Book Description

Until now, there has been virtually no research done on the Alas people of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. This first intensive ethnographic study of the Alas incorporates systematic field research to provide an accurate and detailed analysis of this population, who first came into contact with the Western world in 1904, when the Dutch army occupied Alasland. Akifumi Iwabuchi charts Alas social organization, focusing on behavior, rules, and categories, and gives a full account of Alas history, village structure, family composition, descent systems, relationship terminology, and marriage rules. Iwabuchi's study gives context and depth to Alas social forms by demonstrating past connections with surrounding peoples, in particular the Karo Batak. His book thus makes an important contribution to our knowledge of the migrations and assimilations which have led to the present distribution of cultures and social systems in northern Sumatra.