The Torajan people had little notion of themselves as a distinct ethnic
group before the 20th century. Before Dutch colonization and Christianization,
Torajans, who lived in highland areas, identified with their villages and did
not share a broad sense of identity. Although complexes of rituals created
linkages between highland villages, there were variations in dialects,
differences in social hierarchies, and an array of ritual practices in the
Sulawesi highland region. "Toraja" (from the coastal languages' To,
meaning people; and Riaja, uplands) was first used as a lowlander expression
for highlanders. As a result, "Toraja" initially had more currency
with outsiders such as the Bugis and Makassarese, who constitute a majority of
the lowland of Sulawesi than with insiders. The Dutch missionaries' presence in
the highlands gave rise to the Toraja ethnic consciousness in the Sa'dan Toraja
region, and this shared identity grew with the rise of tourism in the Tana
Toraja Regency. Since then, South Sulawesi has four main ethnic groups—the
Bugis (the majority, including shipbuilders and seafarers), the Makassarese
(lowland traders and seafarers), the Mandarese (traders and fishermen), and the
Toraja (highland rice cultivators).
source :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toraja
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