About Lautém Cultural Alliance
The Lautem Cultural Alliance is a Community, Government and Civil Society coalition that seeks to promote, protect and support culture as a foundation, driver and enabler of development in Timor-Leste. Our membership comprises 23 females (49%) and 24 males (51%), representatives from each subdistrict, youth representatives and representatives of key local government and community cultural organisations in the region.
The role of the Lautém Cultural Alliance is to support and sustain culture and creative activities within and between communities. This means creating a sustainable base, including strong planning and funding, so that communities can apply and benefit economically from their culture and creative activity to develop Timor-Leste as a modern and vibrant nation.
AKL has developed a video about the formation of the Alliance. Featuring the Director of Community Relations from the Administration of Lautem, the video invites the community to get involved.
Resulting from the national engagement with H.E President Ramos Horta, the Advisory Committee were invited to speak at a press conference about this initiative. This made national news. Coverage can be viewed here: https://fb.watch/nORFT4IlOD/
Lautem District: Population and Livelihood
In Lautem, we have four distinct language groups, with Fataluku being the largest. In Iliomar, the primary language is Makalero, while in Luro, it is the Sa’ani dialect of Makasae. Unfortunately, one of our languages, Makua/Lovaia, spoken in the Tutula, is at risk of disappearing, as the last speakers have recently passed away.
Most of us in Lautem are farmers, practicing swidden agriculture where we grow maize alongside other food crops and raise livestock. We have a deep connection to the forests and coastlines around us, which provide essential resources for our daily lives. From the forests, we gather firewood, building materials like bamboo and thatch, and other useful products like fibres, ropes, wild vegetables, and honey. Hunting is a year-round activity, and we use traps, poisons, and spears to catch game such as deer, wild pigs, monkeys, and even birds.
Our connection to the ocean is equally important. We hunt fish, crabs, sea turtles, and other seafood. During low tide, we practice reef gleaning to collect octopus, seaweed, and various marine creatures.
Timor-Leste’s History
Culture is essential to who we are, and for us, it’s especially vital given the negative external forces we’ve faced, particularly colonisation. We as Timorese people have endured some of the harshest forms of colonisation over centuries, which has deeply impacted our cultural life.
In the early days, small tribal groups lived in isolation, separated by rugged terrain, speaking at least 25 distinct mother tongues.
Though traders visited occasionally, we were largely cut off from the outside world. Portugal colonised us in the 1600s, drawn by the wealth of sandalwood and teak forests, but invested very little in our people. By the time they left in 1974, we had only a few roads, hospitals, and schools, and illiteracy was above 90%. During World War II, we supported Allied Forces, but it came at a high cost—around 70,000 Timorese lost their lives out of a population of less than 500,000.
In 1974, the brutal 25-year Indonesian occupation began, leading to the loss of around 180,000 Timorese lives—about a third of the population. Forced resettlements caused widespread starvation, and horrific violence became a tool of control. Generations of children missed out on education as our people resisted from the mountains.
In 1999, despite fear of retaliation, 98% of the electorate voted for independence. This brave decision led to devastating violence, displacing 400,000 people and destroying 90% of the country’s infrastructure. After years of struggle, we finally celebrated independence in May 2002. Since then, we’ve been working hard to build a stable, independent democracy.
Strength through culture
Even with all the challenges we’ve faced, our people have an incredible story of survival. Our ability to resist far more powerful nations has shaped who we are today. Our culture, with its many languages, strong family ties, and traditional practices, has always provided us with stability and identity, even in the toughest times.
Right now, in Timor-Leste, at least 20 local languages are still spoken by children at home, and our traditional ways continue to be the main way we resolve conflicts and build peace in our communities.
Since gaining independence, many of us have reconnected with our heritage. One of the most visible signs of this is the rebuilding of sacred ancestral houses, which were destroyed during the Indonesian occupation. Our crafts, like tais fabrics, ceramics, and traditional music, are still a big part of our lives. Tais, in particular, with their unique designs and meanings, are highly valued.
But we’re also worried about losing these traditions. As young people move to Dili or abroad for work or school, they’re losing touch with their roots. Globalisation and technology is having a big impact too. To help protect our culture, we need to be proactive in creating opportunities to safeguard, transmit and celebrate it!
meet our Members
Our membership consists of 50% women, representatives from each sub-district, representatives of youth, and main representatives from local government and community cultural organizations in the region.
Jose da Costa Monteiro
Chairman of the Advisory and Fiscal Council
Works in the Government.
Lospalos
Cultural leader
Robela Mendes
Secretary
Lautem
He owns a guest house in Kom, he also runs a small business selling cultural products and he also joined a group set up by Timor Aid called Grupu Soru Nain.
Juliana de Jesus
Vice President of the Board of Directors
Representative of the local NGO.
Director of the FUNERO, she has experience in developing, planing and constitution.
Humbelina Key Gandara
General Assembly Secretary
Cultural practitioner
She is running a dance group, she has experience on teaching the traditional and modern dance to the kids and young people.
Edmundu da Silva
General Assembly Member
Lore
As a village chief and as a cultural leader
Lospalos
Cultural leader
Cirilio Shuba
General Assembly Member
Rep. of the
as a teacher representative from Cafe school
Lospalos
Cultural leader
Antonio Belo
Vice President General Assembly
Luro
As a representative of youth.
Lospalos
Cultural leader
Amando dias Quintas
General Assembly Member
Lautem
Cultural leader, player of the KEKO (Traditional music instrument)
Lospalos
Cultural leader
Jose S Soares
Advisory and Fiscal Board Member
Rep. of local Government
Planning Dept. Gov - DA Office
Armindo Fernandes
Advisory and Fiscal Board Member
Lospalos
Cultural Leader
Ildefonso Ribeiro
General Assembly Member
Rep. of Youth Organisation
Director of the Youth Center.
Ernestina Correia
General Assembly Member
Tutuala
Cultural Leader
Lourdes Maria Amaral
General Assembly Member
Iliomar
Joining the tais weaving group.
Etelvina dos Santos
General Assembly Member
Lospalos
Teaching traditional dance to the young girls and woman leader.
Bernardo Caldas
General Assembly Member
Lospalos
Vocal Point of the Secretary State For Art and Culture of Lautem Municipality.
Ferderico Walter
General Assembly Member
Lospalos
Rep. of TV education in Lospalos.
Julieta Soares
General Assembly Member
Iliomar
Joining the tais weaving group.
Julieta da Conceicao
General Assembly Member
Lore
Cultural leader
Ermengildo Savio
General Assembly Member
Tutuala
Rep. of the Lautem Sub District Administrator.
Angelina Vilanova
General Assembly Member
Tutuala
Tais weaving.
Jacob dos Reis
General Assembly Member
Iliomar
He was sub district administrator.
Lina dos Santos
General Assembly Member
Lospalos
Tais weaving
Amelia Quintao Seisas
General Assembly Member
Iliomar
Tais weaving
Rosa Moreira
General Assembly Member
Lautem-Com
Running a guest house and producing and selling tais and other tradisional products.
Luciano Gonçalves
General Assembly Member
Losplos
Tradisional leader and also teacing the primary school.
Bonifacio dias Quintas
General Assembly Member
Lospalos
Rep. of the Lospalos subdistrict administrator.
Carolino da Costa
Advisory and Fiscal Board Member
Lore
He was Lore sub district administrator.
Rujinda Viegas
General Assembly Member
Lospalos
Rep. of the Youth center of the Lospalos
Deolinda da Costa Hornay
General Assembly Member
Lospalos
Teacing in primary school in Luro and working volunteer in the church.
Amalia Pinto Soares
General Assembly Member
Tutuala-Mehara
Tais weafing.
Custodian Guimaraens
General Assembly Member
Tutuala
Tradisional leader
Jose da Costa
General Assembly Member
Tutuala
Tradisional leader
Ilda da Cruz
Director
Lospalos
Ranning an organization that working on the tais weaving and the creativity.
Auxilia da Silva Lopes
Director
Lautem-com
Teacing the tradisonal dance to young people and the kids.
Cecilia Rego Fernandes
General Assembly Member
Lospalos
She owns a small shop. Selling tais and other creativities.
Juaquina M. Freitas
General Assembly Member Lospalos
Tais weaving and own a small shop that sell some traditional products
Thomas Lopes
Chairman of the Board of Directors
MHI staff
Working on establishing Alinsa Kultura Lautem l
Nelinha Pereira
Treasurer
MHI staff
Working on establishing Alinsa Kultura Lautem
Ildefonso da Silva
Director
MHI staff
Working on establishing Alinsa Kultura Lautem
Dr. Paulino da Costa Alves
Advisory and Fiscal Board Member
Participate as a member of the cultural alliance as a legal person.
Work as a head at the Notary of Lautem Municipality
xavier henry
Factory Owner
