Whether these entanglements are ultimately positive or negative for negrito
groups, then, is by no means certain. Exploitative relationships, such as the Agta’s
with Paranan farmers, certainly do happen. But there are advantages to being mobile
hunter-gatherers—the freedom to “vote with their feet” being a key one (Lee and
Daly 1999: 4). For example, while the Batek do feel exploited by Malay traders and
historically have kept a wary distance from Malay society in general, they often
have multiple traders that they can deal with, even today. When they felt cheated
by one rattan trader, they simply went off with another that gave better terms.
Penan of Sarawak have done the same thing: in their former nomadic days, Penan
hunter-collectors could choose their patrons from different longhouse communities.
They would sell forest products and their craftwork (fine baskets and mats) to the
patrons, who in turn competed among themselves to monopolize the trade. Brosius
(1987: 107, 119) argues that the Penan were in something of a seller’s market and
that it was the Penan’s rather than the longhouse patrons’ choice to maintain or
dissolve a relationship (see also Sellato 1994: 59). Sometimes the threat to move
away may be sufficient to change the terms of a relationship. In a slightly different
context, Porath notes that “Meniq of Yala [Kensiw negritos of Thailand] would use
the threat of migration to Malaysia as a bargaining chip with the Thai authorities
who are pressing on them to improve their condition” (Porath 2010: 276).