Toraja

▪ people

      group of peoples of central Celebes (Sulawesi), Indonesia. They are believed to be descendants of the invading Austronesian-speaking people that overran the island and absorbed or exterminated the aboriginal population. Later they were driven back from the coasts by Muslim Indonesians such as the Buginese. Their warfare and headhunting made it necessary to locate their villages on easily defended hilltops.

      In modern times many have become Muslim and Christian and have developed more accessible villages. They are farmers with only a few industries such as plaiting, pottery, wood carving, and ironworking. Bark clothing is worn in remote districts, and Malayan-style cotton garments are worn where there is contact with more advanced cultures. They file their teeth and wear many ornaments.

      Toraja population at the end of the 20th century was estimated at 600,000. Their language, with many dialects, belongs to the Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) family.

* * *