Helong people are one of the indigenous inhabitants of
Timor Island
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western part. The Indonesian part, also ...
, in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
. Most of them live in
Kupang Regency
Kupang Regency is a regency in East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. It occupies the far western end of Timor Island (apart from the area of Kupang city, which has been administratively separated from the Regency since 11 April 1996), together ...
, namely in West Kupang and Central Kupang; and some also settled in
Flores Island and
Semau Island
Semau, also known as ''Pusmau'' and ''Pasar Pusmau,'' is an island in the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is located 20 miles off the harbor of Kupang. The inhabitants of Samau are the Helong people, who some believe are the original inh ...
.
Their livelihoods are mainly farming, hunting, fishing, and making traditional crafts.
They speak a native language called
Helong, which has two dialects, the Helong Semau dialect and the Eastern Land Helong dialect.
Helong speakers are found in four villages on the South-Western coast of
West Timor
West Timor ( id, Timor Barat) is an area covering the western part of the island of Timor, except for the district of Oecussi-Ambeno (an East Timorese exclave). Administratively, West Timor is part of East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. The ca ...
, as well as on
Semau Island
Semau, also known as ''Pusmau'' and ''Pasar Pusmau,'' is an island in the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is located 20 miles off the harbor of Kupang. The inhabitants of Samau are the Helong people, who some believe are the original inh ...
, a small island just off the coast of West Timor.
The smallest Helong family system is a nuclear family, which then joins into a limited larger family (''ngalo'').
Some ''ngalo'' joins to form a
clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship
and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, meaning ...
(''ingu'') which is led by a clan leader (''koka ana'').
In terms of social strata, the ancient Helong community was divided into three layers, the nobility (''usif''), ordinary people (''tob''), and slaves (''ata'').
Notable people
*
Viktor Laiskodat
Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat (born 17 February 1965) is an Indonesian politician who is the 8th governor of East Nusa Tenggara.
Born in Kupang, he was elected into the Indonesian Parliament, the People's Representative Council (''Dewan Perwakilian ...
See also
*
Helong language
Helong (alternate names Helon, Kupang and Semau) is a Central Malayo-Polynesian language of West Timor. Speakers are interspersed with those of Amarasi. This language has become endangered as a result of its native speakers marrying those who ...
*
Timor Island
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western part. The Indonesian part, also ...
*
Kupang
Kupang ( id, Kota Kupang, ), formerly known as Koepang, is the capital of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. At the 2020 C ensus, it had a population of 442,758; the official estimate as at mid 2021 was 455,850. It is the largest ci ...
References
{{Ethnic groups in Indonesia
Ethnic groups in Indonesia
East Nusa Tenggara