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THE TORAJAS

Population 320,000. These proto-Malayan peoples came originally from Indochina. Legend says that their ancestors arrived in a storm from the western seas, pulled their splintered boats ashore, and used them as roofs. Today their houses are shaped like ships and they're all facing north in the direction of their origin. Steps leading up to the front porch are remnants of ships' ladders. Before the Dutch came in 1905, the Torajas were one of the fiercest and most remote people in all of Indonesia. Their skill in using spears was uncanny, able to pin small animals and birds at 15 m and impale a man at 30 m. They once lived in small walled fortress villages on top of hills, resembling European medieval castles (see some 400 year old remains at Pangala' and at Pontiko). There was much suspicion within Torajan communities between each of its members. Villagers who were suspected of witchcraft or sorcery were tried by a cultic ordeal. Their fingers were forced into burning pitch: if the hand burned, they were found guilty and were sold to other villagers for beheading. Only women and transvestites could become witchdoctors. When the Dutch moved them down into the valleys and introduced taxes, diseases, agriculture, and Christianity, the old family structure started to break down. Although buffaloes have now replaced human heads at sacrifices and the old religion has been much watered down from the original, very strong adat continues to be practiced in Torajaland. There still exist 3 classes of Torajas. Tokapua are the noblemen. They generally have longer hair, wear special turbans and loincloths, and employ servants. Although only about 5% of the population, the Tokapua own most of the land. The Tomokaka are the middle class tradesmen, 25% of the Torajas. Then there are the common people, the Tobuda, who are farmers and sharecroppers, about 7 out of every 10 Torajas.