Luaha

Luaha stands at the mouth of the Nou River on the eastern coast of Nias, the island west of Sumatra. The name was used for the river-mouth settlement associated with Gunungsitoli. Nias communities in the surrounding country formed villages governed by customary law, while the coast offered a landing place for boats trading with the island.

Local tradition remembers an agreement among leading families to unite villages around the Nou under the customary law of Bonio. Farther along the coast, the ruler of Luaha Laraga concluded a trade agreement with the Dutch East India Company in 1664, establishing dues for ships using the harbour of Luaha Idanoi. These arrangements show the importance of local authority in the island's relations with foreign traders.