The Minahasa (alternative spelling: Minahassa) are an ethnic group located in the North Sulawesi province of Indonesia.
Minahasa Raya is the area covering Bitung City, Manado City and Minahasa Regency, which are three of the five regional administrations in the province of North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Originally inhabited by Malay-speaking peoples, the region was colonized in the 16th century by the Portuguese, then the Dutch. The Minahasa identify strongly with the Dutch language and the Christian faith--so strongly, in fact, that when Indonesia became independent in 1945 inhabitants of the region pleaded with the Dutch to let it become a province of the Netherlands. Their music, too, is highly influenced by that of their former colonial rulers; their festivals feature large marching ensembles made up of "clarinets," "saxophones," "trumpets," "trombones," and "tubas," all constructed out of local bamboo.
Erich von Däniken refers to the Minahasa in his works, claiming that as a people they believe they came from outer space (hence their traditional houses, which are vessel-shaped).