Toraja

Toraja, also spelled Toradja or Toraja, is an ethnic group native to the highland region of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. They are concentrated in the areas known as Tana Toraja and North Toraja, with major towns such as Rantepao and Makale. The Toraja language, Toraja-Sa'dan, is part of the Austronesian language family.

Traditional Toraja society centers on clans and kinship groups. Houses called tongkonan feature distinctive boat-shaped roofs and are decorated with symbolic carvings; rice stores and meeting houses are important community focal points. The agricultural basis is wet-rice cropping in terraced valleys, complemented by coffee and other crops.

Religion historically followed Aluk To Dolo, the indigenous belief system emphasizing ancestor worship and ritual specialists. Since the 19th and 20th centuries many Toraja have converted to Christianity (Protestant and Catholic) or Islam, though some communities maintain traditional rites.

Ritual life is notable for its funerary traditions. Elaborate, multi-day funeral ceremonies often involve animal sacrifices, especially water buffalo and pigs, and the placement of coffins in cliffside caves or under carved wooden structures. The tau tau wooden effigies, which represent ancestors, are a well-known feature of gatherings.

Today, agriculture remains central to the economy, with rice, maize, coffee, and cacao produced for subsistence and sale. Tourism has become an important supplementary activity, drawing visitors to see tongkonan villages, cliff graves, and ceremonies, while communities navigate balancing tradition with modernization.