Creating an identity - JBorneo Native Village

Jivinsol Moosom  the man behind the dream.

The Penampang district is the heartland of the Kadazans and has developed rapidly within the last 30 odd years. So fast that the people are in danger of loosing their culture and heritage as they rush head on in embracing the modern world. A sad, but true state of affairs for many indigenous cultures all over the world, this is a common dilemma for many conservationist. How does one preserve as much of your traditional identity and still be a part of the global culture.

One such person who is trying to preserve and find a balance between the past and the future is Jivinsol Moosom. A contractor by trade and a conservationist by nature, Jay (as he is more commonly know) purchased 3 acres of land right next to the Wildlife Park in Tombovo – Putatan, to create a functional traditional village. His vision has been to create a recreation centre that also preserves certain aspects of the Kadazan culture through the adaptation of traditional architectural styles and designs. During the course of his work he has had the opportunity to salvage old timber from many Kampung houses that were being demolished for newer concrete houses and has incorporated them into his creation called JBORNEO Native Village. Construction started in 2006 with a restaurant cum bar & karaoke and has grown over time.

The concept was a hodgepodge of ideas and designs and by teaming up with master carver cum local artist George Ginibun , Jay has added a further artistic twist to the place by incorporating George’s artistic skills into the decoration of the buildings. The main building is constructed out of the local Iron wood (belian ), bricks , stones and concrete ,with woven bamboo for partitions and lengths of Sago palm leaf midribs. Sawn tree trunks become counter tops, local baskets are turned into lampshades with tables and chairs hand crafted from recycled wood. Actually up t o 70% of the buildings here are constructed from recycled wood. Even the logo for JBorneo was an inspiration of Jay’s as according to him, the Kadazan women have alway http://jborneonativevillage.com/s been well know for their beauty and the water buffalo is used in all Kadazan rites of passage from birth to marriage and death. Combining the two concepts he created the design of a beautiful young lady astride the back of a water buffalo for his logo.

The new multi purpose hall.

What started out as a “local watering hole, is today a village with 7 chalets, 2 dorms, a conference room, restaurant and a brand new function hall. An annual event created by the village is “JBORNEO Tuhun Tavakas Challenge” or strongest man in. In this competition that was started 4 years ago, local strong men compete for the title in various traditional strength sports.

Do visit the village if you are looking for an alternative venue for weddings, family days and other cultural events.

For More information contact : Tel: 088-761 755,
Website : www.jborneonativevillage.com

Text and photos by David de la Harpe (drdlh@hotmail.com)