Mythologies of the Maniq (NegritoTribe

The term Negrito (/nɪˈɡriːtoʊ/; lit. 'little black person') refers to several diverse ethnic groups who inhabit isolated parts of Southeast Asia and the Andaman Islands. Populations often described as Negrito include: the Andamanese peoples (including the Great Andamanese, the Onge, the Jarawa, and the Sentinelese) of the Andaman Islands, the Semang peoples (among them, the Batek people) of Peninsular Malaysia, the Maniq people of Southern Thailand, as well as the Aeta of Luzon, the Ati and Tumandok of Panay, the Mamanwa of Mindanao, and about 30 other officially recognized ethnic groups in the Philippines. The word Negrito, the Spanish diminutive of negro, is used to mean "little black person." This usage was coined by 16th-century Spanish missionaries operating in the Philippines, and was borrowed by other European travellers and colonialists across Austronesia to label various peoples perceived as sharing relatively small physical stature and dark skin. Contemporary usage of an alternative Spanish epithet, Negrillos, also tended to bundle these peoples with the pygmy peoples of Central Africa on the basis of perceived similarities in stature and complexion. Historically, the label Negrito has also been used to refer to African pygmies. The appropriateness of bundling peoples of different ethnicities by similarities in stature and complexion has been called into question. There are over 100,000 Negritos in the Philippines. In 2010, there were 50,236 Aeta people in the Philippines. There were 55,473 Ati people (2020 census). Officially, Malaysia had approximately 4,800 Negrito (Semangs). This number increases if we include some of the populations or individual groups among Orang Asli who have either assimilated Negrito population or have admixed origins. According to the 2006 census, the number of Orang Asli was 141,230. Andamanese of India with just c. over 500. Thailand Negrito Maniq is estimated 300, divided into several clans. Other puts it at 382 or less than 500.

Tucked away in the lush forests of southern Thailand lives one of Asia’s last true hunter-gatherer societies — the Maniq tribe. Often unseen by the modern eye, the Maniq (also known as Sakai or Orang Asli) are part of a deep-rooted Black Indigenous lineage that has called this land home for thousands of years. Their existence, resilience, and rhythm with nature speak to a truth many have forgotten: we are all connected to the earth, each other, and our ancestors. The Maniq are one of the few remaining Negrito peoples in Southeast Asia, genetically linked to the earliest modern humans whose history stretches over 50,000 years ago. Their Afro-textured hair, melanin-rich skin, and spiritual cosmologies have long made them a mirror of the African and Melanesian diaspora, furthering important conversations about Blackness beyond borders. As they continue to resist assimilation and deforestation pressures, the Maniq remind us that indigeneity is not a museum piece — it's a living legacy. Cultural preservation begins with respectful connection. If you're inspired to meet the Maniq people in person, we recommend doing so with sensitivity and preparation. A trusted local guide named Monchai is available to assist in organizing visits and ensuring a translator is present.

Deep in the lush tropical rainforests of southern Thailand, near the borders of Malaysia, lives one of Southeast Asia’s last remaining indigenous hunter-gatherer communities: the Maniq people. They are one of the oldest ethnic groups in the region—descendants of the Negrito populations who have lived on the Malay Peninsula for over 50,000 years. And yet, in the face of modern state narratives, the Maniq have been systematically ignored, marginalized, and rendered nearly invisible. The Maniq or Mani is an indigenous ethnic group in Thailand. They are the only Negrito group in Thailand and speak a variety of related Aslian languages, primarily Kensiu and Ten’edn, which do not have standard writing systems. In Thailand, the Maniq minority live in the southern provinces of Yala, Narathiwat, Phatthalung, Trang, and Satun. The Maniq, sometimes called Sakai (a term now widely considered derogatory), are known for their deep spiritual connection to the forest. Traditionally nomadic, they live in bamboo shelters, forage for wild fruits, tubers, and honey, and possess an encyclopedic knowledge of medicinal plants. Their culture is rooted in respect for nature, oral storytelling, and ancestral memory—values passed down for thousands of years. They are not relics of the past. The Maniq are a living, breathing people. But the modern Thai state has done little to protect their sovereignty or their way of life. Thailand’s mainstream culture has long been dominated by the belief in racial and cultural uniformity, privileging Central Thai identity while erasing ethnic minorities—especially Black Indigenous peoples like the Maniq. The Maniq have faced generations of Institutional neglect. The Thai government classifies them as “chao khao” (hill people), a term that flattens diverse indigenous identities into a single, inferior category. They are often denied proper access to citizenship, education, and healthcare. Racial discrimination: Because of their dark skin, small stature, and African features, Maniq people are frequently mocked in the media, stereotyped as primitive, or depicted as folklore characters rather than real people. Children in Thai schools learn little to nothing about them—if anything, they are presented as “backward” or exotic. Land dispossession: Although the forest is their ancestral home, the Maniq have no legal land rights. State forest policies have turned their territories into conservation zones, evicting communities in the name of environmental protection while ignoring their centuries of sustainable living. Cultural erasure: Maniq languages, songs, and traditions are endangered. As they’re pushed into settlements, forced to interact with majority Thai society, and pressured into assimilation, their ancestral knowledge faces extinction.

The Negritos of Thailand comprise several bands of foragers native to Southern Thailand who have inhabited the Malay Peninsula for over 40,000 years. They are commonly known as Sakai in Thailand, meaning savage or wild people in Malay; Semang, meaning human in the Lanoh language of Malaysia; Chāo Pā, meaning forest people in Thai; Ngō̜ pā, meaning Rambutan people in Thai, comparing the texture of their hair to the spikiness of the Rambutan fruit; Orang Asli, meaning natural or original people in Malay; and Mani(q), meaning human being/jungle dwellers in the Maniq language. Derogatory terms like Sakai and Ngō̜ pā, are often still used in Thailand and Malaysia, but only in cases of ignorance or prejudice. Although generally labeled Semang or Orang Asli in Western ethnology in both Thailand and Malaysia; Maniq or Koy is the preferred term when referring to the negrito indigenous groups in the Malay Peninsula and those who currently dwell in the Thai provinces of Phatthalung, Trang, Satun, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat. It is important to note that although the Maniq are the only indigenous Negrito people in the Malay Peninsula, they are not considered to be the only indigenous groups living in Thailand and Malaysia. The Maniq groups in Thailand currently number at around 600 in total, however, the number is still far behind the amount living in Malaysia, which is home to more than 170,000 Maniq. Our knowledge on the Mani, as with many nomadic groups, is forever changing. The goal of this exhibit is to provide you with the most up to date information on the ethnography of the Maniq.

Residing in the hills of southern Thailand, the Maniq comprise one of the last hunter–gatherer communities in the world. Although the Maniq are geographically isolated, they share many cultural features with the Semang peoples, most of whom live over the border in Malaysia. Due to the complex relationships among the various communities in mainland Southeast Asia, anthropologists have long debated the demographic history of the area, with one, two, three, or four waves of human migration having been proposed for the region. A recent study in Genome Biology and Evolution by Göllner et al. (2022) titled “Unveiling the genetic history of the Maniq, a primary hunter-gatherer society” provides new insight into the Maniq and their relationships with other indigenous groups in mainland Southeast Asia. The international team of researchers from the University of Vienna in Austria, the Uppsala University in Sweden, and the Khon Kaen University in Thailand studied 2.3 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms in 11 Maniq individuals who agreed to participate in the study. While a relatively small sample, this represents over 3% of the current Maniq population of ∼250 individuals. The team then compared the data from the Maniq with both present-day populations and ancient DNA samples collected in the region. “One of our main conclusions is that the Maniq are a very secluded community and have been separated from the other Semang for quite some time,” says Göllner, first author of the study. As suggested by their cultural ties, the Maniq appeared to be most closely related to the Semang groups in Malaysia, indicating a recent shared history (fig. 1). Comparisons with other modern groups showed that the Maniq and Malay Semang populations shared alleles with indigenous Papuans and Andamanese, indicating “deep historical relationships among these populations,” according to the study’s authors.

A group of conservationists are calling for areas to be designated as conservation areas for the Maniq tribe, a group of hunter-gatherers commonly known as Sakai. The cultural preservation call was made by a group of Buddhist clergy belonging to the so-called Five Precept Protection Committee based in the South. The group toured the province of Satun where they monitored progress in the national reconciliation project. Phra Sophon Woraporn, deputy chief of the Songkhla Buddhist clergy order and member of the committee, said that during the tour, the panel also paid a visit to the Maniq people in Thung Wa district. There are 382 Maniq tribespeople living in the Bantad mountain range across Satun, Trang and Phatthalung. They live in harmony with nature and communicate in Thai with people outside their communities through interpreters. The senior monk said the nomadic Maniq tribespeople are divided into various groups scattered in Satun. The committee has discussed ways to conserve the unique cultural identity of the tribe and prevent their standard of living from being impacted by the outside world. Phra Sophon said one of the ways was to set aside areas where the Maniq can lead their normal lives and also be studied by experts. The aim would be to bridge the gap between outsiders and the tribespeople and prevent any pretext that could trigger a conflict between them, according to the senior monk. On Thursday, Somchai Seanglai and a group of fellow senators visited the Maniq community in Pa Bon district of Phatthalung. The tribespeople have been granted the surname of "Rakpabon" meaning "Preserving Pa Bon" which reflects the name of the district. In the past, the Maniq were issued citizenship cards and given access to the state welfare cards, Mr Somchai said.