Alas people

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Alas people
COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Lokale bestuurders met gevolg die zich zijn komen melden bij de colonnecommandant Boven Singkil Atjeh TMnr 60039114.jpg
The Alas people on 29 June 1904 in front of Gotfried Coenraad Ernst van Daalen (Photographed by Henricus Marinus Neeb)
Total population
93,000 [1]
Regions with significant populations
Flag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia (Aceh)
Languages
Alas and Indonesian
Religion
Islam
Related ethnic groups
Kluet people, Singkil people, Karo people

The Alas people is an indigenous ethnic group from Kutacane, Southeast Aceh district, Sumatra, Indonesia. The Alas are found in the Gunung Leuser, Ketambe, and Alas River areas.

Contents

Society

Alas couples Pakaian Adat Suku Alas.jpg
Alas couples
The Alas fort of Kuta Reh on 14 June 1904 (Photographed by Henricus Marinus Neeb) COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Groepsportret van de marechaussee met overste Van Daalen bij de vermoorde inwoners van de versterkte kampong Koeto Reh TMnr 60009090.jpg
The Alas fort of Kuta Reh on 14 June 1904 (Photographed by Henricus Marinus Neeb)

The Alas (ukhang Alas or kalak Alas) are an agrarian people, who cultivate rice on irrigated fields, but some grow cash crops in gardens. Freshwater fishing in Alas River or brooks used to be indispensable as a source of animal protein, while raising fish in ponds is becoming important. Between the 15th and 17th centuries, they converted to Islam, The Alas society is a patrilineal descent society; each belongs to one exogamous clan. Sometimes an Alas village (kute) consists of a single clan, while several clans could frequently be observed in one village. [2] As Alas clan names suggest, the Alas people have composite origins.

Van Daalen's Alas, Batak and Gayo campaign 

At the final stage of the Aceh War in 1904, Gotfried Coenraad Ernst van Daalen started on his campaign to Gayoland, Alasland, and Batakland in order to establish the Dutch colonial control over them. After demolishing 7 forts and killing nearly 1300 inhabitants in Gayoland, his Korps Marechaussee te voet appeared in the Alas valley on 10 June 1904. One local lord (kejukhun) at northern Alasland surrendered immediately, but, as the other local lord of Gayonese descent at southern Alasland had already been killed in Gayoland by Gotfried Coenraad Ernst van Daalen, his son, the acting southern local lord, and a brother of the northern local lord decided to confront the non-Islamic Dutch, building 3 forts or fortified villages.

On 14 June 1904, the Dutch troops demolished the fort of Kuta Reh, killing 313 indigenous men, 189 women, and 59 children, while 2 Dutch soldiers were killed. On 20 June 1904, then, they demolished the fort of Likat, killing 220 men, 124 women, and 88 children, while a single soldier was killed. Indeed, the village of Likat was one of Gayonese migrants into the Alas valley. On 24 June 1904, finally, they demolished the fort of Kute Lengat Baru, killing 338 men, 186 women, and 130 children, including the acting southern local lord, while 3 soldiers were killed. On 29 June 1904, Gotfried Coenraad Ernst van Daalen summoned the northern local lord and the son of the deceased southern local lord with all other Alas chiefs and headmen to the village of Pedesi in front of him, to declare that the whole of Alasland belonged to the Dutch East Indies.

During this campaign, Henricus Marinus Neeb, a military doctor, took many photos, including ones of fighting scenes, marching through the tropical rain forest, local fishing activities, traditional houses, mosques, and so on. [3]

Language

Another view of Kuta Reh on 14 June 1904 (Photographed by Henricus Marinus Neeb) COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Marechaussee bij de vermoorde inwoners van de versterkte kampong Koeto Reh nadat deze door hen is ingenomen tijdens de tocht naar de Gajo- en Alaslanden onder leiding van overste Van Daalen TMnr 60009304.jpg
Another view of Kuta Reh on 14 June 1904 (Photographed by Henricus Marinus Neeb)

The Alas people uses the Alas language (Cekhok Alas) on a daily basis. The Alas language is most closely related to the language of the Kluet people in Aceh Selatan Regency, [4] and often, these two languages are unified under a single label Alas–Kluet. Together with Karo and Dairi, Alas–Kluet belongs to the northern branch of the Batak subgroup of the Austronesian language family. [5] It is estimated that 80,000 people spoke the language in 2000. [6] Although Alas people live in Aceh Province, the language they use is entirely distinct from Acehnese.

Clans

Alas bride and bridegroom COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Een Gayo bruidspaar Noord-Sumatra TMnr 10002960.jpg
Alas bride and bridegroom

Each Alas person belongs to a patrilineal clan or descent group (mekhge). It has its own name, which is used as surname of the Alas people. [7] In 1988 there were 27 clans as follows, but some had already had no member. Out of them, 8 clans, viz. Bangko, Cibekho, Deski, Keling, Kepale Dese, Kekhuas, Pagan, and Selian, are believed to be original among the Alas.

Arts

Alas ritual umbrella Payung mesikhat.jpg
Alas ritual umbrella

Alas traditional dances [8] and musical instruments [9] are as follows:

Crafts

Alas traditional house (replica) Aceh Tenggara.JPG
Alas traditional house (replica)

Alas traditional crafts are as follows:

Traditional dishes

Alas traditional dishes are as follows: [11]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gotfried Coenraad Ernst van Daalen</span> 19/20th-century army general and politician in the Dutch East Indies

Gotfried Coenraad Ernst "Frits" van Daalen was an Indo (Eurasian) Lieutenant General of the Royal Dutch East Indies Army who served in the Dutch East Indies. He was also the appointed Governor of Aceh from 1905 until 1908.

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Pakpak people or Batak Pakpak are one of the ethnic groups found mainly in North Sumatra, Indonesia. They are scattered in a few regencies and cities in North Sumatra and Aceh, such as Dairi Regency, Pakpak Bharat Regency, Humbang Hasundutan Regency and Central Tapanuli Regency of North Sumatra, and also in Aceh Singkil Regency and Subulussalam, Aceh. Pakpak people have some communities in other cities across Indonesia. The term "Batak Pakpak" also refers to the culture and language of the pakpak people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singkil people</span> Ethnic group in Aceh, Indonesia

Singkil people are an ethnic group of people found in Aceh Singkil Regency and Subulussalam, Aceh province, Indonesia.

Kluet or Kluwat people dwell in a number of districts in South Aceh Regency, Aceh, Indonesia namely North Kluet, South Kluet, Central Kluet and East Kluet. The Kluet people are regarded as part of the Batak people sub-ethnicity. The Kluet regions are separated by Lawé Kluet River, where it disgorges from the Mount Leuser and disembogues into the Indian Ocean. Residential region of the Kluet people is 30 km from Tapaktuan city or 500 km from Banda Aceh. Majority of the population and as well as the Kluet people practices Islam.

Henricus Marinus Neeb, often recorded as H.M. Neeb, was a Dutch military doctor during the later stages of the long lasting Aceh War. He photographed sights in the area beginning in 1904 including architecture, indigenous peoples, colonial buildings such rail infrastructure and buildings, topography, scenes of Dutch soldiers, and Acehnese killed in the conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Payung mesikhat</span> Traditional ritual umbrella of the Alas people

Payung mesikhat is the traditional ritual umbrella of the Alas people in the province of Aceh, Indonesia. It is used for various ceremonies such as circumcisions, weddings, and meeting guests of honor. It is made from black waterproof fabric with embroidery that reflects the purpose of the umbrella. For example, a wedding umbrella depicts several scenes from the life of a girl during her girlhood, including scenes of the domestic works such as rice pounding and others. In addition, Islamic embroidered designs are on the edge of the umbrella, and around it, many strips of silver are hung.

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References

  1. "Alas in Indonesia". Joshua Project . Retrieved 2014-11-02.
  2. 1 2 Akifumi Iwabuchi (1994). The People of the Alas Valley: A Study of an Ethnic Group of Northern Sumatra. Clarendon Press. ISBN   0-19-827902-7.
  3. Kempees, J. C. J. (1905). De tocht van Overste van Daalen door de Gajō-, Alas- en Bataklanden, 8 februari tot 23 juli 1904. J. C. Dalmeijer.
  4. John Fitzgerald McCarthy (2006). The Fourth Circle: A Political Ecology of Sumatra's Rainforest Frontier. Stanford University Press. ISBN   08-047-5212-5.
  5. Alexander Adelaar and Nikolaus Himmelmann (2013). The Austronesian Languages of Asia and Madagascar. Routledge. ISBN   978-11-367-5509-5.
  6. "Batak Alas-Kluet". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2017-02-25.
  7. Thalib Akbar (2004). Sanksi dan Denda Tindak Pidana Adat Alas. Majelis Adat Aceh Tenggara.
  8. Tim Penyusun Musyawarah Adat Alas dan Gayo (2003). Komisi: A (Adat Alas). Pemerintah Kabupaten Aceh Tenggara.
  9. Zulyani Hidayah (1997). Ensiklopedi: Suku bangsa di Indonesia. Pustaka LP3ES. ISBN   979-8391-64-0.
  10. Bakhrum Yunus (1987). Struktur sastra lisan Alas. Pusat Pembinaan dan Pengembangan Bahasa, Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan. OCLC   20579319.
  11. Makarina Rina. "Makanan Khas Suku Alas". Google+. Retrieved 2014-12-12.

Further reading

See also