June 2004: This page is being reconstructed with new information.
The information on this page may no longer be accurate.
KULISUSU OF INDONESIA
LOCATION : northeastern Butung Island, southeast Sulawesi
POPULATION : 25,000
LANGUAGE : Kulisusu
PEOPLE CLUSTER : Tukangbesi
RELIGION : Muslim (Sunni) 95%, Ethnic religionist 4%
% OF CHRISTIANITY : 1%
SCRIPTURE : None
RADIO BROADCAST : None
JESUS FILM : None
GOSPEL AUDIO RECORDING : available
MISSION AGENCY / CHURCH PLANTING WORKING AMONG THEM: 0
The Kulisusu of Indonesia are located in northeastern Butung Island, just southeast of the major island of Sulawesi. Although always a small people group, they enjoyed a period of independence in the early seventeenth century until their capital town was sacked by forces from Ternate, in the Molucca Islands. It was probably around that time that Islam was introduced. Because of the continuing threat from Ternate, the Kulisusu found it best to ally themselves as a servant state under Butung, whose sultans ruled from the southern part of the island.
Most Kulisusu families own small garden plots, raising crops to supply household needs. Cassava is the chief staple; corn and rice are important crops as well. Gardens and groves also produce a variety of vegetables and fruits. Surplus items are sold in local markets, although profits are usually low. The Kulisusu are predominantly farmers; but because of their coastal location, fishing is also a daily activity for many households. The majority of the Kulisusu live on a narrow, hilly peninsula about five kilometers wide and twenty kilometers long. The population is growing rapidly. As a result, some of the Kulisusu have moved off the peninsula, to the north. The Kulisusu are an honest, hard-working people. Family ties are strong; wage labor is rare; honesty is valued; and crime is minimal or non-existent.
The Kulisusu are 95% Muslim. However, their beliefs in Allah and the Koran do not keep them from various shamanistic practices. (Shamanism is the belief that there is an unseen world of gods, demons, and spirits.) They depend on shamans (priests or priestesses) to cure the sick by magic, communicate with the gods, and control events. The Kulisusu hold various feasts to appease the spirits.
The Kulisusu are searching for economic advancement. In the villages, there is also a need for inexpensive medical treatment and preventive medicine. Because of travel difficulties and the high cost of medical care, the Kulisusu only make trips to seek medical attention under the direst circumstances. Transportation is primitive, as a result, they remain very isolated. The Kulisusu have even greater spiritual needs. They are bound by Islam and superstition. They are still awaiting a translation of the Bible in their own language.
PRAYER POINTS
- Ask God to send forth many Christian laborers to the Kulisusu.
- Pray for open hearts among the Kulisusu so that they might receive the Good News of reconciliation through the cross of Jesus.
- Take authority over the spiritual principalities and powers that have kept the Kulisusu bound for many generations.
- Ask God to raise up prayer teams who will begin breaking up the soil through worship and intercession.
- Pray for a full-time team of translators and writers to begin working on Bible translation for the Kulisusu.
- Ask God to give the Indonesian church a vision for reaching the Kulisusu.
- Pray that God will raise up a strong local church among the Kulisusu.
links to related information: www.joshuaproject.net , http://www.bethanynorth.com/profiles/profile1.html
