Helong people

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 smallest 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 ancient Helong community was divided into three layers, the nobility (usif), ordinary people (tob), and slaves (ata).

Notable people

 * Viktor Laiskodat