West Papua is a region that has a long list of cultural assets, one of them being rock art sites. The topography and geography of this region offer natural rocky areas. The government makes a serious attempt to advance these sites as there are historic, scientific, and cultural values that these sites can provide.
Kaimana: A Hotspot for Rock Arts
The government turns its attention towards a region named Kaimana. This regency has plenty of rock art sites. Some of them are already developed by the government and locals. However, some locations are still unknown to many people.
Kaimana is a small coastal regency in West Papua. The rock art sites in Kaimana are most often located in the water area. Here are some spots in which people would be able to find some rock arts:
- The Maimai Strait
- Bitsyari Bay
- Triton Bay
- Kamaka Lake
- Arguni Bay
The Rock Arts in Papua
The entire Papua is a culturally rich island. There are many native tribes living in harmony with nature and each other. In the past, when most people still lived in tribes, they built their own culture together. Rock art was a form of manifestation of tribal culture.
People made meaningful drawings over the cliff walls. Some of these drawings are impressively massive. Considering that modern technology did not exist, it shows how advanced West Papua people were in the art department.
The drawings represented various things that were culturally embedded in the local tribes. Art historians are interested in trying to discern the meanings of those drawings. Another interesting thing is that many of those drawings were colored. That indicates how tribal people in the past already knew to create colors.
The Potentials of Rock Arts
Papua sees rapid development over the years. The government tries to exert more effort to develop these rock art sites. There are so many values that these sites can offer they are developed well:
- It offers a cultural study about the past and current tribal people living in the West Papua area.
- It provides an insight into the traditional technology used by tribal people in the past.
- It introduces the characteristics of Papua tribal society in the region.
By developing the rock art sites in Kaimana Regency into cultural assets, the government expects economic development within the area. There are several implications from that economic advancement:
1. Maintaining the Natural Environment in That Area
Just like any other country, the importance of maintaining the natural environment should become the government’s priority. The government and local people need economic resources to achieve this. Developing the sites as cultural assets can hopefully aid the process.
2. Maintaining the Cultural Values
Developing cultural assets also helps preserve cultural values. More people would get to know the rock arts, which were the culture of past tribal people in West Papua. The more people know about the culture, the more people would care about it and make an effort to maintain it.
3. Developing the People’s Welfare
By providing easier access for people to visit these sites, locals can find more sources of income from these foreigners. It also creates a sense of pride for the locals as their cultural sites are considered valuable by people worldwide.
Response to Development of the Rock Art Sites
It is necessary to see the opinions of local people about the site development, as they are the stakeholders. Many locals know about these sites, but they need the government’s assistance to maintain them. Communication about site development needs to be done to satisfy every party involved with the progress.The rock art sites in West Papua are potential as they offer many values to the region and its people. The development is the government’s responsibility. However, as a stakeholder, locals must be involved too.
