Kebangkitan Identitas Orang Bajo di Kepulauan Wakatobi

This article is the research on Bajonese life in Wakatobi regency of the Southeast Sulawesi Provinceas a community with a maritime history and culture as part of their life. In the interactional process with other communities in its surroundings in Wakatobi, The Bajonese are often stereotypedas pirates, stupid, and with physical characteristics that are different from other communities. In fact, for so long they have been neglected from the process of development implemented by either the central government or the regency government. As a marginal ethnic group, the Bajonese develop their own awareness to do morenients to negotiate at local political elements (bupati election=pilkada) and formed the “kekar Bajo” organization, and appointing Ir Abdul Manan, MSc as president of this organization, and identifying all Bajonese as members without regard to state borders.