Helong people
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Indonesia (Kupang Regency, Semau Island, Flores Island) | |
| Languages | |
| Helong, Kupang Malay, and Indonesia | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity (predominantly) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Atoni • Dhao • Rotenese |
Helong people are one of the indigenous inhabitants of Timor Island in Indonesia. Most of them live in Kupang Regency, namely in West Kupang and Central Kupang; and some also settled in Flores Island and Semau Island. Their livelihoods are mainly farming, hunting, fishing, and making traditional crafts.
They speak a native language called Helong, which has two dialects, the Helong Semau dialect and the Eastern Land Helong dialect. Helong speakers are found in four villages on the South-Western coast of West Timor, as well as on Semau Island, a small island just off the coast of West Timor.
The basic Helong family system is a nuclear family, which then joins into a limited larger family (ngalo). Some ngalo joins to form a clan (ingu) which is led by a clan leader (koka ana). In terms of social strata, the traditional Helong community was divided into three layers, the nobility (usif), ordinary people (tob), and slaves (ata).