Marianne Weingroff Photography

In 2024, I traveled to the Indonesian islands of South Sulawesi, Flores & Bali. While there, I visited 2 ethnic communities: Tana Toraja in South Sulawesi and Wae Rebo in Flores. Both have a unique architecture and set of cultural practices developed long before European colonization, which continue despite the influences of the modern world.

Wae Rebo Traditional Village, Island of Flores

The people of Wae Rebo grow and gather much of their food from the surrounding jungle. They live communally in huge conical structures and are governed by a chief who leads by consensus. They accept outsiders as people who left long ago and are now returning, gifts in hand. The only way to access the village is by hiking a steep path up the mountain through dense jungle. Approaching visitors bang a gong to announce their arrival. Most stay overnight, and eat and sleep in a dedicated structure that can hold 25 people.

The villagers are supported by community members who live in the village at the base of the mountain. They’re there for various reasons - so their children can attend school (elementary school is required) or they want to earn money to help support the community, etc. Each week, a villager treks up the mountain to bring supplies and stays for the week to help maintain the community.

Early Morning in the Village

Early Morning

Village Chief With His 93-Year-Old Mother & Son

Village Elder

Greeting the Day

Dense Afternoon Fog

Morning Fog

Village Below That Helps Support the Community

Tana Toraja Region, South Sulawesi

The Torajan people live in compounds of traditional houses surrounded by rice fields. The most unique aspect of their culture is their relationship to their ancestors. When a person expires, they are not considered to be dead. Rather, they begin a long, multi-year transition to the afterlife. Their bodies and spirits remain at home for periods ranging from days and weeks to years, and they remain an active presence in the family’s life. When the family decides that the person’s spirit is ready to begin its final journey, they hold a multi-day ceremony attended by hundreds of family members and neighboring villagers. Water buffalo are sacrificed and the deceased is remembered in song and dance. The body is then placed in a “house without kitchen” (a traditional house without a cooking area) to await final placement in the family tomb, which has been carved into a nearby boulder or cliff. These ancient ceremonies are practiced by all classes of Torajans but the magnitude depends on a family’s wealth. It can take a family years to save up for a ceremony for a beloved relative. Families visit their tombs annually to redress the bodies and spend time with their ancestors.