Native Indonesians

Native Indonesians, also known as Pribumi (lit. 'first on the soil'), are Indonesians whose ancestral roots lie mainly in the Indonesian archipelago and who belong to various ethnic groups, with the majority tracing their origins to Austronesian and Melanesian lineages. In contrast to pribumi are Indonesians with known foreign ancestry, such as Chinese Indonesians, Arab Indonesians, Indian Indonesians, Japanese Indonesians, and Indo-Europeans (Eurasians).

Etymology and historical context

The term pribumi was popularized after Indonesian independence as a respectful replacement for the Dutch colonial term inlander (normally translated as "native" and seen as derogatory). It derives from Sanskrit terms pri (before) and bhumi (earth, land, or soil).

Following independence, the term was normally used to distinguish indigenous Indonesians from citizens of foreign descent (especially Chinese Indonesians). Common usage distinguished between pribumi and non-pribumi. Although the term is sometimes translated as "indigenous", it has a broader meaning than that associated with Indigenous peoples.

The term WNI keturunan asing (with WNI meaning "Indonesian citizen" and keturunan asing meaning "foreign descent"), sometimes just WNI keturunan or even WNI, has also been used to designate non-pribumi Indonesians.

In practice, the usage of the term is fluid. Pribumi is seldom used to refer to Indonesians of Melanesian descent, such as Moluccans and Papuans, although it does not exclude them.