.jpg) The two Rotenese people wear elegantly woven straw hats, characteristic of the island,c. 1899–1900. | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 Indonesia (Rote Island andWest Timor) | |
| Languages | |
| Rotenese languages,Kupang Malay, andIndonesian | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity,folk religion, andIslam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Atoni • Helong • Dhao |
TheRotenese people are one of the native inhabitants ofRote Island, while part of them reside inWest Timor.[1] Apart from that, the Rotenese people also settled in islands surrounding Rote Island, such asNdao (with theDhao), Nuse,Pamana, Doo, Heliana, Landu, Manuk, and other smaller islands.[2] There are some who believed that the Rotenese people originally migrated fromSeram Island,Maluku.[3] They were thought to have arrived on the Rote Island during the reign of theMajapahit kingdom in the late 13th–16th century.[citation needed] It was during this time that there were references to the rulers of the Rotenese people. Initially, the Rotenese people founded settlements on the island ofTimor, where they engaged in manualslash-and-burn farming and used irrigation system.[4]
TheRotenese language is part of theAustronesian languages, from the SouthwestMalayo-Polynesian languages, which are made up of several dialects.[3] The main dialects areLole (Loleh),Ringgou,Termanu,Bilba,Dengka,Tii (Thie),Oenale, andDela (Delha).[5]
The livelihood of the Rotenese people includes agriculture,[6] animal farming, fishing, tappingNeera and palm crafting.[2] Lands that are well irrigated are used as paddy fields or water catchments.[2] The main farming produce are rice, corn, cassava, sorghum, millet, as well as other commodities like pepper, peanuts, vegetables and coffee; while the main animal farming are buffaloes, cattle, horses and poultry.[3] Rotenese women work on traditional weaving handicrafts, wovenPandan leaves,[3] pottery and so on. Small trades are also common.[7][4][8]
The most common diet of the Rotenese people are from tubers, porridge, and fish with spicy seasonings.[4]
The kinship system of this people are nucleus family kinship or broad family with patriarchalistic in character, and also maintains anexogamy clan marriage customs.[2] The formation of large families consist of the smaller clans callednggi leo; which in turn the formation of these smaller clans make up of the larger clans calledleo.[2]
The traditional beliefs of the Rotenese people center on a creator known asLamatuan orLamatuak. This deity that is regarded as a creator, predestinator, and the one who blesses, is symbolized by a three-branched pillar.[3] Today, most Rotenese people practiceProtestantChristianity,CatholicChristianity, orIslam.[3][4]
Traditional Rotenese clothing is akain (a cloth of up to 2.5 meters long, wrapped around the waist, reaching to the knees or ankles), as well as jackets and shirts, with a specific style of a straw hat calledti'i langga.[9] A typical family is small and based onpatrilocal marriage; where the wife resides in the community of her husband.[7][4][10][8]
