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The 12,000 Dampelasa people live in the north part of
Central Sulawesi Province in Indonesia. Their name means
"descendents of Ilasa". King Ilasa was the first king of the
Banawa Kingdom in their mountains many centuries ago. They
believe their ancestors were heavenly beings who could incarnate
themselves into plants which then became men, the Dampelasa.
Most Dampelasa people are hunters and farmers as
their region is remote. The farming methods they use in the
mountainous terrain requires them to move around a lot, there are no
large cities, only towns and remote villages. Intermarriage
with other tribes is rare. Their lives are simple by world
standards, and change occurs slowly.
The Dampelasa are Sunni Muslims and are
considered to be strict followers. They are well informed
about the requirements of Islam and are careful to follow the
practice and rituals. However, there is still mixing with animism, with belief in territorial spirits and appeasement to obtain
blessing or relief from problems caused by spirit beings.
Currently there is no one known to be focused on
bringing the gospel to the Dampelasa. They are surrounded by
other Muslim cultures. Access is difficult and few if any
Christians live in their area. The Bible has never been
translated into Dampelas.
Pray for some one to get a burden and go to work
with God's blessing and provision to bring the good news to the
Dampelasa. Pray for Dampelasa youth to find Christ when they
seek education in the outside world. Pray for a church
planting team to be raised up for the Dampelasa. Pray for
resources that can carry the message to be developed and distributed
in the region.
Population: 12,000 --- Language: Dampelas
--- Religon: Sunni Islam / Animism
Christians: None known --- Bible: None --- Other
Resources: None
Resource Links:
Joshua Project
(an image is available)
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