Contestation of ethnic identity in a pluralistic society in Dairi is a phenomenon of ethnicity in order to achieve a political goal of ethno-territorial formation in Pakpak Bharat. Domination of immigrant gives a great impact on socio-cultural attributes, exclusion of ethno-religious and political deprivation for Pakpak ethnic in Dairi since the colonial era. The situation has caused an evasive identity as well as the breakdown of inter-ethnic relations. Momentum of government institution after the fall of the New Order opened wide opportunities to build ethno-territorial. Ethno-territorial formation in Pakpak Bharat is started with the contestation on the socio-cultural formulation of core identity, and seeps into the room of socio-religious, politics and government. Contestation of these three ethnic identities affects each other and cannot be separated from national policy. Contestation of ethnic identity on the formation of ethno-territorial is very essential phenomenon to understand political reality. Ethnicity becomes is the best strategy to mobilize ethnic to achieve political objective, that is the establishment of Pakpak Bharat. It happens because ethnicity consists of ethnic identity as a personal reference, a source of motivation, behavior and social construction in order to interpret and read the society in Dairi.
Keywords: Contestation; Ethnic Identity; Ethno-territorial; Pakpak Bharat
