On Buru Island, the Lisela people live quite compactly in a narrow strip of lowland along the northern coast of the Kayeli Gulf.

This is due to active contact with the Lisela people living along the coastal areas with outsiders from other parts of Indonesia who settled in the Buru Island since the beginning of the 20th century.

This often leads to peculiar interpretations of the Islamic canons and sometimes result in the formation of unique syncretic cults and rituals.

[2] Most Lisela people are engaged in farming rice, maize, sago, sweet potato and various spice, such as allspice, nutmeg and Eucalyptus tree used for aromatic oil.

In the inland areas, they also hunt the wild pig Buru babirusa, deer and possum, and take part in tuna fishing on the coast.