The Nias (Nias: Ono Niha lit. 'descendants of humans'; Indonesian: Orang Nias) or Niasans, are an Austronesian ethnic group native to Nias, an island off the west coast of North Sumatra, Indonesia. In the Nias language Nias Island is known as Tanö Niha, with Tanö meaning 'land' in the Nias language.
The Nias people are a community that continues living within the norms and practices of their indigenous culture. The customary law of the Nias people is generally referred to as fondrakö, which regulates all aspects of life from birth to death. Historical evidence of megalithic structures and stone carvings that are found in the interior of the island proved that ancient Nias people practiced megalith culture. The caste system is also recognized in Nias society, whereby the highest level out of the 12 levels in the Nias caste system is Balugu. To reach this level of caste, one must be able to carry out big festivals by inviting thousands of people and slaughtering thousands of pigs for several days.