The Bugis (or Buginese) people are the largest ethnic group in the southern part of the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. They are globally renowned for their deep maritime heritage and their unique social structure that recognizes five genders.
The Bugis are famous for being expert sailors and shipbuilders.
Pinisi Ships: These are iconic wooden vessels with two masts and seven sails that the Bugis have built for centuries without written blueprints.
UNESCO Heritage: The art of pinisi shipbuilding in South Sulawesi was recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017.
Expeditions: Historically, their ships traveled across the Indonesian archipelago and reached as far as present-day Malaysia, the Philippines, and northern Australia for the trade of sea cucumbers and spices.
Unlike the Western binary view, traditional Bugis culture recognizes five gender identities:
Oroané: Cisgender men.
Makkunrai: Cisgender women.
Calabai: Biological males who take on female roles (often acting as wedding planners or "wedding mothers").
Calalai: Biological females who take on male roles (may work as blacksmiths or in agriculture).
Bissu: People who transcend gender and act as priests or shamans. They are seen as intermediaries between humans and the gods.
Religion: The vast majority of modern Bugis are devout Sunni Muslims, though they maintain syncretic pre-Islamic rituals.
Values: The concept of Siri' (honor and dignity) is fundamental to their identity; it is a value for which they are willing to make great sacrifices.
Language: They speak Buginese (or Basa Ugi), which has its own traditional script called Lontara.
Photo Gallery: © Vicente Martínez Castilblanques / Sulawesi - Indonesia - 2011
Extended info about Bai People