The decline and recovery of the Murut tribe of Sabah

Abstract The Murut tribe of Sabah (formerly North Borneo) numbered 30,300 in 1921, decreased to 18,700 in 1951, and increased again to 22,100 in 1960. In 1951, the tribe was a small diminishing section of a slowly growing population; in 1960 it was increasing itself, and the growth rate of the whole population had shot up. Marked variations in the age structures of the Murut and other indigenous tribes accompanied these changes. Between 1920 and 1960 several investigators attempted to explain the decline, but could not show why only one tribe was failing to hold its own among many others which were increasing. Their findings are summarized, and unpublished data from the 1960 census are given which suggest that increasing contacts with the rest of the population, earlier thought to be an important contributor to the decline, were probably the means of saving the Murut from extinction.