It is already common knowledge that the land of Nusantara has various ethnic groups living in it. One region with the most ethnic diversity is the land of Papua. In total, there are more than 250 tribes that exist here. Starting from the native tribes of Sorong to the native tribes of Merauke.
Usually, one region is inhabited by more than one native tribe. Aside from natives, there are also several immigrant tribes living in the land of Papua. It includes Sorong City, Sorong Regency, and also South Sorong Regency. So, here are the lists of the tribes that live in Sorong!
1. Moi Tribe
The Moi Tribe is the biggest tribe living around Sorong City and most of Sorong Regency. Some people also know them as the Malamoi Tribe. Most of them live on the coast, the lowlands, and river mouths.
The people of Moi speak the Moi language. Two dialects exist the Moi Asli dialect and the Moi Segun dialect. They believe that they are related to each other by the land where they live. So, they have transfer rights over land, known as tegestemoi rights.
2. Tehit Tribe
Then there is also the Tehit Tribe. Some people also know them as the Tehit Tribe. They live in the Doberai Peninsula or Bird’s Head of Papua. Their settlements are concentrated around the town of Teminabu, in South Sorong Regency.
The word “Tehit” comes from the word “Tahiyid” which lexically means “has been lost”. That is because with their arrival, they overrode the existence of the Safledrar Tribe, who previously lived here. Originally they came from Seget-Sele Peninsula in Sorong Regency.
3. Awe Tribe
Aside from Moi and Tehit, there is also the Awe Tribe. Most of them live around the South Sorong Regency. The word “Awe” literally means “come on” in the Awe language. Then, the tribe of Awe consists of several clans, namely Awe, Me, Khudori, and Kumude.
4. Bira Tribe
The next one is the Bira Tribe. They live around the Inanwatan District. Administratively, it is included in the area of South Sorong Regency, West Papua Province. They utilize the mangrove environment and its contents to meet their daily needs. Apart from that, they also utilize sago forests and other plants.
5. Iwaro Tribe
Then, there is also the Iwaro Tribe that lives along the Metemani River in Sorong. To be precise, they inhabit the Saga Village. Saga itself is an abbreviation of sago and salt. This is because, in the past, it was a meeting point between the people of Iwaro and outsiders to exchange sago and salt.
6. Kais Tribe
The next one is probably the Kais Tribe that lives around the Bird’s Head Peninsula of West Papua. To be precise, they reside in Kais District, which is administratively included in South Sorong Regency. Most people in Kais speak the Kais language. It is included in the Trans New Guinea family languages.
7. Yaben Nerigo Tribe
Then, there is also the Yaben Nerigo Tribe that lives around the Yahadian Village in the Bird’s Head Peninsula. The people of Yaben mostly speak the Yahadian language. Lexically, the language is similar to the language of Konda. The similarity is around 60%.
8. Yaben Tribe
Aside from Yaben Nerigo, there is also the Yaben Tribe that lives around Konda District Regency. To be precise, they reside in Wamargege and Konda Villages. People of Yaben mostly speak the language of Konda. It is the westernmost mainland of the Trans New Guinea family language.
So, here are the lists of native tribes of Sorong that you need to know. Aside from the natives, various immigrants live around Sorong. Starting from Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, and also Maluku.
