Mentawai people and their Culture

Mentawai people are the true and oldest residents of Mentawai island in Indonesia. Mentawai people believes in spirituality, They believe all things have spirit and soul.When the spirits are not taken care of well, they might haunt and bring bad luck, including illnesses

Traditional communal houses of Mentawai called Uma which is long house and it is made by bamboo, wood and grass.

Tattooing in the Mentawai people symbolize the balance between nature and Forrest and people's relationship to nature, Mentawai tattoos are considered as the oldest in the world The tattoos are made from natural ingredients such as charcoal. A shaman will pray for the charcoal before using it to make a tattoo.

mentawai women's sharpen their teeth.they think sharp and pointed teeth make them more beautiful

Mentawai people consume sago as their staple food. The sago is edible starch which is obtained from a palm. For meat, they usually opt for warthog, chicken, and deer they get from hunting. They keep pigs, dogs, monkeys and sometimes chickens as pets.