Who are the Simeulue?

The Simeulue people live on Simeulue Island located to the west of Aceh Province. Their largest towns are named Sibigo, Sigulai, and Lamame. On Simeulue Island there is no land transport available, so that to go from one area to another one must walk.

Simeulue people are known as being friendly and brave. Their physical appearance is similar to Chinese or Korean people because they are pale and tend to have slanting eyes. This is different from the general appearance of the Aceh people on the mainland.

The Simeulue speak Ulau, which means "island", and it has two dialects. Sigulai is used in western Simeulue and Salang, and Devayan is used in eastern Simeulue, central Simeulue and southern Tepang. In general the Simeulue can speak the Aceh language because of the strong influence of Aceh culture on the Simeulue.

What are their lives like?

Generally the Simeulue make a living from planting cloves and coconuts as well as fishing. Each village usually has one mesjid (mosque) or musholla (prayer-house). Beside using it for prayer, the mosque is also used for discussing religious issues, holding social functions, providing information from the government and encouraging the community to work together on community projects.

The village head in Simeulue is called a kecik. Previously the Simeulue were ruled by a king before they submitted to the king of Aceh.

The Simeulue house is built on stilts. Typically, the parents live in a large house with their unmarried children and the families of their sons. This group is called walli or walli akrab. Heredity is patrilineal (tracing descent from the father).

Living arrangements after marriage are of three types. In the first pattern the couple lives near the husband’s family. The second pattern is called paladangan sataun duo in the Devayan dialect or beladang sataun duo in the Sigulai dialect. In this pattern, the couple lives for a few years with the wife’s family and the husband must help his in-laws. After this, they live with the husband’s family for the rest of their lives. In the third pattern, which is called mafanofano, the couple always lives with the wife’s family and the husband must help his in-laws. This usually happens because the wife is an only child.

What do they believe?

Although most Simeulue embrace Islam, many are still influenced by animistic beliefs and various superstitions. These beliefs are focused upon seeking protection through magic by either appeasing or controlling both good and bad spirits.

What are their needs?

The Simeulue people need more work opportunities. The Simeulue need doctors, as up to this point there are apparently no doctors on the island, only government health workers in small clinics. They need information about health as those who live in the interior still drink unboiled ground water or rainwater. There are schools on the island, but teachers are badly needed. Roads between villages and towns need to be built so they can be reached by land transport.