The Moken are hunters and gatherers and live in harmony with nature. They have a great knowledge and respect for nature, and worship the spirits of the Earth. They rely upon their environment for food, shelter, and for the materials used for making their traditional kabang sailing houseboats.
Their traditional way of life and culture is under threat in many ways, meaning they are no longer able to live purely from the land and from the ocean. Many have to seek employment to earn money to be able to live, which isn’t easy when you have no citizenship, no rights, and suffer from discrimination. The plight of the Moken is a complicated one and highlights the issues surrounding traditional culture and an ever-encroaching developed world.
The Moken do not have a written language, but are good at other languages including Thai and Yawi Malaysian. Their history is retained within oral folklore, passed down from generation to generation. Every April, during the Lobong festival, the Moken worship their ancestors and ask the spirits to take care and protect them.