Mutang Tu'o
Senior knowledge holder & Cultural leader, Headman of Ba Payau, Forest protector
Mutang Tu’o has dedicated his life to the preservation of Penan culture and the protection of the rainforest. Mutang together with Unga Paren and Mutang Urud, were part of the 1990 Penan world tour ‘Voices of the Rainforest’ where they alerted the world to the logging in Sarawak. Together with Swiss Activist Bruno Manser and many other activists they spoke at the United Nations, and met with leaders from the White House and governments globally. Thirty-tree years later, in 2023 Mutang returned to Switzerland as an expert witness in the ‘Rainforest Tribunal’ held in Basel.
Mutang has been the cultural advisor to many international researchers including Wade Davis and Ian Mackenzie. He has featured in reportage about the forest destruction globally and led many protest movements on the ground in Sarawak. He is the co-author of the first Penan language children’s book ‘Apo Uleu’ (‘Our Sago’), co-authored with his brother E’sak Tu’o and Blake Kendall. Together with Blake he was the co-director of the film ‘Tulin’ (2020).
He has extensive knowledge of medicinal plants, Penan customs and traditional stories. Mutang is a proud father and has dedicated his life to making a better future for his children.
