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Native Indonesians

Term describing indigenous peoples of Indonesia

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Overview

Native Indonesians, also known as Pribumi (), are Indonesians whose ancestral roots lie mainly in the Indonesian archipelago and who belong to various ethnic groups, with the majority tracing their origins to Austronesian and Melanesian lineages. In contrast to pribumi are Indonesians with known foreign ancestry, such as Chinese Indonesians, Arab Indonesians, Indian Indonesians, Japanese Indonesians, and Indo-Europeans (Eurasians).

Etymology and historical context

The term was popularized after Indonesian independence as a respectful replacement for the Dutch colonial term (normally translated as "native" and seen as derogatory). It derives from Sanskrit terms pri (before) and bhumi (earth, land, or soil). Following independence, the term was normally used to distinguish indigenous Indonesians from citizens of foreign descent (especially Chinese Indonesians). Common usage distinguished between pribumi and non-pribumi. Although the term is sometimes translated as "indigenous", it has a broader meaning than that associated with Indigenous peoples. The term (with WNI meaning "Indonesian citizen" and keturunan asing meaning "foreign descent"), sometimes just WNI keturunan or even WNI, has also been used to designate non-pribumi Indonesians. In practice, the usage of the term is fluid.

Pribumi is seldom used to refer to Indonesians of Melanesian descent, such as Moluccans and Papuans, although it does not exclude them. Indonesians of Arab descent sometimes refer to themselves as pribumi. Indonesians with some exogenous ancestry who show no obvious signs of identification with that ancestry (such as former President Abdurrahman Wahid who is said to have had Chinese ancestry) are seldom called non-pribumi. The term putra daerah ("son of the region") refers to a person who is indigenous to a specific locality or region. In 1998, the Indonesian government of President B. J. Habibie instructed that neither pribumi nor non-pribumi should be used within the government because they promoted ethnic discrimination. The Dutch East India Company, which dominated parts of the archipelago from the 17th century, classified its subjects mainly by religion, rather than ethnicity.

The colonial administration which took power in 1815 shifted to a system of ethnic classification. Initially, they distinguished between Europeans (Europeanen) and those equated with them (including native Christians) and Inlanders and those equated with them (including non-Christian Asians). Over time, natives were gradually shifted de facto into the Inlander category, while Chinese Indonesians, Arab Indonesians, and others of non-Indonesian descent were gradually given separate status as Vreemde Oosterlingen ("Foreign Orientals"). The system was patriarchal, rather than formally racial. A child inherited his/her father's ethnicity if the parents were married; and the mother's ethnicity if they were unmarried. The offspring of a marriage between a European man and an Indonesian woman were legally European.

Today, the Indonesian dictionary defines pribumi as penghuni asli which translates into "original, native, or indigenous inhabitant".

Background

Pribumi make up about 95% of the Indonesian population. There are over 600 ethnic groups in Indonesia. The largest ethnic group in Indonesia is the Javanese people who make up 41% of the total population. The Javanese are concentrated on the island of Java but millions have migrated to other islands throughout the archipelago. The Sundanese, Malay, Batak, and Madurese are the next largest groups in the country.

40.2 align=left Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java, Lampung, Jakarta - align=left Sundanese 31.765 15.4 align=left West Java, Banten, Jakarta - align=left Malay 8.789 4.1 align=left Sumatra eastern coast, West Kalimantan - align=left Batak 8.467 3.58 align=left North Sumatra - align=left Madurese 7 .179 3.03 align=left Madura island, East Java - align=left Bugis 6.000 2.9 align=left South Sulawesi, East Kalimantan - align=left Minangkabau 5.569 2.7 align=left West Sumatra, Riau - align=left Betawi 5.157 2.5 align=left Jakarta, Banten, West Java - align=left Banjarese 4.800 2.3 align=left South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan - align=left Bantenese 4.331 2.1 align=left Banten, West Java - align=left Acehnese 4.000 1.9 align=left Aceh - align=left Balinese 3.094 1.5 align=left Bali - align=left Dayak 3.009 1.5 align=left North Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan - align=left Sasak 3.000 1.4 align=left West Nusa Tenggara - align=left Makassarese 2.063 1.0 align=left South Sulawesi - align=left Cirebonese 1.856 0.9 align=left West Java, Central Java

Smaller groups

The regions of Indonesia have some of their indigenous ethnic groups.

Due to migration within Indonesia (as part of government transmigration programs or otherwise), there are significant populations of ethnic groups who reside outside of their traditional regions. * Java: Javanese (Tenggerese, Osing, Banyumasan, etc.), Sundanese (Badui), Bantenese, Cirebonese, Betawi, Madurese (Bawean) * Madura: Madurese (Kangean) * Sumatra: Acehnese, Gayonese, Alas, Batak, Malay, Minangkabau, Rejang, Palembang, Lampung, Nias, Mentawai, Enggano, Kubu, Musi, Ogan, Komering, Rawas, Bangka, Belitung, and others * Kalimantan: Dayak, Banjarese, Malays, Kutai, Pasir, and others * Sulawesi: Makassarese, Buginese, Mandarese, Minahasan, Torajan, Gorontaloan, Bajau, Buton, Tolaki, Kaili, Pamona, Banggai, Saluan, Buol, Tomini, Mongondow, Sangihe, and others * Lesser Sunda Islands: Balinese, Sasak, Sumbawa, Bimanese, Manggarai, Ngada, Li'o, Lamaholot, Dawan, Tetun, Helong, Roti, Savu, Sikka, Sumba, Alor, Bali Aga, and others * Moluccas: Ambonese, Alune, Buru, Kei, Manusela, Tanimbar, Saparua, Wemale, Aru, Kisar, Babar, Tobelo, Galela, Ternate, Tidore, Makian, Sula, and others * Papua: Asmat, Amungme, Bauzi, Dani, Sawi, Yaur, Biak, Sentani, Mimika, Yali, Arfak, Dauwa, Mek, Moni, Yapen, Ngalum, Waropen, Maybrat, Mbaham-Matta, Moi, and others (see List of ethnic groups of West Papua, Southwest Papua)

See also

* Culture of Indonesia * Ethnic groups in Indonesia * List of ethnic groups in Indonesia by population * List of indigenous peoples * List of Indonesian people * National costume of Indonesia * Overseas Indonesians

Non-Pribumi Indonesians

* African Indonesians * Arab Indonesians * Chinese Indonesians * Dutch Indonesians * Filipino Indonesians * Indian Indonesians * Jewish Indonesians * Pakistani Indonesians * Japanese Indonesians

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