A.B. LAPIAN MEMORIAL LECTURE 2024: Austronesian Maritime Migrations: Past and Present.

The article focuses on Austronesian maritime migrations, examining both their ancient dispersals and contemporary continuities, particularly through the lens of kinship terminologies and the historical movements of the Bajau sea nomads. It highlights the complexity of Austronesian migrations, which involved multiple waves and interactions with non-Austronesian populations, leading to diverse linguistic and social innovations across distinct zones in Southeast Asia. The second part traces the Bajau's southward migration from the southern Philippines through eastern Indonesia over several centuries, emphasizing their role in the trepang (sea cucumber) trade and maritime networks. The article concludes by reflecting on the long-term sociocultural impacts of maritime migration and raises the question of reviving sustainable trepang cultivation in eastern Indonesia, linking past maritime practices with present economic and ecological concerns.