Banggai

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Banggai

ETHNONYMS: Aki, Mian Banggai, Mian Sea-Sea


A people numbering about 86,000 in 1979, the Banggai inhabit the Banggai Archipelago, off the tip of the east-central peninsula of Sulawesi, Indonesia. The Mian Sea-Sea and Mian Banggai are two subgroups of the Banggai. Both groups speak dialects of Aki, which is classified in the West Indonesian Group of Austronesian languages. Traditionally, houses were scattered among the swidden fields. Under Dutch rule, nucleated villages became the norm. Subsistence is based on yams, taro, maize, sago, bananas, and vegetables. Coconuts are produced for export. Descent is bilateral. Traditional beliefs in ancestral spirits are held alongside Islam and Christianity. Formerly, the ruler of the Banggai principality was appointed by the sultan of Ternate.

See also Balantak

Bibliography

LeBar, Frank M. (1972). "Banggai." In Ethnic Groups of Insular Southeast Asia, edited by Frank M. LeBar. Vol. 1, Indonesia, Andaman Islands, and Madagascar, 139-140. New Haven: HRAF Press.