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All Journal Local History & Heritage Journal of Philology and Historical Review
Sinta Soptapia
Universitas Riau Kepulauan
Arts Humanities

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Conversion of the Belief System of the Riau Islands Sea Nomads (Suku Laut) 1999–2026 Sinta Soptapia; Novita Mandasari Hutagaol; Fitri Yanti; Tri Tarwiyani; Arnesih Arnesih
Journal of Philology and Historical Review Vol. 4 No. 1 (2026)
Publisher : Regalia Institute

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.61540/heh80s77

Abstract

This study examines the belief system conversion among the Suku Laut (Sea Nomads) community in the Riau Islands from traditional beliefs to religion. It focuses on the traditional belief systems of the Suku Laut prior to the introduction of religion, the process of religious transformation, and its impact on the community's cultural identity. Using a historical method with an oral history approach, primary data were obtained through in-depth interviews with members of the Suku Laut community in Lingga, Batam, and Pongok Island, while secondary data were gathered from relevant books, scientific articles, and previous studies. The findings reveal that prior to adopting a religion, the Suku Laut community had developed a local religiosity rooted in a spiritual connection with the sea, taboos, seasonal knowledge, and beliefs in natural signs. The shift toward religion occurred gradually, influenced by changes in settlement patterns, social interactions, education, and state intervention through coastal resettlement programs. Although the community has embraced religion, several elements of their traditional beliefs persist in daily life. This study demonstrates that the conversion of the belief system among the Suku Laut did not occur as a total replacement, but rather through cultural negotiation and the reconstruction of religious identity within the maritime indigenous community of the Riau Islands.
From Traditional Navigation to the Global Positioning System (GPS): The Transformation of Orang Laut Maritime Knowledge in Kawal Bintan, 1970–2025 Elvina Puspita Sari; Novita Mandasari Hutagaol; Fitri Yanti; Arnesih Arnesih; Muhamad Risky; Aubray Mariel Ariestho; Sinta Soptapia
Local History & Heritage Vol. 6 No. 2 (2026)
Publisher : Medan Resource Center

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.57251/lhh.v6i2.2215

Abstract

The maritime knowledge of the Orang Laut constitutes a form of Traditional Ecological Knowledge developed through prolonged interaction with marine environments. Modernization, navigational technologies, and coastal environmental change have increasingly shaped its continuity. This study examines the transformation of Orang Laut maritime knowledge in Kawal Village, Bintan Regency, Riau Islands Province, from 1970 to 2025, focusing on shifts in navigation systems, drivers of transformation, and intergenerational knowledge transmission. Employing an oral history method, the study draws on in-depth interviews with three Orang Laut descendants who remain actively engaged in seafaring. The evidence was verified through source criticism, supplemented by relevant literature, and interpreted through historical anthropology and the conceptual framework of Traditional Ecological Knowledge. The findings demonstrate that the Global Positioning System has not displaced traditional navigation; rather, it has fostered knowledge hybridization by integrating readings of stars, currents, winds, seasons, and marine biota with modern navigational technology. However, coastal environmental change and weakening intergenerational transmission have contributed to the erosion of traditional ecological knowledge. The study argues that this transformation represents an adaptive negotiation between tradition and modernity, enriching the maritime historiography of the Orang Laut.
Co-Authors Arnesih Arnesih Aubray Mariel Ariestho Elvina Puspita Sari Fitri Yanti Muhamad Risky Novita Mandasari Hutagaol Tri Tarwiyani