The Diversity of Ethnic Groups in Indonesia and Their Characteristics
The tribes in Indonesia are very diverse, ranging from their clothing, languages, to customs. However, despite this diversity, there are still some similarities between one tribe and another.
As Indonesian citizens, you must be proud of the many tribes that exist in Indonesia. With so many tribes, Indonesia has a wealth of languages and cultures that are not found in other nations.
Here are some tribes in Indonesia that are commonly encountered. In fact, there are still many more of the 20 tribes that will be discussed below.
1. Madurese Tribe
One of the tribes in Indonesia is the Madurese tribe. The Madurese tribe is located on Madura Island and its surroundings. The Madurese tribe itself has several types of Madurese languages differentiated by location. The Madurese in the Western part have a slightly different language from those in the Eastern part. Especially the Madurese tribe on Java Island, of course, some of their vocabulary has mixed with the vocabulary of the local residents.
The Madurese tribe is very famous for its strong character. For the Madurese, there are 3 things that can lead to carok (duel to the death), namely: wife, honor, and livelihood (work).
2. Javanese Tribe
The next tribe is the Javanese tribe. The Javanese tribe predominantly inhabits East Java and Central Java. The characteristic of the Javanese tribe is their soft-spoken manner. However, in East Java, their tone is louder. Especially for the Javanese in Surabaya, they are considered the most assertive in their speech.
In terms of language, the Javanese tribe has 3 hierarchies, namely: Ngoko, Madyo, and Kromo languages. Currently, there are very few speakers of the Javanese Kromo language. You will often encounter Javanese people speaking in Ngoko.
3. Sundanese Tribe
The Sundanese tribe lives in West Java and its surroundings. Interestingly, although they live on Java Island, the Sundanese do not want to be called Javanese. The Sundanese language has some similarities with the Javanese language, but with very different meanings. For example, the word “gedhang” means banana in Javanese, but in Sundanese, it means papaya.
The Sundanese and Javanese tribes had a tense relationship in the past during the Bubat War tragedy. The effects of this still linger to this day. Some Sundanese parents forbid their children from marrying Javanese people.
4. Betawi Tribe
The Betawi tribe is a tribe that has lived in the Batavia area (now Jakarta) since the 17th century. The Betawi tribe is a mix of many tribes in Indonesia, including: Javanese, Sundanese, Makassarese, Balinese, Bugis, Chinese, Arab, and Indian. The Betawi language is also influenced by many languages. In counting numbers, they use gopek, cepek, goceng, which are Chinese terms. When naming children, they use Arabic names, such as: Fatimeh, Sarah, Doel, Ahmad, Bunyamin, and the like.
5. Batak Tribe
The Batak tribe is the third largest tribe in Indonesia. The Batak tribe lives in North Sumatra and Riau. However, you can see around you, you will surely find friends who are Batak, from elementary school to university. This is because the Batak tribe has spread to various corners of Indonesia.
6. Dayak Tribe
The Dayak tribe is the second largest tribe in Kalimantan that inhabits the interior regions. Some linguists divide the Dayak tribe into 5 groups based on their language, namely: Barito Raya, West Dayak, North Borneo, South Sulawesi, and Malay.
7. Bugis Tribe
The Bugis tribe is known for its seafaring and ocean exploration. The Bugis tribe originates from South Sulawesi, just like the Makassarese tribe. The Bugis tribe spread throughout the archipelago due to conflicts with the Makassar kingdom and colonization by the Dutch. Today, the Bugis tribe can be found in East Kalimantan, Jambi, and the Malay Peninsula.
8. Ambonese Tribe
The Ambonese tribe comes from the Maluku Islands and is a mix of Austronesian and Papuan tribes. Currently, the Ambonese tribe has spread to Papua, Jakarta, and West Java. Some Ambonese have also become Dutch citizens due to the Dutch military aggression in Indonesia and the RMS rebellion in the past.
9. Minangkabau Tribe
The Minangkabau tribe, commonly referred to as Minang, inhabits West Sumatra. Some also live in Riau, Jambi, North Sumatra, Aceh, and some live in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The Minangkabau tribe is sometimes referred to as the Padang people.
10. Banjar Tribe
The Banjar tribe is a blend of several types of tribes that came to South Kalimantan. The Banjar tribe is closely associated with those who converted to Islam. Those who still adhere to their ancestral religion are categorized as Dayak tribes.
11. Malay Tribe
The Malay tribe has a fairly broad scope. Malay people in Indonesia usually live in Sumatra and Kalimantan. Outside Indonesia, the Malay tribe includes people from Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, some Filipinos, Myanmar, and Thailand. The Malay language has also been absorbed into the Indonesian language.
12. Balinese Tribe
The Balinese tribe predominantly lives in Bali. Some Balinese people are descendants of Majapahit who chose to move to Bali during the rapid spread of Islam in Java. They moved to Bali to preserve the Hindu culture they adhered to.
13. Sasak Tribe
The Sasak tribe is well-known for its woven fabric craftsmanship. The Sasak tribe resides in Lombok and most of them practice Islam. The word Sasak itself comes from “sak sak” which means “one by one”.
14. Buru Tribe
The Buru tribe is a tribe in the Maluku region that lives on Buru Island. The Buru tribe is very unique; although their numbers are not many, they have 5 dialects of language.
15. Asmat Tribe
The Asmat tribe is one of the tribes in Papua known for their wood carving skills. Physically, the Asmat tribe has an average height of 172 cm and has dark skin.
16. Kaili Tribe
The Kaili tribe predominantly lives in Central Sulawesi. This tribe is very rich in language. It is recorded that there are about 20 types of languages within the Kaili tribe. For areas just 2 km apart, the languages can differ.
17. Makassarese Tribe
The Makassarese tribe originates from South Sulawesi. Some people confuse the Makassarese tribe with the Bugis tribe, but they are actually different. The Bugis and Makassarese tribes have different languages. The Makassarese and Bugis tribes also had conflicts during the Dutch occupation of Indonesia.
18. Flores Tribe
The Flores tribe refers to the tribes that live on Flores Island. The Manggarai tribe is one of the tribes included in the Flores tribe.
19. Sumbanese Tribe
The Sumbanese tribe lives on Sumba Island. The Sumbanese still adhere to a social stratification similar to a caste system. There are nobles (maramba), religious leaders (kabihu), and common people (ata).
