Eli-Elat Banda in Indonesia

The Eli-Elat Banda have only been reported in Indonesia
Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

The ten Banda islands are part of the Central Maluku Regency of Indonesia. Up until the beginning of the 19th century, the Banda islands were the world's only source of the spice nutmeg. The inhabitants of the Banda islands became Muslims through the influence of the Arab and Indian traders. These merchants came to Banda to obtain nutmeg that they exchanged for cotton cloth, metal tools, and porcelain.


The Dutch arrived in the early 17th century and took over the islands from the Portuguese. Many of the native Bandanese refused to submit to the Dutch. In 1621 thousands were killed or sent to other islands as slaves. The remaining Banda were forced to work on nutmeg plantations along with convict laborers brought in by the Dutch. In the early 19th century the British took nutmeg seeds and trees and planted them in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka. The islands no longer have a monopoly of the nutmeg trade.


Where Are they Located?

The Maluku Islands are located between the Indonesian islands of Papua and Sulawesi about 2000 km east of Java. The ten Banda islands are about 150 km south of Ceram Island in the Banda Sea.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The people now living in the Banda islands are a mixture of native Bandanese and the various groups of plantation laborers placed there by the Dutch. Growing nutmeg is still a major source of income for the islands along with fishing and agriculture. The Bandanese grow rice, corn, coffee, and coconuts. Tourism is becoming a major part of the economy as the clear, warm waters of the islands are perfect for scuba diving.

The Bantanese have a rich tradition of oral poems. Stories and songs have been passed down for generations of their customs, culture, and beliefs.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The Bandanese practice Islam combined with their folk religion. They believe that spirits of nature dominate the environment in which they live. Allah is their supreme deity, but He is remote from their daily lives. The village shaman gives them advice on how to appease evil spirit through rituals, charms, and incantations. The Bandanese live in fear of offending the evil spirits.


What Are Their Needs?

The Bandanese need to hear the good news of Isa or Jesus. They need to understand that He is more than a prophet. Only Jesus can rescue them from their fear of spirits. The Bandanese would benefit from medical and agricultural teams who could help them with their health and crops. Solar panels would allow the Bandanese to run appliances and charge cell phones.


Prayer Points

Pray the Lord sends workers to the Bandanese tell them about Jesus.
Pray the tiny group of believers would grow into many churches.
Pray that the Lord raises up pastors to lead and feed the Bandanese church.


Scripture Prayers for the Banda, Eli-Elat in Indonesia.


References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banda_Islands


Profile Source:   Keith Carey  

People Name General Banda, Eli-Elat
People Name in Country Banda, Eli-Elat
Natural Name Eli-Elat Banda
Pronunciation eh-LEE eh-LAHT BAHN-dah
Alternate Names
Population this Country 4,900
Population all Countries 4,900
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 5  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 19021
ROP3 Code 114952
ROP25 Code 300803
ROP25 Name Banda (Eli-Elat)
Country Indonesia
Region Asia, Southeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 33  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Maluku Province, south, Kei islands, Maluku Tenggara regency, west and northeast side of Kei Besar island, Banda-Eli and Banda-Elat villages, possibly a third.   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Country Indonesia
Region Asia, Southeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 33  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Maluku Province, south, Kei islands, Maluku Tenggara regency, west and northeast side of Kei Besar island, Banda-Eli and Banda-Elat villages, possibly a third..   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Map of Banda, Eli-Elat in Indonesia Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Islam
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.10 %)
0.50 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
99.50 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Banda (4,900 speakers)
Language Code bnd   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Unknown
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Banda (4,900 speakers)
Language Code bnd   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Banda

Primary Language:  Banda

Bible Translation Status:  Unspecified

Resource Type Resource Name Source
None reported  
Photo Source David Stanley - Flickr  Creative Commons 
Map Source People Group location: IMB. Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source Keith Carey 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.