8 Most Common Ethnic Groups in Aceh

Aceh becomes one of the regions in Indonesia that consist of so many ethnic groups. The fact makes Indonesia consist of so many tribes that spread all around the Indonesian region.

Aceh is popular with the porch of Mecca regions which makes Islam is their main religion. That is why the local government uses some of the Islamic rules are their basic law.

Even so, that does not make everyone in Aceh rudely avoid some strangers that come outside from the city. Just like other Indonesian, most of them are kindly accepted every ethnic group that lives there.

Speaking of ethnic groups in Aceh, here we have some of them on the list below. Let’s check them out!

1. Aceh Tribe

Aceh tribe becomes one of the biggest communities that live in Aceh. They become the local tribe that will not extinct easily. They have their traditional language, which people commonly call the Ureueng Aceh.

Aceh tribe spreads in most of the seashore of Aceh and a bit hinder land area in Aceh. Even they have their traditional language of Aceh, but most of the areas have their local accent. That makes one of the tribes are different by looking from their accent.

2. Lekon Tribe

Lekon tribe becomes one of the most popular ethnic groups in Aceh after the Aceh tribe. Most of them live in the Alafan district, Simelue regency. More specifically, they live around the Lafakha and Gampong Langi villages.

Lekon tribe has their traditional language that calls the Lekon language. They live with their language from so many years ago. They also have their traditional musical instrument of Aceh, which makes them become one of the parts of the rich culture in Aceh.

3. Gayo Tribe

Gayo tribe becomes one of the most popular ethnic groups in Aceh decades ago. They spread around the high land of Gayo in Aceh province. Most of them live around the Bener Meriah Regency, the center of the Aceh area, and Gayo Lues.

Most of the Gayo tribe are Muslim, which uses their law under Islamic law. They have their traditional dances from Aceh, language, culture, and even clothes as their unique symbol of their tribe.

Gayo tribe also has their unique system in social living that calls the Sarak Opat culture. In their society, they lead by the chief that calls as the Gecik or Reje, which means a king.

4. Tamiang Tribe

Tamiang tribe becomes one of the ethnic groups in Aceh that live there for ages ago. They spread in around East Aceh regency, Bendahara district, Kejeruan Muda, Seruway, Karang Baru, Tamiang Hulu, and Kuala Simpang.

Tamiang tribe used to become one of the biggest tribes in Aceh when the Dutch colonialism era. Nowadays their population is more than 12000 people and spreads in most of Aceh regions.

Tamiang tribe has a traditional culture that is similar to the Melayunese tribe. That appearance looks similar to their traditional clothes. To make it different, they use yellow color in their traditional clothes.

5. Alas Tribe

Alas tribe becomes one of the ethnic groups in Aceh that was found in around 1325. The tribe spread in most of Aceh regions, such as south of east Aceh regencies. Most of them live with their specific clan to make one of another family different.

Alas tribe has their unique tradition that takes the Patrilineal line from father line to their heirs. They should choose another clan to marriage under their traditional law so that their lines of heirs are not extinct easily as the mandatory traditions in Aceh, Indonesia.

6. Aneuk Jamee Tribe

Aneuk Jamee tribe becomes one of the most popular ethnic groups in Aceh. They spread in most of the Aceh regions, such as Singkil, South of Aceh, Southwest of Aceh, and Simeulue.

Aneuk Jamee tribe is popular with the call of Minangkabau tribe, which they known come from the Minangkabau tribe. Most of them have similar cultures and art in West Sumatra to the Minangkabau tribe in West Sumatra.

7. Batak Pakpak Boang Tribe

Batak Pakpak Boang tribe becomes one of the ethnic groups that lived in Aceh for decades ago. Most of them live around Aceh Singkil regency, Subulussalam city, Dairy regency, Sidikalang, and west Pakpak regency.

Most people commonly call Batak Pakpak Boang with the Singkil tribe, but both of them are different tribes. Even so, both of them live close by with each other so that they have similar looks whether in culture or languages.

Batak Pakpak Boang tribe knownly came from the Batak tribe in North Sumatra. That makes them have a unique clan in every family as a family norm in Aceh. Even so, nowadays, some of them are not using their clan anymore just like it used to be.

8. Devayan Tribe

Devayan tribe becomes one of the most popular tribes in Aceh many years ago. They spread around the Simeulue Island that becomes one of the most minority tribes in Aceh. Commonly, they live around the West Teupah district, East and West Simeulue, and hinder land gulf.

Devayan tribe commonly has their traditional language that calls as Devayan language. Most of them are Muslim, which has similar face looks with Nias tribe and Mentawai tribe from Mongoloid tribe.

The Devayan tribe commonly lives as a fisherman and farming. Their popular lobster becomes their first commodity to export to another country as well.

So, there are some of the most popular ethnic groups in Aceh that live there for decades ago. Most of them have their traditional languages, clothes, songs, and even custom culture. Have you ever met one of them so far?