Mozes Kilangin’s name is immortalized as the name of an airport in Timika. Here are some of Mozes Kilangin’s contributions to the people in his native land, Papua.
Who is Mozes Kilangin?
Born in Unganarki, Diloa Lembah Besar, in 1925, Mozes Kilangin is a figure that Papuans respect.
Having the full name Moses Abraham Kalmalan Kilangin Tenbak, He died in Timika on August 14, 1999. He is a figure who has significantly contributed to changing the fate of the people in Papua.
Mozes Kilangin is part of the Amungme tribe that lives around Mount Nemangkawi. For your information, Mount Nemangkawi is a mountain in Papua with a snowy peak. This mountain has a beautiful view with a frigid temperature, and it always snows.
- Childhood Story of Mozes Kilangin
According to a story, around 1938-1939, a group of Amungme people from the Tsinga Valley came down from the mountain. Among the group, a boy between 8-9 is interested in seeing children his age learn to read, write, and sing.
When he was about to go home, the boy lost track of his group in the upper Koperapoka river. Residents who found it then took the boy to a teacher named Cornelis Lefteuw. Then, Cornelis Lefteuw took care of the boy and sent him to school. The boy then Cornelis Lefteuw named Mozes Kilangin Tenbak.
Mozes Kilangin’s Contribution to Amungme
The Amungme people on Amungsa call Mozes Kilangin the name “Uru Me Ki,” which means a great teacher. It is not without reason that the Amungme people call him that because Mozes Kilangin had a significant role in changing the fate of his tribe.
During his life, Mozes studied at a Dutch school called Opleidingschool Voor Volks Onderwijs (OVVO) and won an honorary degree as a teacher. In his career, in 1958, Mozes Kilangin wrote an article entitled “Antero Masih Gelap Pasang Lampu Lekas” in Triton Mart magazine, published by Hollandia (Jayapura).
In his writings, Mozes Kilangin described the deplorable conditions in his birthplace.
Through his writings, he asked the government of Nederlands Nieuw Guinea to pay more attention to the education of his people. He made this request because there were no schools in his birthplace, and the people’s condition was left behind.
Not only through writing but also through concrete actions. In 1954, Mozes Kilangin worked in the Tsinga valley, teaching local children, building a livable settlement, and establishing an elementary school and a Catholic church. Later in 1955, two additional teachers, Paulus Aika and Johanes Aikawa, helped Mozes Kilangin.
Mozes Kilangin’s Other Contributions
In Yoseph Yapi Taum article, a Lecturer at Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta, Mozes Kilangin, made a significant contribution in 1958. That year, Mozes Kilangin built Akimuga District with his friend, Bestur Kokonao Arnold Mampioper.
Mozes Kilangin is immortalized as a statue, and his name is used for an airport in the city of Timika, Papua. In addition, Bestur Kokonao Arnold Mampioper writes about the role of Moses Kilangin in his book, Amungme Manusia Utama dari Nemangkawi Pegunungan.
Mozes Kilangin Airport
Mozes Kilangin’s name immortalizes as an airport name, namely Mozes Kilangin Airport. An American company, PT Freeport Indonesia, built this Mozes Kilangin Airport in Timika, Mimika, Papua, in 1970.
Initially, this airport’s construction was to support PT Freeport Indonesia’s operations. But now, Mozes Kilangin airport has become a public airport after the collaboration between Freeport, the Directorate General of Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation, and the Mimika government, Papua.
After operating for the public, Mozes Kilangin airport functions for general aviation services and supports economic development. This airport serves as public transportation for trade or tourism.
