 Alfur people, most likelyAlune people, in the mountains ofSeram. | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Melanesia (Eastern Indonesia),Micronesia | |
| Religion | |
| Animism,Islam,Christianity,TheravadaBuddhism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Moluccans,Melanesians |
TheAlfur,Alfurs,Alfuros,Alfures,Aliforoes,Alifuru orHoraforas (inDutch,Alfoeren) are an indigenousMelanesian people of theMaluku Islands in eastern Indonesia. Alifuru was a broad term historically used during thePortuguese seaborne empire. The term was primarily associated with communities from theArafura Sea area. 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. While many speak Austronesian languages and have integrated aspects of Malay-Indonesian culture.[1]
Several origins for the term Alfur have been proposed, including fromSpanish,Portuguese, and evenArabic.[2] The most likely hypothesis however is that it originated fromTidoresehalefuru, a compound composed of the stemshale "land" andfuru "wild, savage".[3] FromTidore it was adopted and used by Malay traders and the Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch adventurers and colonists who came to theSpice Islands.
The term referred to certain lands and their inhabitants that were considered "wild", "untamed" or "pagan", particularly in regions that fell under the influence of Tidore and neighboringTernate. The term was thus especially used of peoples in theMaluku Islands (Halmahera,[4]Seram, andBuru among others) and nearby areas of northern and centralSulawesi. Until the 1900s evenPapuans were also often called "Alfur".[5] In 1879 Van Musschenbroek, formerResident ofMenado, described the use of the term in the following way:
As with the so-calledIndians of South America, the various peoples collectively referred to as Alfurs were not culturally homogeneous. The term Alfur is thus generally claimed to be of noethnological value, and shortly after the turn of the 20th century it practically disappeared from Dutch administrative and academic writings. The word "Alfuren" continued to be used byGerman anthropologistGeorg Friederici in his works. He used it in a more specific manner to refer to the aborigines or early inhabitants of Maluku, and by extension to those from the island of Sulawesi.[7]
In present-day publications likeguide books "Alfur" is included as a generic name for the indigenous people living in forest areas of the larger islands of the Maluku, likeHalmahera andSeram.
Generally these people keep their traditionalself-sufficient ways in matters of social organization, food and dress. The women often wear a characteristic funnel-shaped basket like a backpack.[8]
Alfur people usually have little contact with the more urbanized society of coastal towns, which includes thetransmigrasi settlers. Their chief of war was chief Ambon I[9] The Alfur retained a custom ofheadhunting until the 1940s. Currently, they were under the leadership of chief Ambuk Abah Ampalang (Alfur name).[10]
Alfurs participated on wars such as fights with other tribes to deter enemies from attacking them. They act like soldiers and armed with machetes, knives, spears, javelin, bows and arrows and muskets for higher ranking officials. their main armour is leather armor. In some cases, Alfurs seek help from the Wemale people because they are one alliance.
The Alifuru Council claims to represent them to the Indonesian Government.[11]
