Rejang in Indonesia

The Rejang have only been reported in Indonesia
Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

The Rejang people live primarily in the province of Bengkulu, in southern Sumatra Island. The majority of Rejang live on the slopes of the Bukit Barisan Mountain range, where the climate is cool and fresh. The Rafflesia flower (the world's largest flower) as well as beautiful orchids grow wild throughout this area. The Rejang have been known for their bravery and strength in battle. They have their own language, Rejang, with four dialects: Kapahyang (Rejang Ho), Selupuh (Rejang Musai), Rejang Lebong and Rejang Pesisir.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The Rejang people normally grow coffee for a living. Their villages are quite orderly and neat. Similar to the neighboring Semendo and Pasemah ethnic groups, the Rejang are good farmers. They normally clear land for farming using traditional methods without adding fertilizer and only grow one crop a year. Over the course of a year, a field may be planted with various types of crops mixed together or planted in an alternating cycle. The Rejang are not farmers of any one single crop, but a variety.
The father is the head of the home and is responsible for his wife and children. He has to work hard to make a living and his wife's job is to help him. The wife is forbidden to work too hard outside the house because this embarrasses the husband. He would be regarded as an irresponsible husband by the community. If the wife lifts a load of a kilogram, the husband should lift a load of at least two kilograms. Ironically, however, in the home the wife carries most of the workload.
A special and interesting trait of the Rejang is that children from a young age are given opportunities to speak and make their own decisions. Parents respect and support these decisions, even when they are wrong. Educational facilities are readily available in the Rejang area, from elementary schools to high schools and technical schools. However, most children do not take full advantage of these opportunities. The most common reason for dropping out of school is to get married. This normally is not a result of pressure from parents but arises from the students' own initiative. These young marriages usually last only a few months or years before ending in divorce. Many later choose to return to school after their divorce.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The majority of the Rejang profess Islam. However, animism is an integral part of their daily life and beliefs. For example, a spirit called masumai is believed to be able to take the form of a tiger or a man and is the most frightening of all creatures for the Rejang. They believe strongly in the unseen world and a wide variety of unseen spirits with names such as semat, sebei sebeken, orang bunian and roh padi (spirit of the rice paddies). They use magic for many purposes: to harm enemies far away, to make ritual oaths in secret places (including graveyards) and to practice divination at holy sites. Rice paddies and the growing rice crop are refined creatures that are as sensitive as a newborn baby. Because of this, women are thought to be better suited for the task of planting or harvesting the crop, with the hope that the harvest will be greater. When in the rice fields, it is forbidden to whistle or point at things.


What Are Their Needs?

The Rejang area needs improved education. Unemployment is high among them because of low education and many young people drop out of school to marry at an early age.


Prayer Points

Pray for the Rejang people to see the glory of the Lord and be drawn to Jesus.
Pray for their elders to have dreams and visions that open their hearts to the one who is the truth.
Pray for spiritual discernment and a desire to find the way to truth.
Pray for loving workers.


Scripture Prayers for the Rejang in Indonesia.


References

IPN, 2011 Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Rejang
People Name in Country Rejang
Alternate Names
Population this Country 406,000
Population all Countries 406,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 8
PeopleID3 14537
ROP3 Code 108346
Country Indonesia
Region Asia, Southeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 42  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Sumatra, north Bengkulu Province, southwest highlands; areas near Arga Makmur, Muara Aman, Curup, and Kapahiang towns; far west, Sumatera Selatan Province, Musi Rawas Ulu.   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Country Indonesia
Region Asia, Southeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 42  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Sumatra, north Bengkulu Province, southwest highlands; areas near Arga Makmur, Muara Aman, Curup, and Kapahiang towns; far west, Sumatera Selatan Province, Musi Rawas Ulu..   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Map of Rejang in Indonesia Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Islam
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.02 %)
0.04 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
99.96 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Rejang (406,000 speakers)
Language Code rej   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Rejang (406,000 speakers)
Language Code rej   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Rejang
Photo Source Copyrighted © 2024  International Mission Board-SBC - Jacob Talley  All rights reserved.  Used with permission
Map Source People Group location: IMB. Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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