Lisela people
Encyclopedia
Lisela people is an ethnic group mostly living on Indonesia
n island Buru
, as well as on some other Maluku Islands
. They belong to the eastern Indonesian anthropological group and are sometimes referred to as northern Buru people
. From an ethnographic point of view, Lisela are similar to other indigenous peoples of Buru island. They speak Lisela language
.
The total number of Lisela people is about 13,000, of which more than 11,000 live on Buru and a few hundreds on Ambon Island
. On Buru, Lisela peoples live quite compactly in a narrow strip of lowland along the northern coast and constitute the ethnic majority in this region, despite their fraction in the total population is only about 8%. During the Dutch colonization in the first half of the 17th century, much of Lisela people had been relocated to the eastern part of Buru for working at the Dutch plantations; they later became part of Kayeli people
.
The nation speaks Lisela language
, which belongs to the Central Maluku branch of the Malayo-Polynesian languages
, a dialect tagalisa is distinguished within Lisela language. Most Lisela people also speak the official language of Indonesia, Indonesian
or the Ambon dialect of Malay language
(Melayu Ambon), which is a simplified Indonesian language with additions of the local lexicon. The vast majority of Lisela people are Sunni Muslims
with some remnant of the traditional local beliefs that sometimes result in unique syncretic cults and rituals. For example, wedding begins with selling the bride by her parents' house, in accordance with the traditional ritual minta bini and culminates with the collective Muslim prayer.
Most Lisela people are engaged in farming rice
, maize
, sago
, sweet potato
and various spice, such as allspice
, nutmeg
and Eucalyptus
tree used for aromatic oil. In the inland areas, they also hunt the wild pig Buru babirusa
, deer and possum
, and take part in tuna fishing on the coast. In the urban areas, the growing number of Lisela people take jobs in the industrial enterprises. Traditional Buru houses are made from bamboo, often on stilts. The roofs are covered with palm leaves or reeds, with tiles becoming progressively popular. National Buru costume is similar that of most other Indonesia peoples. Men wear sarong
(a kind of kilt
) and a long-skirted tunic, and women are dressed in sarong and a shorter jacket.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n island Buru
Buru
Buru is the third largest island within Maluku Islands of Malay Archipelago. It lies between the Banda Sea to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon and Seram islands. The island belongs to Maluku province of Indonesia and includes the Buru and South Buru regencies...
, as well as on some other Maluku Islands
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
. They belong to the eastern Indonesian anthropological group and are sometimes referred to as northern Buru people
Buru people
Buru people is an ethnic group mostly living on Indonesian island Buru, as well as on some other Maluku Islands. They also call themselves gebfuka or gebemliar that literally means "people of the world" or "people of the land"...
. From an ethnographic point of view, Lisela are similar to other indigenous peoples of Buru island. They speak Lisela language
Lisela language
Lisela , also called Li Enyorot, is an Austronesian language; as of 1989, it was spoken by about 11,900 Lisela people mostly living in the northern part of Indonesian island Buru . It is also preserved among the small Lisela community on the Ambon Island....
.
The total number of Lisela people is about 13,000, of which more than 11,000 live on Buru and a few hundreds on Ambon Island
Ambon Island
Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of , and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of 2 territories: The main city and seaport is Ambon , which is also the capital of Maluku province and Maluku Tengah Ambon Island is part of the...
. On Buru, Lisela peoples live quite compactly in a narrow strip of lowland along the northern coast and constitute the ethnic majority in this region, despite their fraction in the total population is only about 8%. During the Dutch colonization in the first half of the 17th century, much of Lisela people had been relocated to the eastern part of Buru for working at the Dutch plantations; they later became part of Kayeli people
Kayeli people
Kayeli people is an ethnic group mainly living on the southern coast of the Kayeli Bay of Indonesian island Buru. From an ethnographic point of view Kayeli are close to other indigenous people of Buru, such as Lisela and Buru. There were about 800 Kayeli people in the early 2000s. By religion,...
.
The nation speaks Lisela language
Lisela language
Lisela , also called Li Enyorot, is an Austronesian language; as of 1989, it was spoken by about 11,900 Lisela people mostly living in the northern part of Indonesian island Buru . It is also preserved among the small Lisela community on the Ambon Island....
, which belongs to the Central Maluku branch of the Malayo-Polynesian languages
Malayo-Polynesian languages
The Malayo-Polynesian languages are a subgroup of the Austronesian languages, with approximately 385.5 million speakers. These are widely dispersed throughout the island nations of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean, with a smaller number in continental Asia...
, a dialect tagalisa is distinguished within Lisela language. Most Lisela people also speak the official language of Indonesia, Indonesian
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
or the Ambon dialect of Malay language
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
(Melayu Ambon), which is a simplified Indonesian language with additions of the local lexicon. The vast majority of Lisela people are Sunni Muslims
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
with some remnant of the traditional local beliefs that sometimes result in unique syncretic cults and rituals. For example, wedding begins with selling the bride by her parents' house, in accordance with the traditional ritual minta bini and culminates with the collective Muslim prayer.
Most Lisela people are engaged in farming rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, sago
Sago
Sago is a starch extracted in the spongy center or pith, of various tropical palm stems, Metroxylon sagu. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Moluccas, where it is called saksak and sagu. A type of flour, called sago flour, is made from sago. The largest supply...
, sweet potato
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
and various spice, such as allspice
Allspice
Allspice, also called Jamaica pepper, pepper, myrtle pepper, pimenta, or newspice, is a spice that is the dried unripe fruit of Pimenta dioica , a mid-canopy tree native to the Greater Antilles, southern Mexico, and Central America, now cultivated in many warm parts of the world...
, nutmeg
Nutmeg
The nutmeg tree is any of several species of trees in genus Myristica. The most important commercial species is Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree indigenous to the Banda Islands in the Moluccas of Indonesia...
and Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
tree used for aromatic oil. In the inland areas, they also hunt the wild pig Buru babirusa
Buru Babirusa
The Buru babirusa , also known as the golden babirusa or hairy babirusa, is a wild pig-like animal native to the island of Buru and the two Sula Islands of Mangole and Taliabu, all belonging to Indonesia...
, deer and possum
Phalanger
Phalanger, from the Greek Phalangion, meaning spider's web, from their webbed toes is a genus of possum. They are marsupials of the family Phalangeridae...
, and take part in tuna fishing on the coast. In the urban areas, the growing number of Lisela people take jobs in the industrial enterprises. Traditional Buru houses are made from bamboo, often on stilts. The roofs are covered with palm leaves or reeds, with tiles becoming progressively popular. National Buru costume is similar that of most other Indonesia peoples. Men wear sarong
Sarong
A sarong or sarung is a large tube or length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist and worn as a kilt by men and as a skirt by women throughout much of South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Horn of Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric most often has woven plaid or...
(a kind of kilt
Kilt
The kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear, originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century. Since the 19th century it has become associated with the wider culture of Scotland in general, or with Celtic heritage even more broadly...
) and a long-skirted tunic, and women are dressed in sarong and a shorter jacket.