Kerinci in Indonesia

Introduction / History

The Kerinci are the original ethnic group living on the east coast of Sumatra. They Kerinci fled from local Muslim sultanates in an ancient war and moved into their existing homeland high in the Bukit Barisan Mountain range around Mount Kerinci in part of Jambi Province, Indonesia. A smaller contingent of the Kerinci live in Bahrain.

In the past, the Kerinci have resisted assimilation from the more numerous lowland peoples of Sumatra. But today, influence by the Javanese, Sundanese and Balinese (who immigrated into Sumatra for work in the fertile plantations) can be seen among the Kerinci. Further external influence will result from a world class national park being developed by the World Wildlife Fund to protect the rain forest. This will draw the attention of many foreigners who wish to visit this beautiful yet hard-to-reach area.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Although the highlands present challenges for living, intensive agriculture coupled with fishing has been sufficient to sustain sizeable indigenous populations. Most Kerinici are excellent farmers, as evidenced by their effective farming methods. In addition to their primary crop rice (planted in both irrigated and non-irrigated fields), they also plant potatoes, vegetables and tobacco.

Those living in the foothills of the mountains practice slash-and-burn agriculture, moving to new fields every few years. They plant coffee, cinnamon and cloves. The primary forest product is rattan and resin. Most Kerinci living near Lake Kerinci and other smaller lakes are fishermen.

Kerinci hamlets ("dusuns") consist of close houses inhabited by near relations who come from the same ancestor. Each dusun consists of several long houses located cheek-to-jowl for the length of the road.

The basic family unit is called the tumbi. When a man marries, he goes to live with the family of his wife in a new room joined to her family home. In a similar manner, this woman's daughter will later be made a similar kind of room to be joined to the house when she is married.

Kerinci society is matrilineal (tracing ancestry through the line of the mother). The ancestral line from the mother's side is called kelbu. The kelbu is the most important unit for the Kerinci and consists of closely related relatives. The female children inherit their parents' property. Despite this, the husband is considered the leader of the basic family unit.

What Are Their Beliefs?

Like many people groups in Indonesia, the Kerinci mix Islam with animistic beliefs. Their belief system relates mostly to areas of healing and agriculture and includes belief in ghosts. In their daily lives, they use the phrases tataman (met with a ghost), tatampo (hit by a ghost) and tapijek (stepped on by a ghost) on a regular basis, demonstrating their strong belief in the spirit world.

What Are Their Needs?

The Kerinci depend upon the fertility of their soil and good irrigation. They need to improve the quality of appropriate technology so they can increase the productivity of their farmlands and rain forests.

The potential for tourism around Lake Kerinci has not been developed, although there are already two weekly flights to Riau and Jambi. These flights could be a starting point for developing tourism in the Kerinci area.

Prayer Points

Pray for the completion of the New Testament in the Kerinci language.
Ask God to reveal truth to the Kerinci and to free them from fear of ghosts and spirits.
Ask God to send gospel workers to the Kerinci to share the good news and to direct those workers to people who are seeking the truth.
Pray for family-based disciple-making movements to soon transform Kerinci society, blessing them spiritually and economically.

Text Source:   Joshua Project