Portrait of Adi Sega

Until the 1960s most Penan, hunter-gatherers inhabiting the interior districts of Sarawak, followed a nomadic way of life, moving every few weeks as part of a sustainable strategy to reap the riches of the rainforest.

Small groups of Penan harvested the sago palm, hunted pig and other game, and collected rattan to make mats and baskets for trade.

They moved on when resources were locally exhausted, returning after some years to begin the harvest cycle anew.

It was a strategy that sustained the Penan and sustained the forest they inhabited.

“It has all changed; the company never gave us a chance. This is it: We will never make it.”
– Adi Sega