The Sama-Bajau include several Austronesian ethnic groups of Maritime Southeast Asia. The name collectively refers to related people who usually call themselves the Sama or Samah (formally A’a Sama, “Sama people”) or are known by the exonym Bajau (/ˈbɑːdʒaʊ, ˈbæ-/, also spelled Badjao, Bajaw, Badjau, Badjaw, Bajo or Bayao). They usually live a seaborne lifestyle and use small wooden sailing vessels such as the perahu (layag in Maranao), djenging (balutu), lepa, and vinta (pilang).[5] Some Sama-Bajau groups native to Sabah are also known for their traditional horse culture. The Sama-Bajau are the dominant ethnic group of the islands of Tawi-Tawi in the Philippines. They are also found in other islands of the Sulu Archipelago, coastal areas of Mindanao and other islands in the northern Philippines; as well as northern and eastern Borneo, Sulawesi, and throughout the eastern Indonesian islands. In the Philippines, they are grouped with the religiously similar Moro people. Within the last fifty years, many of the Filipino Sama-Bajau have migrated to neighboring Sabah and the northern islands of the Philippines, due to the conflict in Mindanao. As of 2010, they were the second-largest ethnic group in Sabah.
The nomadic Badjao (also, Sama-Bajau) are not only fishermen and sea navigators whose seaborne lifestyle comes as second nature but also keepers of traditions, culture, and stories centering around sea life. These so-called “sea gypsies” are dispersed all over Southeast Asia—Sulu, Celebes Sea, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, regions of Zamboanga del Sur in the ARRM, in the Philippines; Sabah in Malaysia; and Sulawesi and Kalimantan in Indonesia, to name just a few. Life is not easy for the Sama-Bajau of the Philippines. A large number of Badjao have migrated to neighboring countries, and they now form the second-largest ethnic group in Sabah. Despite this, their rich oral traditions of princesses, sultans, and giant stingrays, as well as these nomadic seafarers’ boat-dwelling lifestyle, are all fascinating to explore. Most oral traditions of the Sama-Bajau are themes of tarsila (royal genealogies), which can be summed up with the central theme of previously land-dwelling people whose quest is to return their lost princess to their king. However, after failing to do so, they have chosen to hide for fear of their king’s wrath, driving them into the nomadic lifestyle.
Badjao or Bajau means man of the seas, this tribal group is known as the Sea Gypsies because they move with the wind and the tide on their small houseboats called vintas, they can be found in many coastal settlements and inhabit the waters and shores of the Sulu archipelago. A legend tells that these boat dwellers came from the shores of Johore in Indonesia, Princess Ayesha of Johore was betrothed to a Sulu Sultan but she really wanted to marry the Sultan from Brunei. One day, a large fleet of war boats escorted the Princess to Sulu, the fleet was intercepted by the man she really loved, the Sultan from Brunei, who kidnapped her and set sail back to Brunei. The escorting fleet could not return without the Princess and kept on sailing the seas, only mooring at uninhabited islands; some of them turned to piracy and roamed the seas to search for fortune and glory. Others only searched for food and became fishermen, the Sulu Sea had an abundance of fish that helped to sustain their livelihood, most of the daily catch was bartered with other tribes that lived along the shores and beaches. The Badjao still live in houseboats, clustered near the coastline of Southern Mindanao. But they also built stilt houses near fertile fishing grounds; these houses are a temporary refuge during times that these boathouses needed repairs. These wanderers of the Southern seas are born on the water, live on their boats and say they will only set foot on land only to die.
The indigenous Bajau people have lived a nomadic, seafaring lifestyle for most of their existence. A few Bajau people still practice that lifestyle today, and they are often referred to using the derogatory term “sea gypsies.” A lesser derogatory term for them is “sea nomads.” Bajau sea nomads chart the waters of the Sulu Sea, off the southwestern coast of the Philippines, as well as the seas that surround the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and the island of Borneo. These are among the most dangerous waters in the world with sporadic policing and a high rate of open piracy. Yet, the Bajau claim never to have wielded weapons — claiming that they prefer to flee from piracy attacks.
The Badjao are a sea-dwelling tribe, often known as the “Sea Nomads”, who have been floating off the shores of Southeast Asia for centuries. As a nomadic tribe living in stilt huts or boat houses on shallow waters, they make their living from traditional free-diving for fish and pearls. Over the years, more and more Badjao people have been lured away from the ocean, migrating to a life on land. As they belong to no official state and possess no official nationality, they find the move from sea to land a challenge. Because of their nomadic lifestyle, the Badjao are at a disadvantage with no schooling, healthcare or access to government-provided social services.
Thousands of years ago, a small civilization of hunter gatherers migrated to the coastal regions of Southeast Asia. These people progressed into a widespread tribe of travelling sea dwellers. To this day, they remain a stateless people with no nationality and no consistent infrastructure, sometimes living miles away from land. Yet these people are one of the few civilizations whose collective life practices have survived so long through human history. They are called the Badjao, and they have a surprising amount to teach us about architecture. After thousands of years moving around the waters of Southeast Asia, the Badjao have adapted to fit their surroundings in more ways than just their shelters. The average Badjao person can, without training, hold their breath for up to two minutes at a time, and dive as deep as 60 feet (18 meters) without losing focus or agility. They can also see as well if not better underwater as they do above. This skillset has been ingrained into their physique so that it stays with them from childhood to old age. They have become flexible in their very nature, to be able to move and act in a constant dance with the elements. If architectural minds were to reconsider their own relationships to surrounding ecological, social and cultural variables, then their design may follow suit.
The name is spelled in various ways: “Badjao,” “Badyaw,” or “Bajau.” They are also known by other names such as: “Sama Dilaut,” “Laut,” or “Orang Laut”. Sometimes called “Sea Gypsies” these once-boat-dwelling people are traditionally found in the southwestern Philippines (Basilan and Tawi- Tawi areas), northwestern Malaysia and the northern parts of Indonesia down to Johore where legend traces their origin. There are two tales about the origin of the tribe. The first story involves the Princess Ayesha of Johore and the Sultans of Brunei and Sulu. She preferred the Brunei sultan, but was engaged to the Sulu sultan instead. Escorted by a fleet of war boats, she was sailing towards Sulu when a Brunei fleet, led by their Sultan, intercepted them and took the princess away. The princess’ entourage, fearing to go on to Sulu or return to Johore, stayed on the sea, mooring only at uninhabited islands. Some turned to piracy and established pirate dens along North Borneo coasts.
Indigenous Peoples Literature 
