Papuan culture is an incredibly diverse subject with interesting tribes and traditions. Throughout Papua, some tribes, such as the Dani tribe today, still uphold and live according to the rituals passed down by their ancestors. Here are some intriguing facts about the Dani tribe:
1. How the Dani Came
The name “Dani” actually comes from “Ndani.” Migani translates to “east is where the sun rises.” The Migani people are Intan Jaya natives who inhabit several areas of Papua, including Dogandoga, Kemandoga, and Domondoga. They refer to those who live east of their settlement as “Ndani”.
In 1926, Dr. Matthew W. Stirling, an American anthropologist, led a joint American-Dutch expedition to the highlands of Papua, then called Central Dutch New Guinea. The expedition also featured Charles Constant Le Roux, a topographer and ethnographer, and Willem Docters van Leeuwen, a biologist and botanist.
While the expedition aimed to map Mount Cartenz (Puncak Jaya), it also reported on the local inhabitants and their environment, particularly on the Mamberamo river. Where is the Dani tribe located? In their records, members of the expedition referred to the natives as “Dani” regarding those who settled around the river.
From that moment onwards, foreigners called them Dani even though the locals did not refer to the tribe as such. However, it certainly helped with the popularization of the Dani people into the civilized world.
2. Finger Cutting
Among the many quirky Dani, tribe traditions are finger cutting as a form of grief due to losing a family member. In addition, the custom symbolizes the hope of a Dani to prevent calamity from approaching his family at another time.
The Dani highly values their fingers because they represent noble values such as harmony, unity, and strength. Furthermore, they believe that strength can only be achieved when their fingers are put to work together. Losing one leads to the loss of power.
It is a fact that togetherness holds a special place for Dani since they live in groups. A loss of a family means a loss for the entire tribe, as stated in Dani’s motto “wene opakima dapulik welaikarek mekehasik”.
However, because of religious influences, finger cutting is less prevalent today, although you can still see it in the elders. The Dani uses various weapons such as knives, axes, or machetes to carry out the ritual.
3. Kaneka
Dani people are animists, and their supreme being is called Kaneka. They communicate with their God through Kaneka Hagasir, a ceremony held before and after the war to ask for safety and well-being.
Most of their rituals center on the feast of pigs, with their firmest belief being Atou. Atou is a divine power from the Dani ancestors that runs in men’s blood. This belief comes from the patrilineal family background of the Dani.
Atou serves several functions, such as protecting nature, healing, resisting evil, and fertilizing the soil. However, since Christianity and Islam came to Papua, many Dani has embraced these religions, pushing animism as a minority.
4. Honai
Honai is a traditional house of the Dani with wooden walls and thatched roofs. While it is inhabited by the men of the tribe, the Ebe’ai shelters the women. You can find these buildings throughout the Baliem Valley, from the main roads to the tops of the hills.
The roof hangs low, making it impossible to stand in it. A fireplace claims the center of the building. Simplicity is the main characteristic of Honai because there is no single piece of furniture to decorate the interior. No air conditioner is required as the straw and wood keep the house cool.
Honai also serves as a warehouse for storing crops and a place for fumigating mummies. The latter is found in the villages of Kerulu and Aikima, where two of the most famous mummies in the entire valley are kept.
The list above contains a few other unique facts about the Dani tribe. To experience the life of the natives, plan your vacation to Papua soon.
