Pesisir's Animism

Islam is thought to have entered through the east coast area, although there are assumptions from the west coast, especially in the Pariaman area, the Arcat and Inderagiri areas on the east coast have also become Minangkabau port areas & the Kampar River and Batang Kuantan have their origins in the Minangkabau inland area. The arrival of the Pesisir Tribe to Barus caused the ousting of Tamil traders who had traded in the city for hundreds of years before. The next wave was a group led by Sultan Ibrahimsyah who came from the South Coast.

The Dutch East Indies government employed many of them to fill teaching and government positions. Pesisir / Pasisi means the area on the edge of the ocean. The name Pesisir Tribe for this group was never known until the 20th century.

In the 2000 population census, the Pesisir people were classified as a separate ethnicity that was different from the Batak. In its development, the term Pesisir Tribe was used more to emphasize the political interests of the people of Sibolga - Central Tapanuli, especially to avoid domination by Batak people from the interior. Although there is some vocabulary taken from Batak & Acehnese.

In this tribe, the larung offerings ceremony is always held. The belief system behind traditional ceremonies usually originates from empirical experiences & rituals of ancestors which are not always based on religious values ​​and customs but are more based on animist beliefs.