so their lives depend on who has the fastest boat. The pirates usually win.
The second threat is the destruction of the reef ecosystems due to over-harvesting. When the Bajau numbered a few thousand they harvested the reef without too much impact. But now the population is such that they are rapidly depleting the fish, sea cucumbers and other food. Combined with disastrous Indonesian fishing practices such as dynamite fishing and use of cyanide, the reefs are in a state of collapse. Mass starvation or exodus will result and is already starting.
Many Bajau have already abandoned the sea-drifter lifestyle. Some have clustered their boats together near shore to create floating cities. Others have constructed houses on stilts over the water. Still others have moved onto land but in many cases they have found the local populations unwelcoming.
This area of the world is already in dire poverty. Work and food are scarce and the competition for resources is fierce. Filipinos and Indonesians resent the intrusion of yet another group of people fighting for a share. Like the gypsies of Eastern Europe, the Bajau are looked down on by nearly every other racial group, so children are bullied in school, adults cannot get jobs, and even the government avoids giving them benefits.
Poverty, illiteracy, and lack of jobs or resources. Is it any wonder the Bajau want to return to the sea, to the ways of their ancestors? Their migration to land has only caused misery and confusion. Compared to this a life spent on boats cannot be all that bad.
Dr. BC Cook taught history for 30 years and is a director and Pacific historian at Sealark Exploration (sealarkexploration.org). He currently lives in Hawaii.
