The Island of Nias has been described as distant and isolated , but the fascinating culture and history has been formed in correlation with the outside world, for more than a thousand years.

Until the colonization, the population of Nias traded with Sumatra and Sulawesi, at a later date the trading expanded to include that of Great Britain and Holland. The chiefs on Nias tried to cultivate a good connection with the Europeans, however they had no interest in being colonized or becoming Christians. When the Dutch tried to take control of the island, they were met with a strong resistance, especially from the southern villages that were very well organized. The armies that were formed resisted the Dutch military for many years and it was only after the final defeat in 1909, that the island slowly started to convert to Christianity.  The changes that resulted from the new colonial rule effected the local population in a chaotic way.  Agner Møller arrived in 1925 shortly after the colonization, so most of the inhabitants could remember the time before the Dutch presence and he experienced some of the old religious beliefs that still persisted. 

Since that time, tourism especially has undergone a renaissance, regarding the beliefs of the forefather’s traditional power. Tourists are usually attracted by the heritage of the ancestors in the form of traditional houses and sculptures; the beach culture, such as surfing etc. is also conceived as an ancestral heritage. In many ways the local population regard modern tourism as an extension of the traditional myth, relating to the former trading customs and is regarded as such. Tourism therefore is not nearly as unauthentic as one would assume.

The Local Organisation and Understanding of Tourism on Nias Island.
Bente Wolff, is curator in the National Museum of Denmark, this is her article about the modern Nias.

Ephemeral Isle,Tradition and tourism vie for the future of Nias.
Jesper Kurt-Nielsen Is a research associate  in the National Museum of Denmark, this article conserns the eminent future for Nias.

The chiefs house from Hilimondregeraja.
Thomas Thomsen was curator in the National Museum of Denmark, he was also the driving force behind the collection from Nias, and this is his article from 1929. IN DANISH.