Pakpak people

{{Infobox ethnic group

| group = Pakpak people
Pakpak

| native_name = Pakpak

| native_name_lang = Pakpak

| caption =

| population = 1,200,000{{cite web|url=http://www.ethnologue.com/language/btd |title=Pakpak Dairi in Indonesia |publisher=Ethnologue |access-date=2014-10-07}}

| popplace = {{flag|Indonesia}} (North Sumatra & Aceh)

| langs = Pakpak language, Indonesian language

| rels = 15px Christianity (mostly Protestant) 70%, 15px Sunni Islam 20%, traditional beliefs 10%{{cite web|url=http://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/14265/ID |title=Batak Pakpak in Indonesia |publisher=Joshua Project |access-date=2022-03-16}}{{bsn|date=April 2025}}

| related = Singkil, [[Toba Batak people|

Batak Toba]], Karo, Batak Simalungun

}}

Pakpak people or Batak Pakpak or Pakpak DAIRI 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 "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:{{cite web|url=https://kumparan.com/kumparannews/mengenal-kabupaten-pakpak-bharat-yang-bupatinya-di-ott-kpk-1542518011817090345/full |title=Mengenal Kabupaten Pakpak Bharat yang Bupatinya di-OTT KPK |date=18 November 2018 |publisher=Kumparan News |access-date=2020-06-18}}

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

The Pakpak people are most likely the descendants of Formosan.{{cite book|author1=Ronald Findlay |author2=Kevin H. O'Rourke |name-list-style=amp |title=Power and Plenty: Trade, War, and the World Economy in the Second Millennium|url=https://archive.org/details/powerplentytrade00find |url-access=limited |year=2009|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-1-4008-3188-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/powerplentytrade00find/page/n95 67]}} 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

File:GKPPD Tanjung Beringin, Res. Sumbul (02).jpg

The Pakpak people are divided into five sub-ethnic groups or in local terminology, Pakpak Silima Suak:{{cite book|author=Lister Berutu|title=Pertuturen Pakpak: Istilah Dan Adat Sopan Santun Kekerabatan Pada Masyarakat Pakpak|year=2006|publisher=Grasindo Monoratama|oclc=139777033}}

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

File:Gedung Nasional Djauli Manik Sidikalang Dairi (03).jpg

File:Sopo Jojong TMII.jpg, Jakarta]]

File:Genderrang Pakpak (Batak Pakpak Traditional Musical Instrument) (02).jpg

The Pakpak people are bound by a social structure, which in local terminology is called sulang silima. Sulang silima consists of five elements:{{cite book|author1=Mariana Makmur |author2=Lister Berutu |author3=Pasder Berutu |title=Aspek-Aspek Kultural Etnis Pakpak: Suatu Eksplorasi Tentang Potensi Lokal|year=2002|publisher=Monora|isbn=979-612-106-9}}

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.{{cite book|author=Lister Berutu|title=Mengenal Upacara Adat Pada Masyarakat Pakpak Di Sumatera Utara|year=2006|publisher=Grasindo Monoratama|isbn=978-979-612-114-4}}

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).{{cite book|author1=Lister Berutu |author2=Nurbani Padang |title=Tradisi Dan Perubahan: Konteks Masyarakat Pakpak|year=2006|publisher=Grasindo Monoratama|isbn=979-612-205-7}}

Pakpak people

Sub-ethnics

Language

Pakpak surnames

Society

References

Further reading