The Lamalera people (Lamalera: Ata Lamalera) are an ethnic group inhabiting the southern part of Lembata Island, Indonesia.[2] Administratively, they are concentrated in the villages of Lamalera A and Lamalera B, Wulandoni District, Lembata Regency, and several surrounding villages in the subdistrict of Wulandoni. Their original language is the Lamalera language, along with Lamaholot, which functions as a lingua franca in the area.[3] Although often referred to as a distinct "ethnic group", anthropologists typically classify the Lamalera people as a sub-group of the Lamaholot people; as such, locals usually call them "the people of Lamalera", referring to the ethnic community inhabiting the island’s southern region.[4]
The Lamalera people are one of two communities of traditional whalers in the Lesser Sunda Islands, along with the village of Lamakera, which claims to be the oldest whaling settlement in Indonesia.[5]
Etymology
Based on phonetic resemblance, "Lamalera" derives from lam'a (Lamalera dialect) or lamak (Adonara dialect), meaning 'plate' or 'container', and lera or rera, meaning 'sun' or 'coral tree leaf'. According to tradition, once they arrived in the place now called Lamalera, they found coral-tree leaves and used them as lam'a (plates or containers).[6]
According to Ambrosius Oleona and Pieter Tedu Bataona, the ancestors of the Lamalera people did not originate from the indigenous inhabitants of Lembata. Oral histories and genealogical chants known as lia asa-usu ('origin chants') recount that their ancestors came from the Kingdom of Banggai before reaching the southern coast of Lembata and settling there across generations. Their physical traits resemble those of people from Central Sulawesi, particularly the Banggai.[7]
Their ancestors arrived about 500 years ago. Before settling on Lembata, they followed the fleet of Gajah Mada to the waters of Halmahera, then sailed to the Bomberai Peninsula, and later moved south toward Seram, Gorom, Ambon, Banda, Timor, and finally Lembata. Their migration from the Kingdom of Banggai was triggered by attacks and conquest by Majapahit during the reign of Hayam Wuruk. The migrating group became the founders of five lineages: Bataona, Blikololong, Lamanudek, Tanakrofa, and Lefotuka.[2]
These founding lineages gave rise to about nineteen lineages in today’s Lamalera society.[8] For example, Bataona produced the Bediona and Batafor houses; Lefotuka (also called Lewotukan) produced Dasion and Kedang. This Kedang lineage (sometimes spelled Kéda) is unrelated to the Kedang people of eastern Lembata.[9]
The Lamalera customary government operates under the lika-telo ("three hearths") system, represented by the Blikololong, Bataona, and Lewotukan lineages. During the colonial Dutch East Indies era, Lewotukan held administrative authority under the title kakang, the head of Lamalera. Recorded kakang include Muran Kedang and Bao Dasion.[4][10]
In the Republic of Indonesia, administrative affairs are handled by a village head, but the lika-telo still holds primary cultural authority, especially regarding whaling traditions.
The Lamalera are known for their tradition of hunting sperm whale (baleo), known as leva nuang, practiced since the 16th–17th centuries.[11][12]
Portuguese records also mention whale hunters on Lembata.[13]
Whaling occurs during the fishing season of May, known as lewa, using traditional boats called peledang.[2] The Lamalera have a legend about a white sperm whale known as "Timor Tom", featured in American author Herman Melville’s 1851 classic Moby-Dick. In their belief, the white whale is the guardian of boats and their construction. Thomas Beale referred to Timor Tom as "the protagonist of many strange tales".[14]
Religion
Sts. Peter–Paul Catholic Church in Lamalera A.
The Lamalera people are predominantly Catholic. This is reflected in the Misa Leva, asking divine blessing for the leva season held each 2 May–30 September.[15]
Meanwhile, Islam predominates in nearby coastal settlements.[16]
1 2 Blikololong, J. B. (2010). DU-HOPE IN THE MIDST OF MONETARY PENETRATION: A Sociological Study of the Barter System in Lamalera, East Nusa Tenggara. University of Indonesia.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
↑ B. Baowollo, Robert (23 May 2022). "Menakar Kata 'Lama' dalam Etnologi Lamaholot"[Measuring the Word ‘Lama’ in Lamaholot Ethnology]. www.eposdigi.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 November 2025.
↑ Alfiani, Yuli (21 November 2016). "Letak Geografis Suku Lamalera"[Geographical Setting of the Lamalera People] (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 November 2025.
↑ Kalim, Nurdin (27 August 2008). "Rekonsiliasi di Tanah Matahari"[Reconciliation in the Land of the Sun]. www.datatempo.co (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 November 2025.
↑ Pati Herin, Francis; Arif, Ahmad (3 November 2023). "Uang Bukan Segalanya di Pasar Wulandoni"[Money Is Not Everything in Wulandoni Market]. kompas.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 November 2025.
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Indonesia (Lembata Regency)
Catholicism (majority)
Islam (minority)
