Papua is one of the largest islands in Indonesia and also has hundreds of tribes scattered. With this fact, it is not so surprising that there are many Papua cultures that exist and want to be explored.
Among those incredible cultures that are uncountable, in this article we will discuss 5 different cultures that could be fascinating for some people. These 5 things are from their housing, dresses, and many more. If you are curious, let’s just jump to the main things.
5 Amazing Papua Cultures
Here are five amazing cultures you might have never seen before. Your view of Papua might be changed after seeing this. Here it is:
1. The Traditional House
Papuan people live in a different traditional culture that has survived for a long time. For people living in big metropolitan cities, it might be quite a shock to their way of life.
One of the things that is interesting about this culture is their traditional houses. The traditional house is different between tribes. The differences are in their style and design.
One of the house designs you can find in Papua culture is the Honai. This is the traditional house that is used by the Dani tribe. It has two floors, whereas the first floor is the bedroom and the second floor is for the living room. This house has no windows and has a very small door.
2. Papua Traditional Dresses
The traditional dress is also different depending on the tribes. Some people have tried to wear modern clothes instead of traditional ones. But, if you look closely, there are some tribes that still hold on to the traditions.
The traditional dress for men consists of a necklace made of animal bones and teeth, head accessories, a seashell necklace, a tufted sarong, and a traditional belt. It is completed with a spear and shield.
Whereas the women wear something like a tufted dress, a necklace, seashells, or animal’s teeth, and also accessories. Both are charming and unique.
3. Various Traditional Dances
Like in other cultures, Papua also has its own traditional dances. The dances always differ between tribes. But the most common and popular one would be the Welcome Dance.
The movement of this dance describes the happy feeling of the people welcoming the guests that came to their place. Not only that, this dance also has a meaning in how they respect the guest.
There are other kinds of traditional dance too. Most of them are performed using traditional music originally from Papua.
4. Unique Tribal Weapons
There are certain common weapons that are used by the tribes. One of them is a dagger. This dagger is not a usual one. It is made of cassowary bird’s bone. The dagger is also the bird’s feathers to make the weapon look more unique.
The other traditional weapon that is used by Paouan is the bow and arrow. The bow is made from a combination of bamboo and wood. The bowstring uses rattan as its main component. Whereas the arrow is made of kangaroo bones or bamboo.
5. The Traditions
There are many unique traditions in Papua. Each one of them is incredibly different and has an eerie vibe to it.
One of the traditions is Barapen. It is a tradition that symbolizes the gratitude and brotherhood of the tribes. Some people also use this in funerals. It is a tradition where people gather together.
Conclusion
Those five Papua cultures are just examples of the actual cultures living in Papua. Because there are more than 300 tribes that exist on this land, and some of them even live in secluded places. After reading this article, we need to respect their way of living and their culture. It is a way to preserve the traditional cultures that have survived to this day.
