June 2004: This page is being discontinued.
This people group is no longer on our least reached list.
LAWANGAN OF INDONESIA
LOCATION : East Kalimantan in seven districts
POPULATION : 100,000
LANGUAGE : Lawangan
PEOPLE CLUSTER : Barito
RELIGION : traditional Dayak beliefs
% OF CHRISTIANITY : 0%
SCRIPTURE : None
RADIO BROADCAST : None
JESUS FILM : None
GOSPEL AUDIO RECORDING : available
MISSION AGENCY / CHURCH PLANTING WORKING AMONG THEM: 0
The Lawangan people (or Luangan) live in the seven districts of East Kalimantan. The name Lawangan is originally from the word luang, which means hole. This meaning has lead to suggestions that the ancestors of the Lawangan people lived in caves at the foot of Luang Mountain. The Lawangan are one of the people groups in the Barito cluster which is part of the larger Dayak ethno-linguistic cluster.
The Lawangan people make their living through hunting, fishing, farming, raising livestock, making handicrafts, and recently some have become traders. Generally, the worldview of the Lawangan people is connected with belief in spirits. In the same way, their arts and culture are related to these spirit beliefs. The Lawangan perform many traditional ceremonies, such as for finding a mate, marriage, pregnancy, birth, circumcision at the age of 7, medication, burial, remembrance of the dead, and religious celebrations. It is important to note that marriage is sacred to them and marriage to a close relative is forbidden.
The Lawangan are typically followers of the traditional Dayak beliefs, called Kaharingan. In addition, there are also followers of the Nyuli belief that teaches that there is a resurrection after death (Suli) and that Bukit Lumut will release the departed spirit. Such a spirit will then return to their village, bringing something from eternity that can be used to improve the condition of the world. The Lawangan also worship the spirits of their ancestors, which are called duwata. Every family worships its own duwata that acts as their house god. Human bones are used to call duwata.
Recently, there has been significant change in the life, traditions, worldview, and community systems of the Lawangan that has occurred in conjunction with their greater mobility and contact with the outside world, and their new openness to outsiders. But inspite of the changes, the Lawangan need formal and sufficient education, they also need skill development in order to face the changes they are experiencing and to rise above poverty, and they also need health improvement.
PRAYER POINTS
- Pray that the spirit of traditional Dayak beliefs will be broken over the Lawangan and that their hearts will be opened to the Truth about the Gospel.
- Ask God to create a hunger in the hearts of the Lawangan and an openness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
- Ask the Lord to call loving non-Lawangan Christians who are willing to share the Gospel with the Lawangan.
- Pray that God will raise up other laborers who understand their culture and who can effectively take the Gospel to the Lawangan.
- Pray that God will encourage the Christian medical team, community workers, educators and other skillfull team to help the Lawangan with their physical needs. Pray for His protection over them from physical harm.
- Ask God to send qualified linguists to translate the Bible into the Lawangan language. Pray that the translation will be completed quickly.
- Pray that a strong Christian work will be established among the Lawangan and be able to successfully plant a church.
links to related information: www.1040window.org , www.joshuaproject.net
