|
Pancana |
| People Group: |
Palembang |
 |
 |
| Location: |
S.E. Sulawesi, Indonesia |
| Population: |
6,300 |
| Religion: |
Islam |
| % Christian: |
0.07
% |
| % Evangelical: |
0.07 % |
| Ministry
Resources: |
No Known Believers |
|
|
Total People Group
Population: |
6,300 |
Other countries People
Group Linked to: |
None |
____________________________________________________________ |
|
Additional Information:
Who are the Pancana?
The Pancana people (also known as the Kapontori) live on Buton island,
located in the eastern part of the Province of South-East Sulawesi.
Analysis of their language points to a close connection between the
Pancana people and the Cia-Cia and Muna people. The Pancana culture
appears to have been influenced by their neighbours, the people of Muna
and Maronene
What are their lives like?
The primary means of livelihood for the Pancana people is farming, with
corn as their primary crop. Other than corn, they also grow sweet
potatoes, sugar cane, other vegetables, tobacco, and coffee. The Pancana
people practice migratory agriculture (shifting from one field to
another), mainly because they cannot maintain the soil's fertility in
their existing fields due to inadequate farming methods. New farmland is
opened by cutting down trees and burning the underbrush (this is the
very common "slash-and-burn" method used by a wide variety of people
groups throughout the Indonesian archipelago).Their houses are spread
out over land that has been cleared for farming. Their houses are built
on raised platforms 1.5-2 meters high. The Pancana make their houses out
of plaited thatch with very high roofs. Most groups of people in
Sulawesi are still familiar with different social classes in their
social systems. The Pancana use the typical groupings of nobility,
middle class, and common people. Usually, each respective class has its
own customs, in addition to different traditions and habits. The
privilege of owning land is decided by the community advisory committee,
which has unconditional authority over all the land. The lineage of
descent of the Pancana is patrilineal (tracing descent from the father).
In Pancana marriages, the groom pays a bride price to her family. This
price is determined by the groom's social status in the community; the
higher his status, the higher the price. Before the marriage, the future
husband must undergo a trial period by his future in-laws. However, this
requirement is the main cause of many elopements.In the past, servants
were not permitted to marry each other, but were permitted to live
together. Women of the noble class also were not permitted to marry men
from other social classes. Polygamy became popular among the nobility,
but is rarely practiced anymore.
What do they believe?
Almost all Pancana people practice Sunni Islam. Even so, traditional
beliefs and animism have an important role in their lives. They will
often employ the services of a dukun (shaman/healer/occultist) for a
variety of services, such as healing illnesses, cursing enemies, and
bringing good fortune to individuals and the community.
What are their needs?
The development of education and health facilities are still great needs
for the Pancana people group. They also need to be trained in the use of
appropriate technology. The Pancana have inadequate opportunities to
improve the scope and variety of jobs that are available to them. In
order to improve health services for the community, they also need more
medical attention, clinics and medical personnel.
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