As the eastern region, West Papua custom informs us a lot about the culture and unique things. Apart from traditional clothes and dances, the West Papuan also inherited songs and weapons. Moreover, the region offers special foods with delicious flavors.
Many people are still not familiar with the custom in West Papua. Through this article, it helps us to understand more about the unique things in the region. Here is the following information.
Traditional House
West Papua history tells us more about the tribes and traditional houses. The geographical location of this region is in the west of New Guinea. It is located in the bird’s head region of Papua Island, and the capital city is Manokwari.
The foremost tribe in West Papua is Arfak. They create a home called Mod Aki Aksa or commonly called Lgkojei. In the local language, the meaning is the centipede house.
There is also another traditional house in West Papua, called Honai. We can find this type of house in inland areas. However, most Papuans are fishermen.
Because of that, they build houses representing the fisherman’s life, and most are located in Manokwari. Unfortunately, the number of them is diminishing, including in the outskirts of the villages.
The house’s floor is made of wood and has a roof made from straw or sago leaves. It has pillar backers to support it. There is only a front and back door to enter the house with no window in there.
Custom Clothing
Nowadays, we can find women dressed like modern people. They cover up the body when they live outside the tribal areas. Some even wear conservative clothing or dress like a westerner.
However, the indigenous Papuans wear simple West Papua custom clothing. The men wear koteka or penis gourd. This traditional cover is worn by the native male in highland areas.
The women also cover only the bottom of their bodies. They have grass skirts with bare breasts. This costume gives the impression of indigenous Papuans.
Another traditional clothing is Serui. If we have a look closely, there is not much difference with other clothing in the region. It has almost the same form for men and women.
Additionally, the model is also the same that covers only the lower body. Both wear body armor as well. They decorate the head and chest too, including wearing a necklace and bracelet.
People can see the birds of paradise as the head ornate. For the wedding, the men wear more equipment. They hold an arrow and a shield-like ornament.
Baliem Valley Festival
Located in Baliem Valley, it is one of the important events in Papua. It sits on the central Papua highlands surrounded by steep green mountains. Besides, Baliem Valley is home to three tribes, Lani, Dani, and Yali tribes.
Those tribes have settled in this region for thousands of years. After being discovered by Westerners, Baliem Valley has become popular. We can enjoy the beauty of the terraced fields in this place.
There is a river bisect this area, and this river is called the Baliem river. The water from this river flows from Mt Trikora. Then, it reaches the Arafura Sea through Baliem Valley.
The three tribes gather in Wamena for this annual festival. It represents significant cultural events as part of Indonesian history. It brings a great opportunity to preserve and celebrate the local values of Papuan tribes.
From this event, we can see the highlights of the three tribes. We can learn more about the cultural values and traditions of Papua in general. Thus, the event is also essential to present the unique things about the West Papua custom.
