Totoli people
The Totoli people, also known as Tolitoli, are an Austronesian ethnic group living along the northern coast of Central Sulawesi, specifically in the coastal region stretching from Sojol in the Donggala Regency in the south to Lakuan and Binontoan, Tolitoli Regency in the north.
The Totoli people generally speak the Totoli language and Indonesian. The use of the Totoli language is increasingly threatened today, as it is rarely heard in wider forms of communication, such as in markets, offices, or mosques.
Etymology
The name To Toli or Tolitoli means 'three people'. According to Totoli elders, they believe their ancestors originated from three individuals:- Tau dei olisan bulaan, also known as tau dei baolan
- Tau dei pun lanjat, also known as tau dei karamat binontoan
- Tau dei ue taka
Culture
Traditional clothing
The Totoli people have a form of traditional clothing made from the bark of the ivo tree and the nunu tree.Traditional women's attire consists of a badu, a short-sleeved blouse with small folds decorated with beads and gold ribbons. The badu is paired with a lower garment called puyuka, long trousers decorated with gold ribbons and beads, a yellow waist belt, and a lipa or knee-length sarong.
Traditional men's attire usually consists of a long-sleeved blouse with a stand-up collar, decorated with gold ribbons and yellow beads, paired with puyuka. A knee-length sarong and a head covering called sanggo are also worn. Some ornaments used in customary ceremonies include palm leaves and bark.