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What comes into your mind when you hear the word “West Papua”? The tribe, the amazing scenery, the languages,  or unique traditions? Those things may come into your mind. As one of the southern provinces in Indonesia, West Papua is rich in local cultures. The local cultures, including the traditional games, in this province are still fully preserved.

One of the traditional games that locals love to play is Ampakeari. The uniqueness of this local game lies in the ability and creativity of the natives to maximize the condition of the nature where they live. What is Ampakeari? How to play this local game? What values are going to show in this game? Find out the explanation below.

Ampakeari, Traditional Game of West Papua

When many people are attached to online games on their smartphones, the natives of Serui Tribe in Nau Village, Waropen Regency, Papua, are quite different. They still play and do many fun activities with their children and neighbors. The natives use tools or equipment taken from nature to play the games.  

Ampakeari is one of the traditional games that carries out the values of the local culture and cultural heritage. The name of this game is taken from the name of the fruit of the white shrubs. This fruit usually grows rapidly in the swamp area in Waropen Regency, Papua. The parents also often play the game when they want to put their kids to sleep. The players will gather the children who do not sleep yet in the house or outside the house.

Ways to Play

As one of the traditional games that is often played in West Papua, Ampakeari shows the culture and the habits of the locals. This game is not only played by children, but also by the adults. Here are some ways to play this local game.

Players

The players of this traditional game consist of 2 to 6 people. The players can be women and children. 

Purpose of playing 

The main purpose of this game is to gather the children who don’t sleep yet and put their children asleep as soon as possible.

Tools

To play this local game from West Papua, the players need to prepare:

• • Perepat or mangrove apple (Sonneratia alba). The fruit has pear-shaped leathery and comes from mangrove trees

• Iri (a wooden split pole)

• Oinai or sempe (a wooden big plate)

Location of playing

If there are only a few players who play this game, they can play it at home. Meanwhile, if there are several people who want to play the game, they can do it outside the house or in the yard.

The Ways to play

Here are the ways to play this local game of West Papua. 

1. Prepare all the tools: perepat (mangrove apples), iri, and oinai. 
2. The players take their children who do not sleep yet to take part in playing this game outdoors. 
3. The players spin mangrove apples in oinai simultaneously. While they spin the fruit, they will sing a lullaby from the Serui Tribe, Nau village, Waropen Regency.

Mamompa diana

Sleep, please, comes down 

kuife rawinte,

From the tip of the kui tree,

Andorife rawinte,

From the tip of guava tree,

Amkarife rawinte,

From the tip of the coconut tree,

Anitafe rawinte,

From the tip of the breadfruit tree,

Andafe rawinte.

From the tip of the mango tree,

Diamow kuaikobu ariankatung nei rurene bo,

Please come down directly to the eyes,

Imbaro denama denama tamani denafa,

so he could sleep like his father,

Tamani denama denawe inan idena.

Also sleep like his mother.

1. The players are considered to lose if:

• The mangrove apple does not spin or fall from oinai
• The child does not sleep yet 
• The child sleeps in the last position.

The Values of Ampakeari Game

As the digital era is getting more advanced, the traditional games seem to be slowly unforgotten. Therefore, the exposure of local culture through local games is quite important to preserve the cultural heritage from the ancestor. As one of the popular local games, Ampakeari carries out meaningful values. They are:

• Togetherness

When it comes to playing this local game, you will find the value of togetherness. The bond between mother and her child will be reflected through this game. Besides that, this local game also plays an important role to strengthen the togetherness with the neighbors.

• Teamwork 

The spirit of teamwork between the mother and her child is reflected in this game. The mother must work hard to make her child sleep. 

• Sportsmanship

One of the values that this game shows is sportsmanship. The player must pay attention to the rule. So, if the player can’t make her child sleep or the child gets the last turn to sleep, the player will be lost. In this game, the player should be sporty.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the traditional games in West Papua, including Ampakeari, need to be well-preserved. This game shows the values of the culture as well the cultural heritage. This game encourages the parents to build a strong relationship and closeness with their children. Besides that, the game also encourages unity and togetherness with the neighbors.