POP CULTURE

The significance of Kaamatan

Another event many are eager to witness is the Sugandoi, a state-level Kadazan-Dusun singing competition held during the Kaamatan celebrations. In the old days, “Sugandoi” was the name of a spirit the Bobohizan would call upon during their Inait chants called the Monugandoi, in order to bring good tidings for a family. Today, the word Sugandoi is synonymous with the singing competition, which was actually called Bintang Kaamatan (Kaamatan Star) from 1987 to 2002.

The question now is, has the significance and meaning of Kaamatan changed through the years as well? From personal observations, Kaamatan has transformed into more of a gettogether event, with a focus on Sugandoi participants and Unduk Ngadau beauty queens, rather than on honouring and giving thanks to spirits for the harvest.

This shift often relegates traditional rituals to mere entertainment openers before the “main” events commence. Despite the various factors contributing to this change, it is essential not to lose sight of the original purpose of celebrating Kaamatan. Even if traditional rituals have taken a backseat and the event is now valued more as a source of entertainment, let us never forget to express gratitude and appreciation, regardless of our beliefs.

May marks the beginning of the festive season for the Kadazan-Dusun in Sabah. Kaamatan is coming on the 30th to 31st, and many are preparing to celebrate it with family and friends. As a celebration that’s full of traditions, many today seem to have forgotten what it’s really about. So let’s take a step back and appreciate what makes Kaamatan special in our Sabahan culture.

Deriving from the Kadazan word “tomot”, which means harvest (to harvest paddy in this context), Kaamatan is a harvest festival to honour and give thanks to Huminodun, the Daughter of Kinoingan (God). Traditionally, the Bobohizan (priestess) would conduct several rituals to appease the spirits after a harvest. These rituals include Kumogos, Kumotob, Posisip, Poiib, Magavau, and the Humabot. Among these rituals, the Magavau is the most important, as it restores the Bambazon (paddy spirit) as well as offering food to them. It used to be performed in the paddy field on the night of the first full moon after a harvest.

Kaamatan has evolved through the years, especially in 1960, as the celebrations and rituals started to be centralised. The first ever Kaamatan festival was held from 30 June to 1 July in 1960, at the St Michael’s School in Penampang. It was also here that the first Unduk Ngadau pageant was held, which at the time was called the Miss Kadazan pageant. Keeping it short, the Unduk Ngadau pageant is a way to commemorate Huminodun because of her sacrifice to save humanity. Historically, however, no such rituals or pageants to specifically select a “Huminodun representation” was ever recorded prior to the 1960 pageant.

by Noel Jinguli Image | Noel Jinguli