Interesting thread this has become. Sadly, the 'purut' part is true. But it doesn't apply only to Lun Bawang as most Org Ulu races still practice it to some degree but hey, who's counting right?
Now, wgn_white is right. Some Lun Bawang people are too proud, lack of self respect for one another and sadly, self centered people to a point they rather see a Lun Bawang fall then another race, which by Christian faith we shouldn't practice.
In Lun Bawang community itself i.e. Lawas region, Lun Bawang are split into 2 groups. Lun La'od & Lun Ba' I think. Even if you take this and break it down again, it breaks into different areas and languages. And that's where it all jumbles up to a point I stop counting.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I was told that;
Lun = People
Dayeh = Upstream
Bawang = The Land
La'od (correct my spelling as my Lun Bawang sux) = Downstream
Ba' = Wetlands or something like that
How I know so much? I'm a 3rd generation Lun Ba' aka Lun Bawang. Truth is, I got turned off marrying a Lun Bawang girl cos of the 'purut' and the pressure to marry of the same 'caste'. Don't get me wrong, I'm binded by my bloodline and thus I chose to marry a Kadazan girl.
Thank God, I didn't have to pay 'purut' cos her family accepted me for who I am and honestly, marrying is a long term commitment and investment
