There are various tribes that inhabit the Bintuni Bay area, and one of them is the Moscona tribe. Here are all things you should know about the Moscona tribe: their origin, where they live, and their traditional dance.
Overview of Moscona Tribe
The Moscona tribe is one of the seven Bintuni tribes in West Papua. For your information, the seven tribes in Bintuni are the Kuri, Wamesa, Sebyar, Irarutu, Sumuri, Sough, and Moscona tribes.
The Moscona tribal area includes several districts in Bintuni Bay: the East Moskona district, Masyeta district, Mardey district, Moyeba district, Jagiro district, and Mesna district.
The name of the Moscona tribe, originally Orosomna, means people who live in the mountains. However, the name Orosomna then changed. The name Orosomna changed to Moscona, which means to live with courage and without fear.
As reported in a book published by the Ministry of Education and Culture in 2013, it is clear up that the ancestors of the Moscona tribe came from the Ayamaru tribe. According to historical records, the Ayamaru tribe is located in the southern city of Sorong. One of the reasons is that the Moskona tribe’s culture is almost the same or similar to the Ayamaru tribe.
Moscona Tribe Clan
Similar to other tribes in Indonesia, people from the Moscona tribe also have clans. In the Moscona tribe, these clans are passed down through patrilineal, usually after marriage.
The Moscona tribe has twenty-three clans or surnames that they have used for generations. Some members of the Moscona tribe use clans such as Eniba, Iga, Asmorom, Ibori, Imen, Kaihiw, Isnai, Maboro, Inyejom, and Inyomara.
Not only that, but some people also use the surnames Masakoda, Ogoney, Patem, Mambro, and Ortua. Some also use Sasior, Merestiem, Yamna, Mosum, Oroscomna, Osnag, Yarg, and Yerkohok.
Moscona Tribe Traditional Dance: The Snake Dance
One of the traditional dances of the Moscona tribe that still exists today is the Snake dance. As the name suggests, this Snake dance from the Moscona tribe has a movement or choreography resembling a snake’s contortion. In its movement, this snake dance dancer will follow the rhythm of the song used.
The Moscona tribe usually performs this snake dance in order to welcome guests and celebrate war victories. Not only that but this dance is also used in marriage ceremonies. There are no rules that regulate how many dancers can dance this dance. Therefore, all members of the Moscona tribe can dance in this dance.
This Snake Dance is a group dance in which all members of the Moscona tribe can participate. There is no age limit in this traditional dance. Everyone can join, including children and teenagers.
Moscona Tribe’s Snake Dance Costume
Female dancers in Snake dance use costumes made of cloth or bark. For her subordinates, women from the Moscona tribe covered it by wearing a fabric or bark skirt. As for the male dancers, they are shirtless, and they cover their lower bodies with pants made of bark or cloth.
In this dance, men usually use additional accessories such as machetes, spears, or bows and arrows. This accessory symbolizes that the male dancer is a mighty figure who can keep the village and self-safety.
Female dancers usually use decorations in the form of headdresses, namely cassowary or bird of paradise feather hats and necklaces of animal fangs or beads. Some dancers also use bracelets and foot decorations.
So, those are interesting things that you need to know about the Moscona tribe. In conclusion, the Moscona tribe is one of the seven tribes originating from Teluk Bintuni, West Papua. This tribe comes from the Ayamaru tribe and has a traditional dance that is still sustainable, namely the Snake dance.
