THE BUGIS MAKASSAR PEOPLE 

Glossary:

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The Toraja are an ethnic group indigenous to a mountainous region of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Their population is approximately 650,000, of which 450,000 still live in the regency of Tana Toraja (“Land of Toraja”).Most of the population is Christian, and others are Muslim or have local animist beliefs known as aluk (“the way”). The Indonesian government has recognized this animist belief as Aluk To Dolo (“Way of the Ancestors”).

The word toraja comes from the Bugis language’s to riaja, meaning “people of the uplands”. The Dutch colonial government named the people Toraja in 1909.Torajans are renowned for their elaborate funeral rites, burial sites carved into rocky cliffs, massive peaked-roof traditional houses known as tongkonan, and colorful wood carvings. Toraja funeral rites are important social events, usually attended by hundreds of people and lasting for several days.

Before the 20th century, Torajans lived in autonomous villages, where they practised animism and were relatively untouched by the outside world. In the early 1900s, Dutch missionaries first worked to convert Torajan highlanders to Christianity. When the Tana Toraja regency was further opened to the outside world in the 1970s, it became an icon of tourism in Indonesia: it was exploited by tourism developers and studied by anthropologists.By the 1990s, when tourism peaked, Toraja society had changed significantly, from an agrarian model — in which social life and customs were outgrowths of the Aluk To Dolo—to a largely Christian society.

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THE WEST PAPUA PEOPLE 

Among those there are some simple cultures already well known such as Baliem tribe, Dani tribe, Yali tribe, and Agat tribe. But almost all of them physically have the same characteristics. In the past most of them were living deep in inner land and on foot of mountain, some of them build their nest on the trees. With the unity of West Papua into Republic Indonesia, government have tried to persuade them to live a more settled manner with cultivated land, so some of them went down to the open areas and more cultivated areas, and adjust themselves to the new life which is pioneered by the migrant from other parts of Indonesia, such as around North coast, cities and centers of local governments.

The main factors of their low mentality which is not conducive for their development are their extreme primitive life and social system. But their primitive life is the main attraction for experts as well as tourists to visit West Papua. It is famous just because they are primitive, with their housing is also very simple in great harmony with the nature, as they still not wear cloth, as their chieftain corps is kept for years at home as a mummy, and their pig feast.

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THE BADUY PEOPLE

Baduy People

Baduy people are the people of Sundanese living on the area around the beginning of Ciujung river, Kabupaten Lebak, Banten province. Some writings and people outside Baduy consider the people are isolated and legged civilization or even primitive. An observer and writer of "Potret Kehidupan Masyarakat Baduy" (Picture of Baduy People Life ) Djoewisno, MS wrote : " The Baduy is not isolated, but they isolate themselves"

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Folk tale among the people of Banten mentions that during 15th century Sunda kingdom with the center probably around current Bogor, precisely around Cipanas area and one of its vassal that was Banten with the center at old Banten Girang located near mount Pulasari, Kabupaten Pandeglang. National Archaeological Research has nearly close to the complete scene of old Banten kingdom as one of the old Sunda kingdom beside Pajajaran. Tradition of Sunda such as the poets of Sejarah Banten, Tangtu Pangelaran, and Serat Centhini are resources in disclosing the mystery of Banten or West Java in general besides formal edicts of kings. Around 14th century the Hindu kingdom of Sunda, known as Pajajaran felt down after being attacked by Moslem army of Cirebon under commander of Sunan Gunung Jati. It was told that so easy to subdue the royal palace due to great welcome of local people to Islam, as Islam promised all people will get Sorga, not like Hindu which was basically royal religion and indicated a complex ritual to attain sorga. The last prince named Prabu Pucuk Umum was unable to face Moslem army fled with some ministers to the forest, hiding behind the mountain, ravines, months even years to get rid of Moslem army attack. At last the group arrived at a dense virgin forest called Mandala Singkah, and the first place they stop is called Panembahan Arca Domas,located at the beginning of Ciujung river. This full miserable story of self rescue is still being heard among the Baduy in the form of song during rice maturity season. The Arca Domas is now center and most sacred place for Baduy people and culture, it is not every one can visit the place. Arca Doma is a stone simple arrangement forming 13 grades. Before talking about Arca Domas, will see their belief first. Many people think that the Baduy follow Buddhist, since they related to the palace of Pajajaran or Sunda kingdom. The fact today there is a belief of Sanghyang Batara Tunggal ( the one god ). This oneness has the characteristic of omniscience, invisible yet imaginable by heart, omnipotence, omnicreator who protects movement on universe, ravine, river, peak of mountain, forests, caves, lakes and other sacred places. When a person died his/her soul will return to Sanghyang Batara Tunggal. This belief reminds on Hinduism in Bali, not Buddhism. The name of Sang Hyang reminds the original belief of ethnics of Indonesia before Indian influence, while Batara is purely Indian. It has been a mixed aspects between local and Indian, especially Hindu.

Glossary:

The present day culture of Indonesia is an outcome of the interplay of age-old- traditions from the time of early migrants and the Western thought brought by Portuguese traders and Dutch colonists. The basic principles, which guide life include the concepts of mutual assistance or "gotong royong" and consultations or "musyawarah" to arrive at a consensus or "mufakat". Derived from rural life, this system is still very much in use in community life throughout the country. Though the legal system is based on the Old Dutch penal code, social life as well as the rites of passage is founded on customary or "adat" law, which differs from area to area. ''Adat'' law has been instrumental in maintaining gender equality in Indonesia.

Indonesian art forms are greatly influenced by religion. The famous dance dramas of Java and Bali are derived from Hindu mythology and often feature fragments from the Hindu epics such as Ramayana and Mahabharata. 

The crafts of Indonesia vary in both medium and art form. As a whole the people are artistic by nature and express themselves on canvas, wood, metals, clay and stone. The batik process of waxing and dyeing originated in Java centuries ago and classic designs have been modified with modern trends in both pattern and technology. There are several centres of Batik in Java, the major ones being Yogyakarta, Surakarta, Pekalongan and Cirebon.

Indonesia is rich in handicrafts. Various forms of handicrafts practiced are: woodcarvings for ornamentation and furniture, silverwork and engraving from Yogyakarta and Sumatra; filgree from South Sulawesi and Bali with different styles of clay, sandstone and wood sculptures. These are but a few of the handicrafts found in Indonesia.

 Religion in Indonesia: 



 The majority (about 88%) of the population follows Islam. In fact Indonesia is the nation with largest Muslim population. However, freedom of religion is provided by the Indonesian Constitution, which is defined in the First Principle of the State Philosophy' "Pancasila", which upholds a "Belief in One Supreme God". Others religions followed in Indonesia are Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism.

Source: http://www.indonesiapoint.com/culture-religion-of-indonesia.html

Glossary:

Culture     : Budaya

Religion    : Agama

Instrumental: Instrumental

Famous      : Terkenal

Populations : Populasi

Traditions   : Trdisi

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