West Papua is a patch of territory in Indonesia that is rich in culture. In fact, in West Papua there are many indigenous and traditional ethnic groups that you should know. There are prehistoric traces of rock wall paintings in Fakfak, Raja Ampat, Kaimana, and Wamena, as well as some of the oldest fossils. Physically, West Papua tribe origin seem to have different physical characteristics from Indonesians in the west (Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Kalimantan).
5 West Papua Tribe Origin You Must Know!
Papuan and Aboriginal people are believed to have migrated to the Sahul shelf (which is still fused to Papua and Australia) around 50,000 years ago. Tribes in West Papua are community groups that are divided into two, namely traditional tribes and modern tribes. For traditional tribes, the distribution is more exclusive and mostly occupies forest and interior areas. While modern tribes have opened themselves up to outside communities. Let’s learn more about West Papua tribe origin!
1. West Papua Tribe Origin of Arfak Tribe
The Arfak tribe is a fairly large traditional tribe in Papua, precisely in West Papua. This community group lives in the Arfak Mountains so they call the Arfak tribe an inland tribe. According to historians, it turns out that those who inhabit the Arfak mountains are not the Arfak Tribe. also inhabit the area, only the number of the Arfak tribe is far greater. From the results of this study, it is clear that the Arfak tribal community is quite dominant in West Papua tribe origin.
The Arfak tribe belongs to a group of people who uphold the existing customs in their group. In fact, in this tribe, two dance arts are still sustainable, namely the Tumbuk Dance and the Tambuk Tanah Dance. The Arfak Tribe area is full of tourist destinations.
2. Kuri Tribe
The Kuri tribe is one of the ethnic groups in West Papua which does not have too many residents. In fact, the latest information states that there are only 5 Kuri tribes in the area. All of them occupy one district in West Papua called the Kuri district. Most of the Kuri tribe inhabit the Kaimana District of West Papua. They have a modern life even though they still haven’t abandoned the habit of hunting in the forest. This tribe hopes to get a helping hand from the government, especially those related to poverty, jobs, and decent housing.
3. Irarutu Tribe
The irarutu tribe is the largest ethnic group in West Papua. These community groups are very numerous and spread almost throughout the West Papua region. However, generally the Irarutu tribe inhabits coastal areas, and some settle in mountainous areas. It is undeniable that the Irarutu tribe is fairly dominant in West Papua. However, their principle of life is to accept other people outside the tribe with open arms. Therefore, tribal communities uphold peace, tolerance, tolerance, and feelings of mutual love between each other.
4. Doteri Tribe
West Papua has a tribe that occupies a coastal area called the Doteri Tribe. However, the origin of this West Papuan tribe is an immigrant tribe who came from Numfor Island, Papua. Barat. Because it belongs to an immigrant tribe, of course, the Doteri Tribe is not a large tribe in West Papua.The number of people was not too much and only reached thousands of people. Therefore, this tribe is not very popular even though many Indonesian people do not know this tribe in detail.
5. West Papua Tribe Origin of Maybrat Tribe
The Maybrat tribe is a local tribe of West Papua that is fairly modern. This community group no longer inhabits mountainous areas, but also many who live in ordinary settlements. Most of the livelihoods of this tribe are fishermen and hunting in the forest. The Maybrat tribe is religious devout Christian. However, it is not only Catholics, because there are also many Protestant Christians. This religion is the majority religion for the tribal community, which amounts to 35,000 people.
That is an explanation of the West Papua tribe origin. Even though these tribes live in isolation, these tribes must remain sustainable as an asset of ethnic diversity.
