ABSTRACT

Modernization and urbanization have influenced indigenous peoples of Sabah in the eastern state of Malaysia to embrace world religions such as Christianity and Islam. Since the 1970s, ritual practices in Sabah have undergone a significant decline, as many indigenous peoples have converted from their traditional animist religions. Since the late 2000s, however, these ritual traditions are increasingly valorized as a symbol of indigenous identity and pride, as well as a cultural icon for the promotion of tourism. While the commodification of ritual traditions has revived the once fledging cultural practices, this transformation seems to have put their ritual efficacy in question.