The Dusun Tindal community is classified as a sub-group of the Kadazandusun people of Sabah. They share the same culture and dialect as the Kadazandusun people, with minor differences in terms of traditional dance and costume.

The Dusun Tindal community mainly resides on the plains of Tempasuk in the Kota Belud district. Most of the Dusun Tindal people are Christians, with a minority of Muslims as well as those who has embraced other religions.

In the olden days, the ancient Dusun Tindal belief states that the earth, sea and sky are inhabited by various spirits – some of them good, some evil and some are neutral. It is believed that the water spirits tend to be of the malevolent kind and therefore, they may be the causes of certain diseases.  In order to lead a peaceful and successful life, the Dusun Tindal people would then have to pacify, evade or fool the spirits by performing a series of rituals.

In the Dusun Tindal society, equal responsibilities are shared among the men and women. Both genders have an equal say when it comes to family and village affairs, aside from sharing an equal amount of work and chores in their daily lives.

The Dusun Tindal men would normally be hunters, fishermen and paddy farmers. The women would be the ones to do the planting and harvesting in the paddy field, pounding and winnowing the rice, cutting firewood, weaving baskets and tapestries, and taking care of the children – in addition to cooking and cleaning.