Ngada people

Ngada
Ata Ngada
Ngada men in a warrior costume with a spear, rifle, and shield, circa 1915–1918.
Total population
155,000 (1975)[1]
Regions with significant populations
Indonesia (Ngada)
Languages
Ngada, Namut–Nginamanu, and Indonesian
Religion
Catholicism (majority), Islam, Protestantism, and traditional beliefs
Related ethnic groups
Manggarai • Nage • Riung

The Ngada people (Ata Ngada; also known as Ngadha, Nad'a, Nga'da,[2] Bajawa,[2][3] or Rokka[2]) are an ethnic group inhabiting the central part of Flores Island, especially in Ngada Regency. The Ngada population numbers around 155,000 people. They belong to the Bima–Sumba-speaking group.[1]

Ngada are descendants of the indigenous people of Flores Island. The coastal inhabitants are influenced by the culture of the Malays, Bimanese, Buginese, and Makassarese.[1] The majority of them adhere to Roman Catholicism,[4] while some mountain dwellers still maintain their traditional beliefs.[1]

Livelihood

Traditionally, they engage in agriculture, cultivating rice, corn, millet, and cash crops – beans, squash, peanuts, vegetables, and spices. Apart from that, their other livelihoods are hunting, gathering, and livestock farming. Weaving crafts are widespread, and some are involved in metalworking. Their main commodities are primarily plant-based foods, while meat is consumed during festive occasions.[1]

Language

Their native language is the Ngada language (incl. the Namut–Nginamanu dialect chain), which belongs to the large Austronesian language family.[1][4] It is related to nearby languages spoken on Flores Island and its surroundings (incl. Nage–Kéo, Ende, Lio, and Palue, which are part of the Central Flores language family), as well as the Manggarai language.[4]There is a publication about Ngada language and culture.[5][6] In the 20th century, the missionary Paul Arndt conducted research in the region.[7]

Classification and differences

They mostly reside in Ngada Regency. However, this area is also inhabited by other ethnic groups, which can sometimes lead to misunderstandings.[3] Specifically, the Ngada people are the indigenous inhabitants of the Bajawa region.[8] Nearby communities, such as the Riung, Rongga, Nage, Keo, and Palue, are sometimes considered sub-groups of the Ngada[2] or related population groups.[1][4] The publication Encyclopedia of Ethnic Groups in Indonesia (2015) uses the term "Ngada" broadly, estimating their population at 155,000 based on 1975 data.[2]

Social structure

The social structure of the Ngada people is based on a matrilineal family system, which sets them apart from some of their neighboring ethnic groups.[3][9][10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g A. A. Biernowa; Walerij Aleksandrowicz Tiszkow (red.) (1998). "Ngada". Narody i rieligii mira: encykłopiedija (in Russian). Moscow: Bolszaja Rossijskaja Encykłopiedija. p. 368. ISBN 978-5-85270-155-8. OCLC 40821169. Retrieved 2022-08-11.
  2. ^ a b c d e Zulyani Hidayah (2015). Ensiklopedi Suku Bangsa di Indonesia (in Indonesian) (2 ed.). Jakarta: Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indonesia. pp. 279–280. ISBN 978-979-461-929-2. OCLC 913647590. Retrieved 2022-08-11.
  3. ^ a b c Arka, I Wayan (2004). "Challenges and prospect of maintaining Rongga: an ethnographic report". www.academia.edu (Proceedings of the 2004 Conference of the Australian Linguistic Society ed.). Retrieved 2022-08-12.
  4. ^ a b c d M. Junus Melalatoa (1995). Ensiklopedi Suku Bangsa di Indonesia Jilid L–Z (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Direktorat Jenderal Kebudayaan, Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan. pp. 622–625. OCLC 1027453789. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
  5. ^ Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin; Bank, Sebastian. "Ngad'a". glottolog.org. Glottolog 4.6. Retrieved 2022-09-13.
  6. ^ Pollock, Ian (2021). "Rich as a running stream": The Flow of Value in Ngadhaland, Indonesia. Australian National University. doi:10.25911/318Y-B046. Retrieved 2022-09-28.
  7. ^ Poplawska, Marzanna (2020). Performing Faith: Christian Music, Identity and Inculturation in Indonesia (SOAS studies in music series ed.). Abingdon, New York: Routledge. p. 166. doi:10.4324/9780429504235. ISBN 978-0-429-50423-5. OCLC 1140792343. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  8. ^ Indonesia's Eastern Islands. Hawthorn, Victoria: Lonely Planet. 1998. pp. 221. ISBN 978-0-86442-503-4. OCLC 39291005.
  9. ^ Arka, I Wayan (2016). Bahasa Rongga: Deskripsi, Tipologi, dan Teori (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Penerbit Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya. p. 9. ISBN 978-602-8904-84-1. OCLC 1064980913. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  10. ^ Schröter, Susanne (2009). "Red cocks and black hens : Gendered symbolism, kinship and social practice in the Ngada highlands". Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia. 161 (2): 318–349. doi:10.1163/22134379-90003711. ISSN 0006-2294. Retrieved 2025-10-18.
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