Makeang[1] | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 20,000[2] (2010) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Indonesia (Makian andHalmahera) | |
| Languages | |
| West Makian andEast Makian (L1) North Moluccan Malay,Ternate, andIndonesian (L2) | |
| Religion | |
 Sunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
TheMakian people (Makeang)[1] is anethnic group originating fromMakian Island in the province ofNorth Maluku, Indonesia. However, it can also be found inTernate,Tidore,Kayoa,[1]Mare, the west coast ofHalmahera,Malifut inNorth Halmahera, theObi Islands, and theBacan Islands.[3] The Makian people is divided into two sub-groups, namely West Makian (Jitine) and East Makian (Tabayana). Both speak very different and unrelated languages, namelyJitine language (aPapuan language) andTabayana language (aAustronesian language). The population is around 20,000. The Jitine people call Makian IslandMoi, while the Tabayana people call itTaba.[4]
The majority of Makian people work as farmers with the main commodities being cloves, rice, nutmeg, bananas, sweet potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, and cassava. Since ancient times, Makian has been famous as an island producing quality cloves and nutmeg. Some of the agricultural systems used are settled and others still use a shifting cultivation system.
The mountainous geographical conditions ofMakian Island are also marked by the presence of a volcano, namelyMount Kie Besi, which has erupted several times and claimed thousands of lives, as well as the property of its residents. Because of this, theIndonesian government has gradually since 1975 moved some of its population toMalifut inNorth Halmahera aslocal transmigrants. This will also have an impact on thesectarian conflict that occurred in theMaluku Islands.
The number of Makian people according to the 1930 population census data was 15,236 people. The details are that 11,579 people live on Makian Island and the rest live outside the island. Over time, the number continued to grow, but it has also spread beyond Makian Island, especially inMoti,Kayoa,Ternate,Tidore,Bacan,Obi, and the mainland ofHalmahera. They are known as an ethnic group that frequently migrates. This is driven by factors explained above, especially because the region is vulnerable to natural disasters and also due to economic factors.[5]
The Makian people speak two very different and mutually incomprehensible languages, namelyWest Makian (Jitine; a Papuan language) andEast Makian (Tabayana; a Austronesian language). Apart from that, due to historical factors, also driven by the fact that the people like to migrate, the Makian people are also able to speak usingTernate andNorth Moluccan Malay — acreole variety rooted inMalay and used throughout the northernMaluku Islands since the time of the sultanates ofTernate andTidore.[5]
The Makian people houses in the villages ofMakian Island are built along the roads, but not in clusters. Each village consists of 100 to 200 houses, although there are also some densely populated villages with more than 200 to 500 houses. The building materials for the houses are not the same, some are made of plank huts, semi-permanent ones and some are permanent ones. Every house has a yard planted with vegetables, bananas, and others. The Makian houses in the new settlement ofMalifut are all nearly identical. The most prominent public buildings are the mosque and the school. Communication between villages is usually via land routes, but also via sea routes.[5]
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