West Papua and Papua have enriched diversities that contribute to the amazing Indonesian cultures, and Muyu Tribe is one of the amazing tribes coming from Papua. Dig deep into the awesome facts about the tribe below.
The Origins
Muyu is predictably first recognized from two versions of origins. The first version is that the term Muyu emerged when the Catholic Missionaries led by Father Petrus Hoeboer, a Dutch priest, was held in 1933 in Ninati village—in the northern Muyu area, Boven Digoel. Previously, the first exploration of Muyu used to be called the Swallow Campground (Swallow Bivouac). The Swallow was a ship anchored on the Digoel River—near the mouth of the Kao River—in February 1909.
In May of the same year, the ship sailed upstream from the Digoel River. From March 27 to April 6, the expedition traveled Digoel as far as the headwaters of the Kao River until 50 km away. During the expedition, the Catholic Missionaries predictably made the first contact with the native people, specifically the Kamindip Sub-tribe inhabiting an area by the Mui River on the outskirts of the Kao River.
In the sub-tribe was a clan named Muyan that was thought to make the first contact with the people in the expedition. The contact then led them to call the entire population from South to North with one term, Muyu.
In another version, the term Muyu appeared because the locals used to refer to the western part of Kao River with “Fly” and in the east with “ok Mui” or Mui River to the Dutch. Later, the term was changed to Muyu.
The People
Unlike the Mandobo people in the west and south, the Ngalum people in the north and the Awin people in the east, the people of Muyu address themselves by the term “kati“, which means real man. The Muyu Tribe inhabits the area around the Muyu River located in the northeast of Merauke. They live throughout several villages. The language used is the Muyu language.
For the Muyu people, family is the most important social and economic unit. The nuclear family consists of a man, wife and children. The various life forms of the tribe show the important role of the nuclear family, especially in settlement and control of land and property. They live in a stilt house made of wood and “nibung” leaves.
On a daily basis, the Muyu people fulfil their necessities by hunting, pig breeding and farming. They believe in a supreme power behind the creation of animals, plants, and rivers. They also believe that the spirits of the dead are still in contact with those who are alive. Only a few books are discussing the tribe.
Unlike the traditional house Rumah Panggung of Asmat Tribe—which is only 2 meters high, Rumah Panggung of Muyu is very high, reaching up to 4 or 6 meters. Conflicts often occur in the tribe. The people are also individualistic groups who live in small groups. They breed pigs and go farming. In polygamy case, each wife normally has her hut, pig, and farm. Spiritual knowledge is descended from father to son. There is no leader for large groups.
Sub-tribes of Muyu
Muyu Tribe is divided into eight sub-tribes with each respective territory. The first sub-tribe is the Kamindip Sub-tribe in the south living in the villages of Sesnuk, Anggamburan, and Umap. The second sub-tribe is Okpari Sub-tribe occupying the capital of Mindiptana district, Wanggatkibi village in the north, Imko village in the east and Amuan village in the middle of the northeast.
The third sub-tribe is Kakaib Sub-tribe in the eastern part of the Mindiptana district, inhabiting the village of Kombut, Mokbiran, and some parts of the village of Kawangtet. The fourth and fifth are Are and Kasaut Sub-tribes in the north close to Ngalum Tribe and the area of Waropko district. They live in Simpang village, some parts of the Waropko district capital area, and some parts of Tembutka village.
The sixth sub-tribe is Kasaut Sub-tribe, mostly living in the northern part of the Upkin and Ikhcan villages. The seventh one is the Jonggom Sub-tribe inhabiting the northeastern part of the villages of Ninati and Yetetkun as well as some parts of Tembutka village. Then, the last one is the Ninggrum Sub-tribe—a neighbor of Jonggom—dwelling in the northeastern part of the Ninggrum village. The sub-tribe is the largest and occupies several areas in the Papua New Guinea region.
Ot of Muyu
Muyu Tribe is an intelligent tribe establishing numerical science in the form of a payment instrument called Ot. Ot is normally used as a dowry and exchange item in the pig feast ceremony. The feast is held to look for Ot as a reward from the attending guests. Artifacts, as well as axes and arrows, are able to be traded with Ot.
In trade, the barter system in the tribe is unique, effective and sophisticated. By exchanging goods, two individuals also exchange trust and establish a relationship that is more than just a “seller-buyer”. The relationship as friends is what often makes them so close to each other.
Those are some interesting facts about Muyu Tribe in Papua. Like the tribes in West Papua, those in Papua also contribute to the diversity of Indonesian culture.
