Meet the Toraja: One of Indonesia's Most Fascinating and Traditional Ethnic Peoples

by Exotissimo Travel


The Toraja is an ethnic group that lives in the Tana Toraja Regency in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. About 450,000 Torajans still live there today. Many are Christians and Muslims that continue to adhere to their traditional animist beliefs and practices.
Before the arrival of the Dutch, the Torajans did not have any distinction of themselves as an ethnic group. They lived in the highlands and identified with their villages rather than with their ethnic identity or background. That all changed with the arrival of Dutch missionaries and the opening of Tana Toraja Regency to the world in the 20th century, which eventually aroused the Torajan's ethnic curiosity. This eventually led to the concept of Toraja identity and affiliation, a concept that was very foreign to them before the arrival of the West.
The geography of Tana Toraja, where the Toraja live is dominated by green rice fields and tall limestone cliffs with misty mountains dominating the backdrop. Traditional Tongkonan houses built by the Toraja ethnic people also make up the scenery here. These are quite distinguishable buildings, with its most prominent features being its upward sloping roofs. On closer inspection, one would also notice red, black and yellow wood carvings on the buildings' walls. The house is central to the lives of the Torajans because it is the residence of the extended family (the concept of family is very important to them, so much so that people often marry distant cousins). Each of these Tongkonans are given a name, which then becomes the village's name.
The Torojans also practiced a class society (which was then abolished by the Dutch in 1909). The three classes were noblemen, commoner and slaves. Class is inherited from the mother. Some people are able to marry up into the class system, but this is a double-edged sword because for the other partner, marrying down was considered taboo. People may also voluntarily become slaves in order to pay off their debt.
The Torajans are perhaps best known for their unique (others might call it strange) and elaborate funeral rituals. Before the ceremony, a deceased individual's body can be kept for years until the money is saved for the funeral. Once the funeral gets started, ritual dances and buffalo fights are held as part of the ceremony. In addition, pigs and buffaloes are slaughtered, signifying the release of the deceased individual's soul into the afterlife. The more rich and powerful the person, the more buffalo and pig is slaughtered, making the journey to the afterlife quicker. Then, the body is buried inside a cave, a tree or left hanging off an edge of a cliff. For the Torojans, funerals are a celebration of the deceased person's entry into the afterlife. Birthdays are practically non-events and weddings are almost dull when compared with the funeral ceremony. Most of the funerals are held during the dry season, from July to September.
The Torajans are certainly one of the region's most interesting ethnic groups. You can learn more about the people, their culture and their land with Exotissimo's South Sulawesi: Toraja Discovery tour. This program will certainly broaden your horizons as you immerse yourself into unique lifestyle of the people here. Be amazed at the off-the-beaten excursions to various villages as you experience their warm hospitality and dine their traditional fares. You can see our Indonesia tours page for other eye-opening and memorable trips into this country or contact us if you have any questions or would like to tweak any of our tours.