| Group: | Batak Pakpak people Pakpak |
| Native Name: | Batak Pakpak |
| Native Name Lang: | Batak Pakpak |
| Population: | 1,200,000[1] |
| Popplace: |  Indonesia (North Sumatra & Aceh) |
| Langs: | Pakpak language, Indonesian language |
| Rels: | Christianity (mostly Protestant) 70%, Sunni Islam 20%, traditional beliefs 10%[2] |
| Related: | Singkil, Batak Toba, Karo, Batak Simalungun |
Pakpak people or Batak Pakpak are one of the ethnic groups found mainly in North Sumatra, Indonesia. They are scattered in a few regencies and cities in North Sumatra and Aceh, such as Dairi Regency, Pakpak Bharat Regency, Humbang Hasundutan Regency and Central Tapanuli Regency of North Sumatra, and also in Aceh Singkil Regency and Subulussalam, Aceh. Pakpak people have some communities in other cities across Indonesia. The term "Batak Pakpak" also refers to the culture and language of the Pakpak people.
In administrative governance, most of the Pakpak people settled in Dairi Regency, North Sumatra, which later on July 28, 2003 grew into two regencies, namely:[3]
The Pakpak people are most likely the descendants of Formosan.[4] Pakpak people with the surnames Tendang, Banurea, Manik, Beringin, Gajah, Berasa are believed to be the sons of Mpu Bada or Mpung Bada or Mpubada.
The Pakpak people are divided into five sub-ethnic groups or in local terminology, Pakpak Silima Suak:[5]
Pakpak people refer to their homeland as "Tano Pakpak".
Pakpak is both a spoken and written language. It is part of the Northern Batak language and has its own Surat Batak Pakpak style writing system and alphabet. However, nowadays less and less Pakpak people are using the system.
The Pakpak people are bound by a social structure, which in local terminology is called sulang silima. Sulang silima consists of five elements:[6]
Five of these elements are very instrumental in decision making in various aspects of life, especially in kinship system and traditional ceremonies, be it in the context of a single surname clan based community (Lebbuh) or village based community (Kuta). Therefore, five of these elements must be involved in order for a decision to be considered as valid in customary terms.[7]
Traditional Pakpak ceremonies are given "working" terms, however the term "festival" is also frequently used today. Traditional ceremonies are divided into two major parts, namely:
Examples of "good work" ceremonies are merbayo (wedding ceremony), menanda tahun (paddy planting ceremony) or merkottas (initiating a risky task). Examples of "bad work" ceremonies include mengrumbang and mate ncayur ntua ceremony (funeral).[8]