Mentawai (also known as
Mentawei and
Mentawi) are the native people of the
Mentawai Islands, province
West Sumatra,
Indonesia. They live a
semi-nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle in the coastal and rainforest environments of the islands. The Mentawai population is estimated to be about 64,000. The
Mentawai language belongs to the
Austronesian language family. The people are characterised by their heavy spirituality, body art and their tendency to sharpen their teeth, a practice they feel makes one beautiful.
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