The Seasea people are native to Peleng Island, with most of their territory, they called it Lipu Tanga Sesea, located in the mountainous or central areas of
Peleng Island in
Banggai Islands Regency. The customary territory of this tribe has been designated by the Regent of Banggai Islands. According to Seasea traditional leaders, their territory in the mountains is separated from the coastal areas. This occurred because, in ancient times, there was an agreement between the people living in the mountainous region and those living in the coastal region. This agreement is evidenced by a place called Labotan Toutobunan, the grave of a child who was split in two and buried in two different locations. Furthermore,
taro is regarded as a staple food in Seasea folklore. It is also believed that taro is a spiritual plant. According to the myth they hold, the taro plant was created at the same time as the first human in the Seasea customary territory. Their ancestors later moved this taro to their fields, where it became the main crop of the Seasea people. Therefore, for this community, taro is considered a sacred plant. In addition, according to
Tonggol (the traditional leader), about the legend of the first human of the Seasea people, the first person to inhabit the area was named Boloki Seasea. According to the beliefs of the indigenous community in Lipu Tanga Sesea, Boloki Seasea was a woman who could transform into a cat. Because of this, she was given the title Tomundo Sasa, where
tomundo means “king” and
sasa means “cat.” Boloki Seasea later had three children. She subsequently became the ancestor of the Seasea people. Therefore, the community in Lipu Tanga Sesea is also known as Pau Seasea, which means “descendants of Seasea". Furthermore, Boloki Seasea does not have a burial site in Lipu Tanga Sesea. This is because Boloki Seasea is believed to have once disappeared on a mountain peak located to the north of the Lipu Tanga Sesea customary territory. For this reason, the people of Lipu Tanga Sesea believe that her grave cannot be found in their region. It is said that “Boloki Seasea did not die like an ordinary human, but instead disappeared". In addition, some accounts mention that in the early
Anno Domini years
, there was one of the eight kings of the
Banggai Kingdom named Tomunda Sasa, also known by the nickname Mbumbu Patola. The nickname comes from two words:
mbumbu, meaning “king,” and
patola, meaning “cat.” This suggests that the legend of Boloki Seasea bears historical similarities to the ancient Banggai Kingdom. According to the Seasea community, the term
lipu refers to the smallest administrative unit at the present-day village level. The term
lipu itself is inherited from the former Banggai Kingdom. Each
lipu is led by a traditional official called a
tonggol. The
tonggol is recognized as the community leader within the customary structure and is still acknowledged by the Seasea people today. As an important part of the Banggai Kingdom in the past, the
tonggol was also part of the royal administrative apparatus at the lowest level, equivalent to a village head. Furthermore, they believe that Tinassu was their first village, which over time developed into four settlements: Tinassu, Butabonggong, Batani, and Tombila. However, during the
Dutch East Indies era, they were gradually relocated to the settlements where they live today. Until now, they still adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic religion introduced by Dutch missionaries. Meanwhile, during the period of Dutch colonial rule, social order was implemented through colonial policies. As a result, the residents of Tinassu were relocated to Kambung Lapetak. The residents of Tombilak were relocated to Kambung Teteek, the residents of Batani were relocated to Kambung Lelak, and the residents of Butabonggong were relocated to Kambung Tallak. After the independence period, around the 1960s, the customary territory of Lipu Tanga Sesea was under the authority of . Nowadays, the Seasea people settlements in Lipu Tanga Sesea are Osan, Lemalu, Momotan, Tatarandang, Alani, and Palabatu / Palabatu II. Currently, Seasea relies on plantation, livestock, and forestry products for its livelihood. Their gardens are planted with sweet potatoes, taro, and coconut. Their main economic commodities include tubers, coconut, cloves, nutmeg, and candlenuts. Meanwhile, livestock farming includes cattle and pigs, and forest products harvested include honey. However, Peleng Island's karst and limestone terrain are not suitable for growing rice. Therefore, food staples such as rice, flour, and other household necessities are imported from the mainland of
Sulawesi. == Population and distrbution ==