ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews / 7 August) – Atty. Lorenzo Regallana Reyes, a fellow resident of Boan Island in Tawi-Tawi, former undersecretary, university
chancellor and acting provincial governor, and current commissioner of the Legal Education Board, has been encouraging fellow Sama to broaden their views about themselves beyond their insular identity. Nowadays, most Sama individuals are confined to conventional thinking regarding their respective insular identity and culture, such as Sama Simunul, Sama Sitangkai, Sama Sibutu, Sama Banaran, Sama Balimbing, Sama Boan, Sama Tandubas, Sama Ubian, and so on.
During the International Bangsa Sama Summit in March this year, a side exhibit showcased a visual map of insular Southeast Asia, focusing on the critical “Coral Triangle.” Within this region, various markers denoting areas visited or identified with the Sama people pointed to the extremes of their collective consciousness. This envisioned world is known as the “Dunya Bangsa Sama,” representing their geo-cultural realm.
Perhaps the story can begin with the roots of the Bangsa Sama. It not only revisits folktales about where their ancestors came from but also explores linguistic, archaeological, and genetic evidence, drawing a more rational theory about their origins, migration, dispersion, and settlements across Southeast Asia. Until recently, little was known about their ancestral connections to Austronesian-speaking groups and early interactions with neighboring communities.
It is evident that since the establishment of nation-states, the Sinama language and its local speakers have undergone adaptation to the national identity, language, and culture of their respective countries.
Prior to the introduction of Islam to Southeast Asia, Hinduism, Buddhism, and animism stood side by side as dominant practices. As Islam became the prevailing religion, Western religions arrived with colonialism, vying for followers. This book project aims to explore the diverse religious beliefs and practices among the Bangsa Sama communities. It seeks to examine whether the Bangsa Sama of old developed a maritime spirituality and the sea’s role in shaping their religious life.