For the past 4,000 years, the Moken people, a Southeast Asian seafaring group, have travelled between Thailand and Myanmar, spending most of their time on boats known as kabang, and relying on the ocean’s bounty for sustenance.
However, the Moken way of life, honed to thrive in harmony with the sea, faces an uncertain future. The present generation may be the last to benefit from the intricate knowledge of tides, constellations and marine life passed down through its oral traditions for centuries.
The plight of Southeast Asia’s sea nomads extends beyond the probable loss of their way of…
