Balantak

ETHNONYMS: Kosian, Mian Balantak

Numbering about 30,000 in 1982, the Balantak inhabit the most easterly end of the east-central peninsula of Sulawesi Island, Indonesia. Balantak is classified in the West Indonesian Group of the Austronesian Language Family. Rectangular raised houses are scattered among the swidden fields, with small clusters around the local chief. Domestic animals include dogs, fowl, and goats. Swidden production includes rice, yams, taro, and millet. Descent is bilateral. Formerly, the Balantak were ruled by local chiefs and integrated into the Ternate Sultanate. Traditional religious beliefs centered on ancestor worship. Since 1900 Islam and Christianity have been prominent.

See also Banggai

Bibliography

LeBar, Frank M. (1972). "Balantak." In Ethnic Groups of Insular Southeast Asia, edited by Frank M. LeBar. Vol. 1, Indonesia, Andaman Islands, and Madagascar, 138-139. New Haven: HRAF Press.