Alifuru people

The Alifuru, Alfur, Alfurs, Alfuros, Alfures, Aliforoes, or Horaforas (Dutch: Alfoeren) is a collective term for the indigenous people of mixed Melanesian and Austronesian descent in the Maluku Islands in eastern Indonesia. Alifuru was a broad term historically used during the Portuguese seaborne empire. This term is primarily associated with the pagan communities from the area around the Arafura Sea. Traditionally associated with regions such as Seram, Buru, and the Kei Islands, the Alifuru are considered part of the broader Melanesian cultural and genetic continuum, though many speak Austronesian languages and have integrated aspects of Malay-Indonesian culture.