.jpg) The two Rotine people wear elegantly woven straw hats, characteristic of the island, circa 1899-1900. | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 Indonesia (Rote Island & West Timor) | |
| Languages | |
| Rotenese languages, Indonesian language | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity (predominantly), Folk religion, Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Atoni, Kemak people, Helong people |
Rotenese people are one of the native inhabitants of Rote Island, while part of them reside in Timor.[1] Apart from that, the Rotenese people also settled in islands surrounding Rote Island, such as Ndao Island, Nuse Island, Pamana Island, Doo Island, Heliana Island, Landu Island, Manuk Island, and other smaller islands.[2] There are some who believed that the Rotenese people originally migrated from Seram Island, Maluku.[3] They were thought to have arrived on the Rote Island during the reign of the Majapahit kingdom in the late 13th-16th century.[citation needed] It was during this time that there were references to the rulers of the Rotenese people. Initially, the Rotenese people founded settlements on the island of Timor, where they engaged in manual slash-and-burn farming and used irrigation system.[4]
- ^ Navita Kristi (2012). Astutiningsih (ed.). Fakta Menakjubkan Tentang Indonesia; Wisata Sejarah, Budaya, dan Alam di 33 Provinsi: Bagian 3. Cikal Aksara. ISBN 978-602-8526-67-8.
- ^ M. Junus Melalatoa (1995). Ensiklopedi Suku Bangsa di Indonesia Jilid L-Z. Direktorat Jenderal Kebudayaan. p. 713.
- ^ Dr. Zulyani Hidayah (2015). Ensiklopedi Suku Bangsa di Indonesia. Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indonesia. p. 327. ISBN 978-97-946-1929-2.
- ^ Бернова А. А. & Членов М. А. (1999). Тишков В.А. (ed.). Народы и религии мира. Энциклопедия. М.: Большая Российская энциклопедия. p. 433.