Sustaining Mah Meri wood carving scuptures as cultural identity / Siti Munirah Mohd Mustafa

The name "Mah Meri" means 'forest people'. They were belonging to Senoi group that can be found spread along the Selangor coastal areas. Mah Meri tribe has their own unique culture that inherited from their ancestors that make them famous in carving expertise. They use variety of patterns in carving as a medium to communicate with their spirit in their mythical world. Modernity today becomes the cause of changing in the aesthetic value of a culture identity in Mah Meri tribe. They begin to forget the culture that has been practiced since its time. Therefore this research is to examine the significance characterises of wood carving activities in Mah Meri community as a culture identity. It would also investigate all the wood carving as a function in Mah Meri community that produce by the artist. From the study found that these wood carving are used in certain occasions and culture beliefs. This make wood carving sculpture still practise in Mah Meri activities among the new generation in Mah Meri tribe even the number quite small. The approach had taken are from the view of ethnographic research that used qualitative approach. An interview and observation were used to collect the data. Although the wood carvings of the Mah Meri tribe had changes in terms of time and demand but this wood carving is still practiced even the purpose was change. The fast-paced arsenal did not make the younger generation of Mah Meri tribe forget the origin of their culture identity.