SACRED NATURAL SITES IN THE FACE OF GLOBAL CHANGES: THE CASE OF MOUNT KINABALU IN MALAYSIAN BORNEO
Abstract
Many indigenous communities worldwide assign special recognition to natural places and designate them sacred sites. There are various reasons for the sacredness of natural sites, including places where deities and ancestral spirits reside, where physical and non-physical healings can occur, where humankind can contact the spiritual entity, and where revelation and transformation can occur. However, many sacred natural sites are susceptible to threats, particularly those related to modernization and globalization. Based on this background, this study sought to examine the status of the sacredness of Mount Kinabalu within the context of global changes by analysing the traditional cultural and spiritual values of the indigenous Dusun community. Specifically, it attempted to answer two research questions: Is Mount Kinabalu still considered a sacred mountain by the Dusun community today? How have modernization and globalization impacted the sacredness of Mount Kinabalu? The study compared the older and the younger Dusun in their responses to gain deeper insights into these questions. The study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional design. It used questionnaires to collect data from the Dusun living in two principal villages at the foot of Mount Kinabalu. Data from 381 completed questionnaires were analyzed using percentages and mean scores. The key results showed a decline in traditional cultural and spiritual values among the younger Dusun, which might further mean they no longer ascribed a spiritual significance to Mount Kinabalu as the older Dusun did. The decline could negatively impact biodiversity conservation and the community's ethnic identity, lifestyles, and rights. The study concluded with a suggestion for responses to the change.
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Verschuuren, B., Ormsby, A., & Jackson, W. (2022). How might World Heritage Status support the protected of sacred natural sites? An analysis of nomination file, management and governance contexts. Land, 11(1), 97. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11010097
WWF International. (2001). An international initiative for the protection of sacred natural sites and other places of indigenous and traditional peoples with importance for biodiversity conservation. https://web.worldbank.org/archive/website00672/WEB/PDF/WWFPAPER.PDF
Ahmad, S., Jones, D. S., Zakaria, A. Z., & Hussain, N. H. M. (2021). Mining cultural landscape as potential heritage to Malaysia? Insight lens: the perspective of Kinta Valley residents. Malaysian Journal of Sustainable Environment, 8(3), 157-177.
Anwana, E. D., Cheke, R. A., Martin, A. M., Obireke, L., Asei, M., Otufu, P., & Otobotekere, D. (2010). The crocodile is our brother: sacred lakes of the Niger Delta, implications for conservation management. In B. Vershuuren, R. Wild, J. A. McNeely and G. Oviedo (Eds.). Sacred Natural Sites: Conserving Nature & Culture (pp. 129-138). London: Earthscan.
Augustyn A. (2022). Mount Sinai. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Sinai-mountain-Egypt
Bedford, S. (2018, March 16). Why Malaysia's Mt. Kinabalu is so sacred? The Culture Trip. https://theculturetrip.com/asia/malaysia/articles/why-malaysias-mt-kinabalu-is-so-sacred/
Berkes, F. (2012). Sacred ecology (3rd ed.). New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203123843
Bernbaum, E. (1997). Sacred Mountains of the World. Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Bernbaum, E. (2010). Sacred mountains and global changes: impacts and responses. In B. Vershuuren, R. Wild, J. A. McNeely and G. Oviedo (Eds.). Sacred Natural Sites: Conserving Nature & Culture (pp. 33-41). London: Earthscan.
Bernbaum, E. (2017). Sacred mountains: sources of indigenous revival and sustenance. In F. Sarmiento and S. Hitchner (Eds.). Indigeneity and the Sacred: Indigenous Revival and the Conservation of Sacred Natural Sites in the Americas (pp. 92-104). Oxford, New York: Berghahn Books.
Bidder, C., & Polus, R. C. (2014). Retaining access to key tourist assets for local residents: a case of Mount Kinabalu. SHS Web of Conferences, 12, 01073 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/20141201073
Bidder, C., Fatt, B. S., & Mogindol, S. H. (2022). Assessing the effective communication of world heritage brand of protected areas: a case of Kinabalu Park. Malaysian Journal of Sustainable Environment, 9(2), 235-256.
Carmichael, D. L., Hubert, J., Reeves, B., & Schanche, A. (1994). Sacred sites, sacred places. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203714041
Cartwright, M. (2017, April 12). Mount Fuji. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Mount_Fuji/
Corbin, A. (2009a). San Francisco Peaks. Sacred Land Film Project. https://sacredland.org/san-francisco-peaks-united-states/
Corbin, A. (2009b). Mount Kinabalu. Sacred Land Film Project. https://sacredland.org/mount-kinabalu-malaysia/
Dobson, J., & Mamyev, D. (2010). Sacred valley, conservation management and indigenous survival: Uch Enmek Indigenous Nature Park, Altai Republic, Russia. In B. Vershuuren, R. Wild, J. A. McNeely and G. Oviedo (Eds.). Sacred Natural Sites: Conserving Nature & Culture (pp. 244-253). London: Earthscan.
Dudley, N., Higgins-Zogib, L., & Mansourian, S. (2009). The links between protected areas, faiths and sacred natural sites. Conservation Biology, 23(3), 568-577.
Global Diversity Foundation. (2022). Dusun communities revive spiritual connection with sacred mountain. https://www.global-diversity.org/dusun-communities-revive-spiritual-connection-with-sacred-mountain/
Godbole, A., Sarnaik, J., & Punde, S. (2010). Culture-based conservation of sacred groves: experiences from the Northern Western Ghats, India. In B. Vershuuren, R. Wild, J. A. McNeely and G. Oviedo (Eds.). Sacred Natural Sites: Conserving Nature & Culture (pp. 219-227). London: Earthscan.
Goldman, M. J. (2011). Strangers in their own land: Maasai and wildlife conservation in Northern Tanzania. Conservation & Society, 9(1), 65-79.
Haerewa, N. (2016, November 18). Why are New Zealand's mountains sacred? The Culture Trip. https://theculturetrip.com/pacific/new-zealand/articles/why-are-new-zealands-mountains-sacred/
Hamzah, A. (2018). World Heritage and rights in Malaysia: a case study of Kinabalu Park World Heritage Site, Sabah. In P. B. Larsen (Ed.). World Heritage and Human Rights: Lessons from the Asia-Pacific and Global Arena. New York: Routledge.
James, I. (2020, December 14). 'We need water to survive'” Hope Tribe pushes for solutions in long struggle for water. https://www.azcentral.com/in-depth/news/local/arizona-environment/2020/12/14/hopi-tribe-pushes-solutions-many-without-clean-drinking-water/3731341001/
Lidz, F. (2017). Why Mount Fuji endures as a powerful force in Japan. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/mount-fuji-endures-powerful-force-japan-180962782/
Oviedo, G. (2001). Notes on the Panel’s Presentations and Discussions. Symposium on the Importance of the Protection of Sacred Natural Sites (SNS) for the Conservation of Biodiversity. Mexico City, June 12, 2001.
Oviedo, G., Jeanrenaud, S., & Otegui, M. (2005). Protecting Sacred Natural Sites of Indigenous and Traditional Peoples: An IUCN Perspective. Gland, Switzerland.
Polidor, A. (2014). Mount Kailash. Sacred Land Film Project. https://sacredland.org/mount-kailash-tibet/
Posey, D. (1999). Cultural and spiritual values of biodiversity. Nairobi: United Nations Environment Programme.
Purohit, A. N. & Bernbaum, E. (1999). Badrinath: pilgrimage and conservation in the Himalayas. In D. A. Posey (Ed.). Cultural and Spiritual Values of Biodiversity: A Complementary Contribution to the Global Biodiversity Assessment (pp. 336-337). Nairobi: United Nations Environment Programme.
Ramani, S. (2018, March 22). Ten most sacred spots on Earth. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/travel/10-most-sacred-spots-on-earth
Sachdeva, S. (2016). The influence of sacred beliefs in environmental risk perception and attitudes. Environment and Behavior, 49(5). https://doi.org/10.1177/00139165166494
Sabah Parks. (2022). Kinabalu Park. https://www.sabahparks.org.my/kinabalu-park
Sampang, A. G. (2010). Towards a sustainable management and enhanced protected of sacred marine areas at Palawan’s Coron Island ancestral domain, Philippines. In B. Vershuuren, R. Wild, J. A. McNeely and G. Oviedo (Eds.). Sacred Natural Sites: Conserving Nature & Culture (pp. 254-262). London: Earthscan.
Shengji, P. (2010). The road to the future? The biocultural values of the holy hill forests of Yunnan Province, China. In B. Vershuuren, R. Wild, J. A. McNeely and G. Oviedo (Eds.). Sacred Natural Sites: Conserving Nature & Culture (pp. 98-118). London: Earthscan.
Shinde, K. (2021). Sacred sites, rituals, and performances in the ecosystem of religious tourism. Religions, 12(7), 523. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12070523
Sinthumule, N. I., Mugwena, T., & Rabumbulu, M. (2021). The conflict between preserving a ‘sacred natural site’ and exploiting nature for commercial gain: evidence from Phiphidi Waterfall in South Africa. Sustainability, 13(18), 10476. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810476
Survey Monkey. (2022). Sample size calculator. https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/sample-size-calculator/
Topin, B. (2012). Three 7-tier of Kadazandusun mystical world. https://steemit.com/art/@madeve/three-7-tier-of-kadazandusun-mystical-world-kopisunduan-series-05
UNESCO World Heritage Convention. (2022). Kinabalu Park. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1012/
Verschuuren, B. (2010). Arguments for developing biocultural conservation approaches for sacred natural sites. In B. Vershuuren, R. Wild, J. A. McNeely and G. Oviedo (Eds.). Sacred Natural Sites: Conserving Nature & Culture (pp. 62-72). London: Earthscan.
Verschuuren, B., Wild, R., McNeely, J., & Oviedo, G. (2010). Introduction: sacred natural sites the foundations of conservation. In B. Vershuuren, R. Wild, J. A. McNeely and G. Oviedo (Eds.). Sacred Natural Sites: Conserving Nature & Culture (pp. 1-13). London: Earthscan.
Verschuuren, B., Ormsby, A., & Jackson, W. (2022). How might World Heritage Status support the protected of sacred natural sites? An analysis of nomination file, management and governance contexts. Land, 11(1), 97. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11010097
WWF International. (2001). An international initiative for the protection of sacred natural sites and other places of indigenous and traditional peoples with importance for biodiversity conservation. https://web.worldbank.org/archive/website00672/WEB/PDF/WWFPAPER.PDF
Published
2023-08-31
How to Cite
BIDDER, Christy.
SACRED NATURAL SITES IN THE FACE OF GLOBAL CHANGES: THE CASE OF MOUNT KINABALU IN MALAYSIAN BORNEO.
Malaysian Journal of Sustainable Environment, [S.l.], v. 10, n. 2, p. 21-44, aug. 2023.
ISSN 0128-326X.
Available at: <https://myjms.mohe.gov.my/index.php/myse/article/view/23615>. Date accessed: 14 sep. 2024.
doi: https://doi.org/10.24191/myse.v10i2.23615.
Section
Articles
