Tau Suwawa | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| 16,374 (2010)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Gorontalo (Bone Bolango) | |
| Languages | |
| Suwawa (native) Gorontalo,Gorontalo Malay, andIndonesian | |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Gorontalo • Bolango • Polahi |
Suwawa people is anAustronesian-speakingethnic group who inhabitBone Bolango Regency,Gorontalo, mainly inSuwawa District. This ethnic group is the oldest on theGorontalo Peninsula, and is also one of the oldest ethnic group on the mainland ofSulawesi, Indonesia.
The Suwawa people speak theSuwawa language as their main language, besides that they also useGorontalo,Gorontalo Malay, andIndonesian.[2] In Gorontalo, the Suwawa language is considered anendangered language. TheSuwawa Kingdom, located in the north of Sulawesi, was also founded by Suwawa people.
In historical records, Suwawa is the name of an ethnic group in Gorontalo which is called theTau Suwawa (lit. 'People of Suwawa'). Apart from that, Suwawa is also the name of the oldest kingdom in Gorontalo region which is known as theSuwawa Kingdom, whose people have long spokenSuwawa language written withBonda script.[3]
Fromfolklore and historical records, Suwawa is the ancestral land or forefathers of all ethnic groups on the Gorontalo Peninsula, namely the peoples ofGorontalo,Atinggola, andBolango. In various local literature, Suwawa was placed as theTiyombu (The Eldest) inU Duluwo Limo Lo Pohalaa or the family of five kingdoms, namely Suwawa,Gorontalo,Atinggola,Bolango, andLimboto.
The Suwawa people are Muslim.[4] They converted to Islam around the 15th and 16th centuries.[5]
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