Abstract
In Southeast Sulawesi State in Indonesia which has still been underdeveloped, there are four provinces, two located in the peninsular and inhabited by the Tolaki (including the Mekongka) and the other two located in the southern islands and inhabited by the Butonise and the Munaise. The traditional agriculture consisted of shifting farming and sago palm cultivation. Recently, however, paddy rice cultivation was introduced to the area largely owing to the transmigrants from Java, Bali and South Sulawesi, whose culture including rice cultivation had been developed. The villages in the peninsular are classified into three types: the first, inhabited exclusively by the indigenous ethnic group; the second, inhabited by the indigenous group and one transmigrated ethnic group; and the third, inhabited by the indigenous group and several transmigrated ethnic groups. The inter-village difference in ethnicity is closely related to the diversification of agricultural strategies, as represented by the relative importance of sago starch in some villages and that of maize, cassava, sweet potatoes and bananas in others in addition to rice as the staple.
