Based on correspondence and published writings

By Fr. Johannes M. Hämmerle OFMCap & Romanus Tolona Giawa

I. Initial Interest and Follow-up

Introduction: Reasons for DNA Research

The basis for DNA research on Nias was the reality that Fr. Johannes experienced and knew on Nias. Fr. Johannes saw the differences on Nias: Tribe, language, culture. He also discovered the different ancestral origins of Nias people in the oral tradition: Bekhua, Ono Mbela, Nazuwadanö, residents of Tögi Ndrawa and others. This reality is further complicated by the diversity of tribes in Gomo, which is believed to be the origin of the spread of humans in the Nias Islands. These realities have been researched and published in books and articles by P. Johannes, in Nias, Indonesian, English and German. The published books include Famatö Harimao (1986), The Origin of Nias Society: An Interpretation (2001 and 2015), Know Your Origins (2021) and other books. However, Fr. Johannes remained curious about the exact origins of the Nias people. He wanted to know the basis of the differences between the tribes. At the time, Andrew Beatty wrote in an e-mail to P. Johannes that only DNA research could answer that. Who could do that research? God’s help came. P. Johannes communicated and met Prof. Ingo, an expert in human genetics.

Prof. med. Ingo Kennerknecht PhD has written about his initial interest in collaborating in research with the Nias Heritage Foundation (YPN through P. Johannes) and Nias Regency through the medical staff at RSUD Gunungsitoli (now RSU Thomsen). The article can be found in P. Johannes’ auto-biographical book.  There, Prof. Ingo describes that he had already been to Nias with his wife in 1978 and visited villages around the river banks in the south of Nias Island. However, the initiative for this joint research came from P. Johannes. Prof. Ingo was contacted by P. Johannes in 2001 and informed about the work he had done on the origins of Nias society in oral tradition. Prof. Johannes also asked about the possibility that molecular genetics could also be used to clarify or enrich the oral tradition about Nias people.

Prof. Ingo tried to discuss this idea with his colleagues. Unfortunately, he was laughed at, because to them oral tradition is vague while molecular genetics methods are truly scientific. This also demoralized Prof. Ingo. But because of the conviction instilled by Fr. Johannes, Prof. Ingo continued to research the DNA of the Nias people.

After preparing a few things, Prof. Ingo sent a letter to P. Johannes on January 25, 2002. It was an official letter from the Institut für Humangenetik, Universitätsklinikum Münster. The point was that the proof of genetic differences on Nias had to be done through blood sampling. The facilities and process for blood sampling had already been partially prepared, while the rest had to take place in the field of research, on Nias. Therefore, Prof. Ingo needed some information on the climatic conditions for his planned arrival on September 27, 2002 and the transportation route to Nias.

Six days later, on January 31, 2002, P. Johannes replied to Prof. Ingo’s letter. But more than that, P. Johannes had prepared a plan for the research project and contacted a midwife named Katarina to facilitate the initial stages. Theories based on the oral tradition so far were also informed and interpreted a little by P. Johannes to give Prof. Ingo an idea. After they had agreed on a few things in e-mails (from Prof. Ingo: February 1, 2002, March 22, 2002 and April 24, 2002 and from P. Johannes April 29, 2002), P. Johannes requested the assistance (letter dated April 29, 2002) of P. Wiro van Diemen OFMCap of the Capuchins of Medan (he was also the liaison at the Dutch Consulate Medan-Sumut at that time) to facilitate Prof. Ingo’s trip to Nias as well as matters concerning the bringing of blood samples to Germany in cooperation with Santa Elisabet Hospital. In connection with this process, Fr. Kristof Jansen OFMCap sent an e-mail to Prof. Ingo with information about Fr. Wiro in Medan and a little about the origin of the Nias people. Brother Yustinus Waruwu OFMCap also facilitated the process of ensuring the smoothness of Prof. Ingo’s trip to Nias. The certainty of Prof. Ingo’s arrival was again notified by Fr. Johannes to Fr. Wiro by letter on May 14, 2002.

DNA Research Underway

This research also became a joint project of three institutions represented by 3 (three) people: 1) Prof. Ingo from the Institut für Humangenetik, 2) Dr. P. Johannes from the Nias Heritage Foundation, and 3) Dr. Idaman Zega from the Nias Regency Health Office. The theme of this joint research project was “The Characteristics of Niasans related to the Culture and Community Health” based on the Letter of Recommendation (SR) No. 443/3898/P2P dated June 3, 2002 from the Nias District Health Office. This SR was also the basis for seeking the consent of the Nias people for the collection of their blood samples. As a follow up to this SR, the Nias Pusaka Foundation Health Research Cooperation Team and the Nias Regency Government submitted a proposal to the Regent of Nias Regency on June 3, 2002. The proposal detailed a number of issues, including personnel and funding requirements (Rp 179,000,000). The proposal requested financial assistance from the Nias Regency was Rp 10,000,000 of the total funding requirement.

Correspondence between Fr. Johannes and Prof. Ingo continued. The research is planned to take place in 6 (six) sub-districts: Gidö (September 1, 2002), Gomo (September 2-3, 2002), Telukdalam (September 4-7, 2002), Gunungsitoli (September 9-10, 2002) Lahewa (September 12-13, 2002) and Lölöfitu Moi (September 29, 2002). All agencies/sub-districts, villages and key people (including si’ulu and cultural experts) in the study were formally written to. The archives of the letter are still well kept in P. Johannes’ office. Thus the research (blood sampling and photographs of blood donors) was completed, despite some hitches here and there.

Processing Research Results and Their Impact

The subsequent work was no less strenuous, but it was still done by P. Johannes and Prof. Ingo. This can be seen in P. Johannes’ email of September 28, 2002, to which Prof. Ingo replied affirmatively. This means that P. Johannes’ letter with the results of his hard work has reached Prof. Ingo. The progress and interim results of the blood research in Germany were reported by Prof. Ingo to P. Johannes on November 15, 2002. One obstacle was the breakage of several bottles of blood samples. But this did not derail all efforts to research the genetics of the Nias people. The work continued to involve Brother Yustinus, Father Reymond and the deputy director of the Max-Planck-Institut (MPI), Dr. Stoneking. All of this was done to integrate the various theories: DNA, Evolutionary Anthropology, the human thesis “Out of Africa” and the influence of the Syndrome (in collaboration with Charité) on human genetics. As it turned out, Prof. Ingo was desperately trying to find a way to operate on the daughter of the village chief of Bawödesölö, who he suspected was suffering from hygromes/wassersack (water bag). For this he is working together with Mr. Otto and Prof. Dr. Dietl (head of the surgical department of the Raphaelklinik). Another thing Prof. Ingo is working on is the study of facial diseases (Prosopagnosie/Gesichtsblindheit). Prof. Ingo recognizes that expenses/finances are still a part that needs to be taken into account. Even so, Prof. Ingo is still planning further research to Central Nias in 2003, the following year. This is how communication continued to find out about the progress of the research.

Prof. Ingo strongly believes that this genetic/DNA research can complement the oral tradition and literature of European writers on Nias (Kleiweg de Zwaan, Schröder etc.). This was conveyed in his letter of December 30, 2002 to Fr. Marinus Telaumbanua OFMCap (then Kapusin Provincial). As Fr. Marinus was very interested in this research project, Prof. Ingo asked Fr. Marinus to relieve Fr. Johannes from his parochial work and focus on documenting and interpreting all the oral traditions, which he had collected so far about Nias. A secretary to help P. Johannes with this needed to be provided. The experience of coming to Nias in 1978 had made a meaningful impression on Prof. Ingo and his then wife.

In the course of time, the obstacles of installing programs onto computers and accessing the still minimal but expensive internet network at that time were not as easy to overcome. Emails between Prof. Ingo and P. Johannes had to be assisted by P. Kristof from Sibolga, where internet access is much smoother than on Nias, to be brought to Nias on diskettes. However, hard work and the intention to make the researcher successful made all these obstacles overcome. Developments on Nias were kept informed by P. Johannes to Prof. Ingo. Conversely, Prof. Ingo also kept P. Johannes informed of the process of testing blood samples and other necessary matters.

This research caught the attention of P. Raymond (Sirus) Laia, who was in Germany at the time. He interviewed Prof. Ingo to explore the basis, process and meaning of this research project for Nias people. The results of the interview will be published on NiasPortal. Prof. Ingo tried to answer as honestly and fully as possible. So, he asked Fr. Raymond to proofread the text for Fr. Johannes as a fellow researcher and expert on the oral traditions of Nias, via email on February 7, 2003.

Prof. Ingo finally made plans to come to Nias again. The plan had already been prepared by P. Johannes in cooperation with P. Wiro in Medan (fax March 15, 2003), who had facilitated Prof. Ingo’s previous arrival and return. But before he arrived, Fr. Johannes had already distributed the questionnaires (email March 14, 2003) with the help of several people according to their presence in the region: Sr. Getruda et al in the South, Dr. Idaman and Ina Erbon (Oktoberlina Telaumbanua) from MPN around Gunungsitoli. That Prof. Ingo’s arrival and research had been completed, we find in an April 11, 2003 email from Prof. Ingo, informing Fr. Johannes and Fr. Kristof that he and the blood samples had arrived safely in Germany.

The pattern of mutual informing and cooperation continued between Prof. Ingo and P. Johannes. Prof. Ingo’s blood samples were also taken to the Gene Mapping Center under the responsibility of Dr. Birgit Meyer. The results (4 pages of tables) were shared by Dr. Birgit on July 16, 2004 with Prof. Ingo, who forwarded them to P. Johannes on July 21, 2004. Apparently, this research had to be supplemented with saliva research. This has also been attempted.

The research expanded to Hong Kong and Malaysia because Prof. Ingo also wanted to get comprehensive results on the DNA of Nias people with countries that are said to be the origin and trajectory of Nias people’s ancestors in the past. Cooperation was also established with the Eijkman Institute, which has already investigated the DNA of 32 populations in Indonesia. Dr. Herawati from the Eijkman Institute also informed us that Nias would be the next object of research. This was outlined in an email of September 14, 2004. From the subsequent correspondence, we can see how hard Prof. Ingo and P. Johannes worked to complete the research. Research objects and data continued to be completed.

In the fields of biology, medicine and health, Prof. Ingo presented the research to experts: Prof. Dr. Peter Nüremberg (human geneticist) and Dr. Birgit Budde at the Cologne Center of Genomics [CCG], as well as Prof. Dr. Manfred Kayser (specialist in Asian population genetics; Head of the Department of Forensic Molecular Biology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam). To complete the research, linguistic experts were also involved: Lea Brown (has researched in Nias on South Nias Grammar) and Mark Emmons from University of New Mexico. This can be read in the emails of June 19, 2005, January 8, 2007, April 24, 2007, July 23, 2007 and August 7, 2007. In the August 7, 2007 email, Prof. Manfred mentions that his student Mannis (van Oven) is making progress in the analysis of Y chromosome DNA in samples from Nias.

For a moment, let’s rewind to October 30-31, 2006. The results of the Nias DNA research, which had been processed and enriched over 4 years (from 2002-2006), finally found a stage to be presented in Vienna. The presentation took place during the International Conference on Nias Art and Architecture. Various responses emerged: agreeing, opposing, suspecting, needing clarification etc. That’s natural. However, it must be realized that during the years 2005-2010, P. Johannes was busy keeping the Nias Heritage Foundation-Museum ‘breathing’ as well as trying to help the people who were victims of the earthquake of 28 March 2005. The biggest effort was the rehabilitation and reconstruction of several traditional houses in several villages. While social media was buzzing with pros and cons about the results of DNA research on Nias, P. Johannes (with a little help from Prof. Ingo) was busy working in the field. A look at the pros and cons has been written in an article entitled “LELUHUR ORANG NIAS & DNA RESEARCH PROF. INGO KENNERKNECHT” by Romanus Tolona Giawa (editor: P. Johannes).

In addition to dealing with the destructive effects of the 28-3-2005 earthquake, P. Johannes and Prof. Ingo continued to work on completing the research while responding to Prof. Manfred’s electronic correspondence regarding the Mannis van Oven study (see email of September 24, 2007). This DNA research also explores the various diseases suffered by the objects of research. One of these is the existence of albino (pigment deficient) Nias people, who in Nias language are called “ono mbela” (children of the subtle spirit bela). In relation to these albinos, P. Johannes (MPN Director at the time) wrote to the Heads of Service throughout the Nias Islands and Dr. Idaman Zega on October 13, 2010, to record albinos in their respective areas and submit them to MPN.

Continued Research and Presentation of Mannis van Oven’s Study Results

The research continues. On August 8, 2012, Prof. Ingo wrote to Dr. Yuliani Zalukhu as official proof of joint research with: (1) RSUD-Kab. Nias (dr. Adieli Zega, M.Kes and dr. Yuliani Zalukhu), (2) RS Harapan-Pematangsiantar (dr. Lamriah Lubis, SpPK and Relina Situmorang, AAK), (3) YPN (P. Johannes), (4) Center for Laboratory Medicine – University Hospital Münster, Germany (Prof. Dr. Jerzy-Roch Nofer) and (5) Institute of Human Genetics – University of Münster, Germany (Prof. Ingo). Previously, on February 23, 2012, Prof. Ingo had sent an e-mail to Dr. Adieli Zega, Dr. Yuliani Zalukhu and Alfian Elwin Zai inviting them to collaborate in research on public health on Nias. The title of the study was “Prospective Epidemiological Public Health Study based on Routine Laboratory Blood Data”.

While the research was continuing, Mannis van Oven presented his findings. Mannis van Oven’s findings are described in “NIAS PEOPLE’S ORIGINS & PROF. INGO KENNERKNECHT’S DNA RESEARCH”:

The pros and cons came to an ‘end’ until the results of Mannis van Oven’s study on the ancestral origins of Nias people based on DNA/gene research. The results of this study were disseminated in two places in 2013. April 11-12 at the Defnas Hall in South Nias and April 13 at the Santo Yakobus Hall in Laverna Gunungsitoli. The results were exactly the same as those published by Prof. Ingo and P. Johannes in 2006. The DNA of Nias people is similar to that of Taiwanese and/or Filipinos. There is a generational bottleneck between the humans who inhabited the Tögi Ndrawa cave ± 12,000 years ago and the current generation of Nias people. The nature of these two studies is the same: interpretations of findings that cannot be absolutized. But so far, that’s the maximum available.

The research was attempted to be as formal as the initial research in 2002-2003. On July 8, 2013 (Letter No. 738/SPN-M/5/VII/2013), P. Johannes formally requested a research recommendation at Gunungsitoli General Hospital and was replied to by the Head of the Research, Development and Statistics Agency of Nias Regency (Yoniaro Waruwu, BA) an. Regent of Nias on July 10, 2013 (Letter No. 070/541/BPPS). The conditions requested from the government were answered by P. Johannes in letter No. 739/SPN-M/5/VII/2013 on July 11, 2013. Finally, the research permit was issued by the Regent of Nias (Drs. Sokhiatulo Laoli, MM) on July 18, 2013 (Letter No. 070/2331/BPPS) and by the Director of RSUD (dr. Julianus Dawolo, M.Kes) on July 25, 2013 (Letter No. 893.3/4018/Diklat/VII/2013).

The shortage of blood samples at RSUD Gunungsitoli prompted P. Johannes to write to Sr. Ignatia Siringoringo and the Director of Santa Elisabeth Hospital Medan on October 9, 2013 to request cooperation. The number of samples required was 400 blood serums. This request could not be fulfilled by St. Elisabeth Hospital because they had no regulations for such research and also because it involved patients. This was stated in Letter No. 740/Dir-RSE/K/XI/2013 dated November 9, 2013 from the Director of RSE (Dr. Bungaran Sihombing, SpU). P. Johannes attempted to overcome this obstacle by writing to the Director of Sembiring Hospital in Deli Tua, Deli Serdang on December 9, 2013 on the letterhead of three research institutions (RSUD Gunungsitoli, YPN and Institut für Human Genetics). There was no reply letter from Sembiring Hospital. However, in the archive of the letter to the hospital, P. Johannes recorded a direct meeting with the hospital on December 9, 2013. The result is not in P. Johannes’ archive. This is most likely the reason for P. Johannes’ October 17, 2014 letter to the Regent of Nias requesting a recommendation to continue research at RSUD Gunungsitoli (Letter No. 679/YPN/X/M/2014). A reply to this letter was issued by the Secretary of Nias Regency (Drs. F. Larosa, MAP) on November 17, 2014 (Letter No. 640/3704/Adm. Pemb). The reply granted P. Johannes’ request, with a note that the research was facilitated, supported to be carried out properly and reported to the Regent of Nias.

II. Publication Research Results

Publications of research results on DNA and various matters, discovered by laboratory tests and deepening in other fields of study, have been published in various media. Prior to publication, Prof. Ingo sent a draft of the manuscript to each co-author (P. Johannes etc.) for review. After everyone agreed to publish with their proposed corrections, the manuscript was published in a journal or book in the form of a anthology. The list of published papers below was compiled and sent by Prof. Ingo to the authors on July 18, 2024. He sent this list because it was not included in Father Johannes’ Auto-Biography. The titles, other details and classification of their writings have been compiled by Prof. Ingo himself. These writings amount to 18 titles.

Original scientific papers (5 papers)

1. van Oven M, Hämmerle JM, van Schoor M, Kushnik G, Pennekamp P, Zega I, Lao O, Brown L, Kennerknecht I, Kayser M (2011). Unexpected island effects at an extreme: reduced Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA diversity in Nias. Molec Biol Evol 28: 1349-1361.
2. Kennerknecht I, Hämmerle JM, Blench RM (2012). The peopling of Nias, from the perspective of oral literature and molecular genetic data. In Crossing Borders. Selected Papers from the 13th International Conference of the European Association of Southeast Asian Archaeologists, vol. 2, ed. M.L. Tjoa-Bonatz, A. Reinecke and D. Bonatz. Singapore: NUS Press, 2012, pp. 3-15.
3. Kennerknecht I, Edwards SD, Van Belle G, Wang-Elze Z, Wang H, Hämmerle JM, Durak Aras B, Thomas C, Christian Thomas (2021a). Prevalence of hereditary prosopagnosia – a worldwide survey“.[Electronic ed., Münster: Universität Münster]. DOI: 10.17879/37069549382
4. Kennerknecht I, Zühlke Ch, Hämmerle JM (2021b). Extreme founder effect associated with oculocutaneous albinism type 1 (OCA1) on the island of Nias/Indonesia. [Electronic ed., Münster: Universität Münster]. DOI:17879/18049589776.
5. Kennerknecht I, Hämmerle JM, Manfred M, Jerzy-Roch Nofer J. (2024). Extreme founder effect associated with hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia on the island of Nias/Indonesia. Atherosclerosis plus.

Scientific abstracts (3 papers)

1. Kennerknecht I, Hämmerle JM (2011). Severely reduced human genetic diversity on the island of Nias/Indonesia – epidemiological data from a large population based screening. Medgen 1: 193.
2. Budde, B.S., Mizumoto, S., Kogawa, R., Becker, C., Altmüller, J., Thiele, H., Frommolt, P., Toliat, M.R., Hämmerle, J.M., Höhne, W., Sugahara, K., Nürnberg, P., Kennerknecht, I. (2013). Skeletal dysplasia in a consanguineous clan from Nias caused by a B3GAT3 gene mutation. Medgen 1: 158.
3. Budde, B.S., Mizumoto, S., Kogawa, R., Becker, Ch., Altmüller, J., Thiele, H. Frommolt, P, Toliat, M.R., Hämmerle, J.M., Höhne, W., Sugahara, K., Nürnberg, P, Kennerknecht, I. (2013). Mutation of B3GAT3 causes skeletal dysplasia in a consanguineous clan from Nias. Am J Hum Genet Suppl.1: 158.

Lectures at scientific conferences (4 papers)

1. Kennerknecht I, Hämmerle JM (2010). The peopling of Nias, from the perspective of oral literature and molecular genetic data. 13^th International Conference of the European Association of Southeast Asian Archeologists, Berlin 27.9.-1.10.2010.
2. Kennerknecht I, Hämmerle JM (2011). The historical, cultural and genetic identity of the indigenous population of Nias. International Symposium. Insular diversity, Architecture, Culture identity in Indonesia, Vienna 18. – 21.5.2011.
3. Kennerknecht I, Hämmerle JM, Roche-Nofer J, C. Zühlke C (2015). The peopling of Nias. Alternative perspectives from clinical genetics. 15^th International Conference of the European Association of Southeast Asian Archeologists, Paris 6.-10.7.2015.
4. Mizumoto S, Budde BS, Kogawa R, Becker Ch, Altmuller J, Thiele H, Rüschendorf F, Toliat MR, Kaleschke G, Hämmerle JM, Hohne W, Sugahara K, Nürnberg P, Kennerknecht I (2015). Glycobiological approach for skeletal disorder caused by mutation in glucuronyltransferase responsible for glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis. The 34th Carbohydrate Symposium, Tokyo, 31.7.-2.8.2015.

Scientific poster presentations (6 papers)

1. Kennerknecht I, Hämmerle JM, Zega A (2003). Dysproportional growth retardation and multiple bone dysplasias in three different highly consanguineous sibships. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Humangenetik gemeinsam mit der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Humangenetik und der Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für Medizinische Genetik, Marburg, 01.-04.04.2003.
2. Kennerknecht I, Hämmerle JM (2011). Severely reduced human genetic diversity on the island of Nias/Indonesia – epidemiological data from a large population based screening. 22. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Humangenetik gemeinsam mit der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Humangenetik und der Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für Medizinische Genetik, Regensburg 16.-18.3.2011.
3. Budde, B.S., Mizumoto, S., Kogawa, R., Becker, C., Altmüller, J., Thiele, H., Frommolt, P., Toliat, M.R., Hämmerle, J.M., Höhne, W., Sugahara, K., Nürnberg, P., Kennerknecht, I. (2012), Mutation of B3GAT3 causes skeletal dysplasia in a consanguineous clan from Nias (Abstract #2861T). Presented at the 62nd Annual Meeting of The American Society of Human Genetics, November 8, 2012 in San Francisco, California.
4. Budde, B.S., Mizumoto, S., Kogawa, R., Becker, C., Altmüller, J., Thiele, H., Frommolt, P., Toliat, M.R., Hämmerle, J.M., Höhne, W., Sugahara, K., Nürnberg, P., Kennerknecht, I. (2013). Skeletal dysplasia in a consanguineous clan from Nias caused by a B3GAT3 gene mutation. 24. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Humangenetik gemeinsam mit der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Humangenetik und der Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für Medizinische Genetik, Dresden, 18.-20.3.2013.
5. Mizumoto S, Budde, B.S., Kogawa, R., Becker, C., Altmüller, J., Thiele, H., Rüschendorf F, Toliat, M.R., Kaleschke G, Hämmerle, J.M., Höhne, W., Sugahara, K., Nürnberg, P., Kennerknecht, I. (2015). Loss-of-function mutation of glucuronyltransferase-I causes skeletal dysplasia in a consanguineous clan from the island of Nias/Indonesia. 9^th International conference on Proteoglycans, Seoul Korea and 10th Pan-Pacific Connective Tissue Societies Symposium, – 27.8.2015.
6. Mizumoto S, Budde, B.S., Kogawa, R., Becker, C., Altmüller, J., Thiele, H., Rüschendorf F, Toliat, M.R., Kaleschke G, Hämmerle, J.M., Höhne, W., Sugahara, K., Nürnberg, P., Kennerknecht, I. (2015). Skeletal dysplasia in a consanguineous clan from the island of Nias is caused by mutation in the glucuronyltransferase-I. The Annual meeting of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kobe, Japan 1.-4-12.2015.

III. Publication on MPN Website

Now, YPN-MPN is reposting the above-mentioned writings as a reminder that DNA research has results. Of course, the discussion of these writings is better understood by health experts and practitioners. But it is also possible that these writings can be used as materials by researchers/writers to explore and enrich their writings on Nias. These writings are proof that this research has taken a lot of time and money from the researchers. The three collaborating institutions (Nias Regency, YPN, Institut für Humangenetik-Münster) have done their utmost. Prof. Ingo tried to deepen the research with other linguistic and medical disciplines. Prof. Johannes struggled to fulfill and verify research objects and data from the field as well as those processed by Prof. Ingo.

Their struggles and those of everyone involved (blood and saliva sample donors, intermediaries in the field, laboratory staff, funders etc.) will not become mere publications on this MPN website, but rather useful knowledge for anyone who wants to write and research about Nias from other aspects. Finally, we should thank the initiators and all those involved. As an expression of gratitude for their efforts, let us take the time to read these findings. By doing so, we equip ourselves with one of the sciences in researching the ancestral origin of Nias people, namely from the DNA/Genetic side. At the same time, we can enter the discussion arena related to themes about Nias responsibly, not just based on presumptions. These writings are certainly not ‘titled’ as absolute truth. But in terms of field research procedures and laboratory tests, these writings have tried to be as scientific as possible. The gaps that are still lacking from the results of this research can be used as a bridge for further research. Happy reading, greetings literacy, Ya’ahowu! Greetings Archipelago.

MPN-Gunungsitoli, August 2024