Animism (predominantly), Islam and Christianity[2]
Related ethnic groups
Sakuddei
Mentawai (also known as Mentawei and Mentawi) people are the native people of the Mentawai Islands (principally Siberut, Sipura, North Pagai and South Pagai) about 100 miles from West Sumatra province, Indonesia. They live a semi-nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle in the coastal and rainforest environments of the islands and are also one of the oldest tribes in Indonesia. The Mentawai population is estimated to be about 64,000. The Mentawai tribe is documented to have migrated from Nias – a northern island – to the Mentawai islands, living in an isolated life for centuries until they encountered the Dutch in 1621. The ancestors of the indigenous Mentawai people are believed to have first migrated to the region somewhere between 2000 and 500 BCE.[3] The Mentawai language belongs to the Austronesian language family.[4][5] They follow their own animist belief system called Arat Sabulungan, that links the supernatural powers of ancestral spirits to the ecology of the rainforest.[6][7] When the spirits are not treated well or forgotten, they might bring bad luck like illnesses and haunt those who forgot them.[6] Mentawai also have very strong belief towards objects they think are holy.[8] The people are characterized by their heavy spirituality, body art and their tendency to sharpen their teeth, a cultural practice tied to Mentawai beauty ideals. Mentawai tend to live in unison and peace with the nature around them because they believe that all things in nature have a form of spiritual essence.[6][9]
^"Mentawai of Indonesia". People Groups. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
^"Mentawai Islands Village & Culture".
^"History". Suku Mentawai. 2012-06-30. Retrieved 2020-03-30.
^"Mentawai". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
^"Mentawai Tribe". Authentic Indonesia. Retrieved 2020-03-30.
^ abcSingh, Manvir; Kaptchuk, Ted J.; Henrich, Joseph (January 2021). "Small gods, rituals, and cooperation: The Mentawai water spirit Sikameinan". Evolution and Human Behavior. 42 (1): 61–72. doi:10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2020.07.008.
^Singh, Manvir; Henrich, Joseph (2020). "Why do religious leaders observe costly prohibitions? Examining taboos on Mentawai shamans". Evolutionary Human Sciences. 2: e32. doi:10.1017/ehs.2020.32. ISSN 2513-843X. PMC 10427447.
^"5 Things You Need To Know About Mentawai Tribe". brilio.net. 26 January 2017. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
Mentawai (also known as Mentawei and Mentawi) people are the native people of the Mentawai Islands (principally Siberut, Sipura, North Pagai and South...
Sumatran coast, across the Mentawai Strait. The indigenous inhabitants of the islands are known as the Mentawaipeople. The Mentawai Islands have become a...
Look up Mentawai in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Mentawai may refer to: Mentawai Islands, Indonesia Mentawai Strait Mentawaipeople, ethnic group...
and Negeri Sembilan in Malaysia. Another native ethnic group is the Mentawaipeople, who inhabit the western islands of the same name. Islam is a predominant...
maxillary and mandibular arches. The Mentawaipeople have also traditionally engaged in this practice. The Mentawaipeople believed that the soul and body...
Festival or Mentawai Charm Festival (Indonesian: Festival Pesona Mentawai) is a traditional festival/carnival held annually since 2016 at Mentawai Islands...
The Mentawai language is an Austronesian language, spoken by the Mentawaipeople of the Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra, Indonesia. According to Ethnologue...
Zafimaniry subgroup the language of the Madurese people of Indonesia the Mentawaipeople of Indonesia Tao people of Taiwan the Korean language; for example...
Parittei, Pattei) is the traditional knife of the Mentawaipeople, originating from the Mentawai Islands off West Sumatra, Indonesia. The Palitai has...
The 2010 Mentawai earthquake occurred with a moment magnitude of 7.8 on 25 October off the western coast of Sumatra at 21:42 local time (14:42 UTC). The...
A part of Indonesia, the island is the most important home for the Mentawaipeople. The western half of the island was set aside as the Siberut National...
encountered what were described as "dog-mouthed" people on his journey, possibly describing a group of Mentawaipeople (who practice tooth sharpening), living...
and aunu senebre [id], anchovies mixed with slices of taro leaf. Mentawaipeople has a traditional food called lotlot, taro leaves cooked with tinimbok...
Koto, or Piliang. Mentawaipeople from Mentawai Islands, for example, Anakalang, Gougou, Oinan, Sagurung, or Talopulei. Palembang people of South Sumatra...
extract a natural green dye from ti. During healing rituals of the Mentawaipeople, the life-giving spirit are enticed with songs and offerings to enter...
Salukat or Saloekat is a traditional quiver of the Mentawaipeople originating from the Mentawai Islands, Indonesia. The Salukat is a quiver made of a...
Niha Indonesia portal Islands portal List of islands of Indonesia Mentawaipeople Nias Expedition Omo sebua Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. Badan...
the Dayak people of Kalimantan in Borneo (Bornean traditional tattooing). Another ethnic group that practices tattooing are the Mentawaipeople, as well...
The Austronesian peoples, sometimes referred to as Austronesian-speaking peoples, are a large group of peoples in Taiwan, Maritime Southeast Asia, parts...
communal longhouse principle are found among the Dayak people of Borneo, as well as the Mentawaipeople. The norm is for a post, beam, and lintel structural...
Sumatra after Islam. Christians in West Sumatra generally come from the Mentawai, Batak, Chinese and Nias ethnicities. According to a 2021 Ministry of Home...
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), he served two terms as the regent of the Mentawai Islands Regency from 2011 to 2016 and 2017 to 2022. He served as vice regent...
Sabiroet people are an ethnic group, one of at least eleven, on the island of Siberut, Indonesia. Siberut is the northernmost of the Mentawai Islands which...
(182,812 mi.2), including adjacent islands such as the Simeulue, Nias, Mentawai, Enggano, Riau Islands, Bangka Belitung and Krakatoa archipelago. Sumatra...
communal longhouse principle are found among the Dayak people of Borneo, as well as the Mentawaipeople. The norm is for a post, beam and lintel structural...
Islands peoplesMentawaipeoplesMentawai: Mentawai Islands, Indonesia Sakuddei: Siberut Island and Mentawai Islands, Indonesia Malayic peoples Orang Laut...
they sailed on a container ship to Sumatra, where they lived with the Mentawaipeople and O'Donnell received a tribal tattoo, according to local tradition...
Global Information
Indonesia (Mentawai Islands)