KAAMATAN

Entering the month of May, Sabahans from different backgrounds come together to celebrate Kaamatan Festival, a harvest festival celebrated yearly for a good harvest and celebration with family members.

Closing the Kaamatan Festival or ‘Tadau Kaamatan’ in the Kadazan-Dusun language on May 31, Unduk Ngadau, a heritage pageant, is crowned in honour of the legendary Huminodun, a maiden who sacrificed herself to save her people.

For a non-Sabahan like myself, the first impression of Unduk Ngadau is that it is a beauty pageant but the more I researched and talked with Sabahans who love their Unduk Ngadau, I learned that it is more than just that. Unduk Ngadau represents the Land Below the Wind and the people themselves.

Unduk Ngadau Kaamatan chairperson Joanna Kitingan, when asked what is the ‘more’,said each winner from the 44 districts in the statet will represent and bring their unique culture for the Unduk Ngadau crown this May 31, thus presenting Sabah’s cultural diversity to the world.

“Unduk Ngadau has been held for 62 years and it has become the soul of the Kaamatan festival, it is a cultural pageant where each district has their own culture like their unique traditional clothing that they bring to the Unduk Ngadau contest.

“The moral tradition of the legend Huminodun about obedience, wilingness, volunteerism and sacrificing for the good of others. this is we learn from Unduk Ngadau, and the contestant themselves can gain confidence and become better,” she told a press conference here yesterday.

Joanna said that with the Kaamatan Festival’s theme this year being ‘Kaamatan Ensouls Nature’, it is important for the Unduk Ngadau to be the ambassador and promote the rich nature of the state while preserving it for our future generations.

She said it is appropriate because Sabah is opening back the state’s tourism and besides nature, agrotourism is also a strong point for Sabah to promote for tourism, thus Unduk Ngadau contestants can promote nature and agrotourism from their districts.

“Nature is our asset that must be conserved and we are indeed blessed, surrounded by conserved forests under the Sabah Parks and Forestry Department. It is important for the young women to understand what it means to conserve our natural assets,” she said.

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