Mythologies of the Toba / Batak Tribes
The Batak are one of about 140 indigenous peoples of the Philippines. They are located in the northeastern portions of Palawan, a relatively large island in the southwest of the archipelago. Since ancient times, the Batak have inhabited a series of river valleys along the coastline of what is today Puerto Princesa City. There are only about 450 Batak remaining according to a 1990 census. Also called Tinitianes, the Batak are considered by anthropologists to be closely related to the Aeta of Central Luzon, another Negrito tribe. They tend to be small in stature, with dark skin and frizzy or curly-hair, traits which originally garnered the “Negrito” groups their name. Still, there is some debate as to whether the Batak are related to the other Negrito groups of the Philippines or actually to other, physically similar groups in Indonesia or as far away as the Andaman Islands.
Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of closely related Austronesianethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia, who speak Batak languages. The term is used to include the Karo, Pakpak, Simalungun, Toba, Angkola, and Mandailing which are related groups with distinct languages and traditional customs. The Bataks practiced a syncretic religion of Shaivism, Buddhism and local culture for thousands of years. The last Batak king who fought valiantly against Dutch imperialists until 1905 was an Indonesian Shaivite king. The Batak may be mentioned in Zhao Rugua‘s 13th-century Description of the Barbarous Peoples , which refers to a ‘Ba-ta’ dependency of Srivijaya. The Suma Oriental, of the 15th century, also refers to the kingdom of Bata, bounded by Pasai and the Aru kingdom.
The Batak people live in tribes on the North Sumatran Island and are one of the biggest Indigenous tribes in Indonesia. They live in the highlands of Sumatra in the Tapanuli region and they hold on to their ancient traditions of mutual assistance, especially in farming. By the turn of the 21st century, the Batak population was estimated to be about 6.1 million people, representing only about 3% of the total Indonesian population. The Batak tribe is thought to be the descendants of the proto-Malayan people who lived in relative isolation until as recently as 1825 in the highlands around Lake Toba in Sumatra. Presently, the Batak live in the North Sumatra province, the Karo lands extending to the modern-day Aceh areas, specifically the East Aceh Regency. Some Batak people have migrated to the regions of the prosperous Riau province. In northeast Sumatra, Padang highlands and the southern Sumatra roads are well developed and used to transport produce as well as ferry oil from their oil wells, but in the other parts of the areas where the Bataks live, less-developed trails are used. There are also well-developed railways in some of the regions as well as air transport.
Living primarily in the northern part of the island of Palawan, the Bataks are said to be the oldest indigenous tribe in the Philippines. Researchers suggest that they are the first humans to cross through land bridges that connect the archipelago with mainland Asia. Estimated to number only slightly more than 2,000 people in 1990 census (Ethnologue), the Batak people are the most threatened among the ethnic groups residing in Palawan. Recent statistics have revealed their populations have plummeted to only about 400 or less as they assimilate with the rest of the population. Due to their physical appearance, such as their small stature, dark complexion, as well as their short and kinky hair, they have been classified by anthropologists as part of the Philippine Aeta group. They speak Batak or Binatak language in addition to Tagbanwa and Cuyunon.
In Palawan, the smallest and the most endangered of the three major ethnic groups is the Batak tribe. An old Cuyunon term, Batak means “mountain people”; they are classified as a Philippine Aeta group because of their physical characteristics. At present, they live in the rugged northeastern part of Palawan Island, close to the coastal villages of Babuyan, Tinitian, and Malcampo. Previously, they lived in several river valleys of Babuyan, Maoyon, Tanabag, Tarabanan, Laingogan, Tagnipa, Caramay, and Buayan. They speak a language called Batak or Binatak, although majority are bilingual, as they can speak both Batak and Tagbanua. Bataks practice minimal shifting cultivation, alternating rice with cassava, tubers, and vegetables. The Batak today are fading, and much of their distinctive traditional culture has been irretrievably lost. Their population and traditions have been affected by the continuing invasion of settlers from different parts of the Philippines, and by logging operations in their habitat. They have been ravaged by malnutrition and disease because of poverty.
Toba Batak people (Batak script: ᯅᯖᯂ᯲ ᯖᯬᯅ) are the largest sub-group of the Batak people of North Sumatra, Indonesia. The common phrase of ‘Batak’ usually refers to the Batak Toba people. This mistake is caused by the Toba people being the largest sub-group of the Batak ethnic and their differing social habit has been to self-identify as merely Batak instead of ‘Toba’ or ‘Batak Toba’, contrary to the habit of the Karo, Mandailing, Simalungun, Pakpak communities who commonly self-identify with their respective sub-groups. There were numerous kingdoms and dynasties in the history of the Batak and Toba Batak people. The last dynasty in the Toba Batak people is the Sisingamangaraja dynasty with twelve successive priest kings called ‘Sisingamangaraja’ from the Sinambela clan. During the time when the Batak kingdom was based in Bakara, the Sisingamangaraja dynasty of the Batak kingdom divided their kingdom into four regions by the name of Raja Maropat.
In the outskirts of Puerto Prinsesa City, lives a tribe called Batak—believed to be the oldest inhabitants of the Philippines. But today, the Batak are fading fast. They are now the smallest tribe in Palawan with a population estimated around 300. As you visit one of the Batak villages, you are greeted by bare-breasted women in colorful costumes. They are eager to play their music, beating sticks on hollowed-out tree trunks. They still dance to the rhythm that has entertained them for centuries. And now, they entertain foreign and local visitors as well. Their happy faces belie their long battle against extinction.
Mountain people: The Bataks of Palawan
The Batak, the smallest tribe in Palawan, live up in the mountains. With just 49 families left – that’s more or less 300 people – they’re slowly disappearing. The word “Batak” in Cuyonon means “mountain people.” While the Batak’s origins haven’t been determined, it’s inferred that they are of Aeta descent because of their physical attributes — dark skin, kinky hair, and small but well-defined bodies. In general, the Bataks are an introverted bunch. Even among themselves, they’re pretty quiet – not unless the boys are playing basketball. The Bataks seldom go down the mountains. Some go to town twice a week; others once a month. Some even less – if not to buy non-perishable food or what-not, it’s to perform traditional dances for tourists.
Batak, also spelled Battak or Batta, several closely related ethnic groups of north-central Sumatra, Indonesia. The term Batak is one of convenience, likely coined during precolonial times by indigenous outsiders (e.g., the Malay) and later adopted by Europeans. The groups embraced by the term—the Toba, the Karo, the Simalungun, the Pak Pak, the Mandailing, and the Angkola—have to a limited degree adopted it as a self-designation. They speak distinct languages that belong to the Austronesian language family and that share a common writing system. At the turn of the 21st century the Batak numbered about 6.1 million. The Batak are descendants of a powerful Proto-Malayan people who until 1825 lived in relative isolation in the highlands surrounding Lake Toba in Sumatra. By the 2nd or 3rd century CE, Indian ideas regarding government, writing, elements of religion, arts, and crafts had begun to influence the Batak. They did not, however, develop a unified state, and today they are found in six cultural divisions. Within these are exogamous patrilineal clans known as marga. They practice a form of bridewealth, in which a husband’s family gives gifts and services to the wife’s family; once a particular proportion of the agreed-upon gifts is reached, the bride becomes an official member of her husband’s group. Among the Toba Batak a traditional village consists of several clan houses, but in the Karo division all dwell in one or more longhouses.
The impact of the practice of monogamy, along with limited resources, has led the Batak people to begin intermarrying with outside communities for survival. In fact, today it is rare to find Batak people with a pure bloodline. There is only an estimated 450 Batak people left in Palawan, composed of approximately 50 family groups. That makes them the smallest of the indigenous groups in the region (other tribes are the Kagayanen, Tagbanwa, Palawano, Taaw’t Bato, and Molbog). A vanishing tribe, the Batak have suffered through many long years of food scarcity, outsider population growth, and lack of work. Batak is the name given to the tribe by the Cuyunons and it means “people of the mountains.” While the Batak are people of the mountains today, they were originally settled along the beautiful coastline and river valleys northeast of Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan. However, as migrant people began to settle in those areas, the peaceful and non-confrontational Batak people moved to higher elevations, abandoning their lands. This was the first major economic blow to affect the tribe, as the fertile river valleys and coasts have diverse and abundant food sources, and the Batak are a people who, even today, live off of the land as hunter-gatherers.
The Batak are indigenous peoples who are said to be the Filipino ancestors – the first to set foot in the Philippines. The name, “Batak” is said to be a Cuyunon term for “mountain people”. The Batak used to be semi-nomadic, collecting foods from the forest and rivers. Today, the Batak live precariously in Palawan – the country’s last ecological frontier. According to population estimates, there are less than 400 Batak members left, and those that remain believe “Da’ na ang Batak” – “ Soon there will be no more Batak.” The last guardians of the vanishing rainforests of Palawan, the Batak are ill-equipped to operate in today’s market economy. Without access to education, they have a hard time finding jobs and earning a steady income.
The Bataks is the name for a group of sub-societies that live in the rugged highlands and plains around Lake Toba in northern Sumatra. The word Batak is believed to have originally been a derogatory term meaning “primitive” used by lowland Muslims to describe highland people. Today there is little stigma attached to the word. [Source: “Encyclopedia of World Cultures, East and Southeast Asia” edited by Paul Hockings. Living in a beautiful part of North Sumatra around Lake Toba, the Batak people are divided into six main cultures, each with its own language and traditions. Although geographically isolated, the Bataks have a history of regular contact with the outside world. Trade between the highlands and other regions saw the exchange of goods such as salt, cloth and iron for gold, rice and cassia (a type of cinnamon). The Bataks are a proto-Malay people. Although the Batak groups are closely related but are regarded as separate groups. These groups make up 3.6 percent of the population of Indonesia (about 9 million people), living both in their traditional homelands in Sumatra and elsewhere in Indonesia. Batak groups include the Angkola-Sipirok, Dairi-Pakpak, Karo, Mandailing, Simalungun, Toba, and others. Some Batak languages can be understood by Malays and Indonesians but others can not even be understood by other Bataks.
The Batak Tribe, also described as Austronesian ethnic groups are mainly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia. In fact there are different Batak Tribes such as Mandailing, Dairi, Karo, Toba and many more. Their numbers reaches more than 4 million people. All have distinct languages, customs and histories. The name of Batak come from Malay settlers in Sumatra. In the past, Batak only relied on their traditions. Since Islam and Christianity entered Batak Tribe, such traditions start disappearing over time. Their music tradition remains, though. They may sing Karonese song. The songs are about the Batak legends and history. Some are also about the spirits of nature. The former religious belief system of Batak was animism. There were also some traditional rituals. Batak tribe was famous for its magic techniques. Even singers are considered as high spirits.
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