Talking about Papua seems endless. The land of Papua has various customs and cultures, which are always interesting to discuss. In this article, we will discuss the history of Noken Day. Let’s start.
What is Noken?
Before talking about the history of Noken day, you should know a little about the Noken itself. Maybe some of you already understand Noken, and some don’t.
What exactly is Noken? Noken is a unique traditional Papuan bag made of bark fiber, usually from nenduam wood, nawa trees, or forest orchids. Noken actually has different names according to ethnicity. For example, Noken is called Su by the Hugula Tribe; The Biak tribe calls it Inoken; The Mee tribe calls it Agiya, etc.
The History of Noken Day
Because of the uniqueness of Noken, UNESCO designated it as a traditional work and cultural heritage on December 4, 2012.
How can Noken become a world heritage? Titus Chris Pekey, Chairman of the Papua Ecological Institute, struggled and tried to nominate Noken as a cultural heritage of Papua to UNESCO.
The submission of noken as a cultural heritage was well received by UNESCO. The determination was made in Paris, attended by Prof. Wiendu Nuryanti, Deputy Minister of Culture, Ministry of Education and Culture (2011-2014), and accompanied by Titus Chris Pekey.
Since then, every December 4, Papuans have been celebrating Noken Day.
The Types of Noken
For Papuans, noken is their identity, and each tribe has a different noken knitting. Here are some types of Noken that you should know about.
1. Mitutee
It is a male noken, used to carry personal items such as matches or cigarettes. Noken for men is usually smaller.
2. Yatoo
This noken is for women. They use it to carry plantation products, groceries, or even carry children. The size of this Noken is bigger than the male noken.
3. Gapagoo
This noken is medium in size for carrying a moderate amount of groceries.
Why Noken Matters?
For the people of Papua, noken represents a pleasant life, fertility, and peace, especially for the Papua’s Central Highlands Mee/Ekari, Damal, Yali, Dani, Lani, and Bauzi tribes.
Only Papuans can produce noken from generation to generation. Women in Papua have had to learn how to make noken since they were little. Making a noken represents a woman’s adulthood. The ability to make a Noken is required for Papuan women to be considered adults and is also a requirement for marriage.
Noken is also used to transport children or newborns. They believe that by using this Noken, their unborn child’s muscles will be strengthened and they will experience fewer illnesses.
How do Papuans Make and Wear Noken?
Unlike ordinary bags, Papuan women usually hang their noken on their foreheads or heads and sling the bag behind their backs. Meanwhile, the men hang the noken around their necks.
To make a noken, Papuans would cut off a branch, trunk, or bark and heat it over a fire. After that, it was removed and immersed in water. Then they would sort out the remaining wood fiber and dry it. The next process is spinning the fiber manually and making it a strong thread or rope. They would dye the ropes with natural dyes.
This manufacturing process can take up to 1-2 weeks only for medium and small noken. While large-size noken takes 3 weeks to 2-3 months. That is why the original Noken can cost hundreds to millions of rupiah. Worth the workmanship and also the quality. Traditional noken bags are not easily torn, are strong, and are durable.
Moreover, currently, wood fiber is difficult to find. Wood fiber can be replaced with a woolen cloth. But, of course, it will affect the quality of the Noken and its authenticity. The most well-known Papuan noken is the Raja Ampat noken and the Wamena noken. Raja Ampat’s Noken is made from coastal plants located in Raja Ampat itself.
That is about the history of Noken Day. Noken is a cultural heritage of Papua that is our pride. Our job is to keep it sustainable so that it doesn’t become extinct with time.
