The Polahi forest hermit
The Polahi are one of the most self-isolated groups in Indonesia.
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Northern Sulawesi
The Polahi are one of the most self-isolated groups in Indonesia. They live in several areas of North Sulawesi, mainly in the Gorontalo District – in mountainous forests. People say they are the descendants of people who fled into the jungles in the 17th century, to escape from the viciousness of Dutch settlers. Since then the Palahi have lived a forest lifestyle – their name Polahi in Indonesian means 'fugitives'.
Some estimates claim there could be just 500 of these people left. Some sources on the Internet say the Polahi revere three gods, who embody the forces of nature. Incest is commonplace among the Polahi within their tribal groups – children are born into family units of numerous close relatives.
