West Papua is the 31st province in Indonesia, with its capital city in Manokwari. Many tribes are inhabiting this province, and they are scattered in each region. Among them is the Marind tribe, which has a significant population (about 5,000-7,000 people) on the south coast of West Papua. They live in Digul River, east of Yos Sudarso Island, and mainly in the west of Maro River, including Merauke.
Merauke is one of the districts in West Papua. Interestingly, it is the widest and the most east side district compared to all of the districts in Indonesia.
Tanam Sasi
Tanam Sasi is a death ceremony that grows in Merauke. It is practiced by the Marind tribe or also known as Marind-Anim. Anim means man, and anum means woman.
Sasi is a certain type of wood, which becomes the main media from this whole death ceremony. Sasi is buried for 40 days after the person’s death from that area and will be revoked after 1000 days from the buried time. This ceremony also affects the carving made from West Papua, which is very famous internationally.
The meaning within Tanam Sasi
Sasi is not just ordinary wood since it has been planted for Tanam Sasi tradition, which has a special meaning for the Marind tribe. The meaning they put on this wood through their carvings are:
- The special carving from West Papua symbolizes the presence of the ancestors.
- As a symbol of the feelings from the people when they feel happy and sad
- As a symbol of belief from the community through the human, animals, and plants motifs on it
- As a symbol of beauty in the form of art and masterpiece. Also, it represents the memories of their ancestors.
Tanam Sasi Procession
In Tanam Sasi, the tribe people have a traditional dance to perform. The dance is called Tari Gatsi. Tari Gatsi is a common dance from the Marind tribe, proof the tribe still keep their custom and culture. This dance is not only performed during Tanam Sasi but also in the festival of Tusuk Telinga. During the performance, musicians are playing a traditional instrument from Papua called Tifa.
Tifa is a musical instrument that looks like a small drum. It is very special because it is made from susu wood (Alstonia scholaris L). This wood is a local hardwood that can only be found in the West Papua forest. Meanwhile, the drum part of tifa is made from deerskin or monitor lizard skin that has been processed to produce a beautiful musical sound.
Local people use susu leaves and wood skin as medicine. The leaf is antipyretic, antimalaria, and antihypertension, while the wood skin has a bitter taste. It can be used as an expectorant, menstrual cramp, and for lowing blood sugar. Sometimes, they even use it as an anthelmintic (worm disease). The water used to rinse the wood skin are believed to be able to treat malaria and fever.
Myth has been a part of Indonesia, and susu tree is included. Local people believe this plant is the home of the dead spirits. In Tekorejo Village, people use this wood to prevent evil spirits.
Tari Gatsi has a certain meaning for the Marind tribe people to always obey the cultural custom within the community and preserve their tradition.
How do they take care of the dead body
The way they take care of the dead body is the same as how the Asmat tribe does. Here are the steps of their corpse preserving:
- First, the corpse is greased with natural herbs, making the whole body turned into black.
- Then, they arrange the corpse in a sitting position.
- Lastly, they put the corpse inside of the burner until the whole body is fully blackened.
Usually, they will conduct another ceremony along with this Tanam Sasi procession by cutting their finger. Then, they will end it with a West Papua cultural song.
Finger cutting is a symbol of the people’s deep grief and loss for the death of their family member. For them, fingers are the symbol of peace in a family. They cut the finger with a traditional tool, a stone axe—which is hard and dull. Even if it is very painful, this tradition is still practiced because the tribe wants to show their family’s loyalty. Cultural law is powerful in the community, and it is necessary to do so.
Conclusion:
Indonesia is rich in cultural diversities; West Papua is one of the examples. They have certain beliefs and traditions that have been rooted deeply in their daily life. It can be a magnet for people to learn and see how they live with their cultural customs, like the Tanam Sasi tradition to respect their dead family.
