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Batak Pakpak people
Pakpak

Batak Pakpak
Total population
1,200,000
Regions with significant populations
Indonesia (North Sumatra & Aceh)
Languages
Pakpak language, Indonesian language
Religion
Christianity (mostly Protestant) 70%, Sunni Islam 20%, traditional beliefs 10%
Related ethnic groups
Singkil, Batak Toba, Karo, Batak Simalungun

Pakpak people or Batak Pakpak are one of the ethnic groups found mainly in North Sumatra, Indonesia. They are scattered in a few regencies and cities in North Sumatra and Aceh, such as Dairi Regency, Pakpak Bharat Regency, Humbang Hasundutan Regency and Central Tapanuli Regency of North Sumatra, and also in Aceh Singkil Regency and Subulussalam, Aceh. Pakpak people have some communities in other cities across Indonesia. The term "Batak Pakpak" also refers to the culture and language of the Pakpak people.

In administrative governance, most of the Pakpak people settled in Dairi Regency, North Sumatra, which later on July 28, 2003 grew into two regencies, namely:

• Dairi Regency (capital city Sidikalang)
• Pakpak Bharat Regency (capital city Salak)

The Pakpak people are most likely the descendants of Formosan. Pakpak people with the surnames Tendang, Banurea, Manik, Beringin, Gajah, Berasa are believed to be the sons of Mpu Bada or Mpung Bada or Mpubada.

Sub-ethnics

The Pakpak people are divided into five sub-ethnic groups or in local terminology, Pakpak Silima Suak:

• Pakpak Klasen people occupy Parlilitan in Humbang Hasundutan Regency, and Manduamas which is part of Central Tapanuli Regency.
• Pakpak Simsim people dwell in Pakpak Bharat Regency
• Pakpak Boang people settled in Aceh Singkil Regency and Subulussalam, Aceh. The Pakpak Boang people are often mistaken as Singkil people.
• Pakpak Pegagan people settled in Sumbul and its surroundings in Dairi Regency.
• Pakpak Keppas people settled in Sidikalang and its surroundings in Dairi Regency.

Pakpak people refer to their homeland as "Tano Pakpak".

Language

Pakpak is both a spoken and written language. It is part of the Northern Batak language and has its own Surat Batak Pakpak style writing system and alphabet. However, nowadays less and less Pakpak people are using the system.

Pakpak surnames

• Anakampun
• Angkat
• Bako
• Bancin
• Banurea
• Berampu
• Berasa
• Beringin
• Berutu
• Bintang
• Boangmanalu
• Capah
• Cibro
• Gajah Manik
• Gajah
• Kabeaken
• Kesogihen
• Kaloko
• Kombih
• Kudadiri
• Lingga
• Maha
• Maharaja
• Manik
• Matanari
• Meka
• Maibang
• Padang
• Padang Batanghari
• Pasi
• Penarik Pinayungan
• Ramin
• Sambo
• Saraan
• Sikettang
• Sinamo
• Sitakar
• Solin
• Saing
• Tendang
• Tinambunan
• Tinendung
• Tumangger
• Turutan
• Ujung

Society

The Pakpak people are bound by a social structure, which in local terminology is called sulang silima. Sulang silima consists of five elements:

• Sinina tertua (Perisang-isang, descendants or older generations)
• Sinina penengah (Pertulan tengah, descendants or middle generations)
• Sinina terbungsu (Perekur-ekur, youngest generation)
• Berru (Kinsmen who receive women into their family)
• Puang (Kinsmen who give women into another family)

Five of these elements are very instrumental in decision making in various aspects of life, especially in kinship system and traditional ceremonies, be it in the context of a single surname clan based community (Lebbuh) or village based community (Kuta). Therefore, five of these elements must be involved in order for a decision to be considered as valid in customary terms.

Traditional Pakpak ceremonies are given "working" terms, however the term "festival" is also frequently used today. Traditional ceremonies are divided into two major parts, namely:

• Traditional ceremonies that involve joyous occasions are referred to as "good works".
• Traditional ceremonies that involve sorrowful occasions are referred to as "bad works".

Examples of "good work" ceremonies are merbayo (wedding ceremony), menanda tahun (paddy planting ceremony) or merkottas (initiating a risky task). Examples of "bad work" ceremonies include mengrumbang and mate ncayur ntua ceremony (funeral).

References

1. "Batak Dairi in Indonesia". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2014-10-07.
2. "Batak Pakpak in Indonesia". Joshua Project. Retrieved 2022-03-16.
3. "Mengenal Kabupaten Pakpak Bharat yang Bupatinya di-OTT KPK". Kumparan News. 18 November 2018. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
4. Ronald Findlay & Kevin H. O'Rourke (2009). Power and Plenty: Trade, War, and the World Economy in the Second Millennium. Princeton University Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-1-4008-3188-3.
5. Lister Berutu (2006). Pertuturen Pakpak: Istilah Dan Adat Sopan Santun Kekerabatan Pada Masyarakat Pakpak. Grasindo Monoratama. OCLC 139777033.
6. Mariana Makmur; Lister Berutu; Pasder Berutu (2002). Aspek-Aspek Kultural Etnis Pakpak: Suatu Eksplorasi Tentang Potensi Lokal. Monora. ISBN 979-612-106-9.
7. Lister Berutu (2006). Mengenal Upacara Adat Pada Masyarakat Pakpak Di Sumatera Utara. Grasindo Monoratama. ISBN 978-979-612-114-4.
8. Lister Berutu; Nurbani Padang (2006). Tradisi Dan Perubahan: Konteks Masyarakat Pakpak. Grasindo Monoratama. ISBN 979-612-205-7.

Further reading

• Brakel-Papenhuijzen, Clara (2014). Dairi Stories and Pakpak Storytelling. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. doi:10.1163/9789004261730.

• Ethnic groups in Sumatra
• Ethnic groups in Indonesia
• Ethnography
• Batak
• History of Sumatra
• Batak ethnic groups