Indonesian, Sumatra, North Sumatra, Aceh people

Sumatra, the western-most island of the Indonesian archipelago, is the site of the earliest traces of Islam in this region. Typical of Islamic dress, this man's jacket and the two Kaur women's jackets nearby are the only tailored garments on display; the wrap-and-tie or draping seen elsewhere is rooted in Hindu tradition. Aceh is at the northernmost tip of Sumatra and is known for its continuous fight for independence from Portugese, British, French, and Dutch colonial rule. Originally rich with spices, today oil is its most valuable natural resource, an attraction for the foreign powers that long attempted to control the area.