Asmat is one of the largest Papua tribe in Indonesia. Besides being the largest one, this tribe is also well-known to tourists. Not only because of their unique traditions, but also because of their friendliness toward visitors.
Asmat tribes usually live in the midst of forests and foreshores. The other half of the members also live surrounded by swamps. Moreover, this tribe also has many charms that are unique and cannot be found anywhere else. Excited to know more?
Asmat’s Charm, A Papua Tribe Known For Its Unique and Friendly Nature
Besides their friendliness and the fact that Asmat is the most popular tribe in Papua, there are other things that make this tribe so special. Each of them is different and has its own charm. Here they are:
1. Asmat’s Food
Asmat tribes have traditional food that is unique and cannot be found anywhere else in Papua. It is the sago grub. Most people find it quite extreme as a meal. As it is actually a grub that lives on a sago tree.
Besides the extremeness, the sago grub is actually quite healthy. It’s chewy and contains more protein than an egg.
Another tasty and unique food that the Asmat tribe has is the Papeda. It is made from sago trees that have been cooked into a sticky consistency. It is a staple food in this country and is eaten with other side dishes.
They taste bland because they need to be eaten with other side dishes like soup. Even so, it is a fulfilling food.
2. Asmat’s Natural Products
This Papua tribe also has natural products. These natural products are usually collected from the forest. The products are pecans, aloes, resin, or rattan.
The other common natural product is wood. That is usually used to build houses or ships.
3. Asmat’s Craft and Technology
The Asmat’s specialty is their crafts and technology. The members of the tribes are famous and well-known for their wood carving skills and sculpting skills. The products of their wood carving are usually in the form of shields, tree bark paintings, and statues. They also make crafts from stone, such as stone axes and knives from bone.
From other products, the statue is the one that is known for its value to their ancestors. The making of statues is their way of connecting to the ancestors to honor them in their carvings.
The Asmat’s shields also have unique value. Back in the old days, the Asmat tribe would carve a shield to avenge the members of their tribe that had died. The shield then would be named the same as the relative who died. It is believed that the spirits of the dead will give power to the owner of the shields.
4. Asmat’s Traditions
There is this tradition in this tribe of honoring their chief. To show their respect to the chief, they would keep the corpse of the deceased chief as a mummy. This tradition will be followed by the finger cutting of one of the chief family members.
This shows how they acknowledge their chief and how they are honoring the beloved chief even though he has already passed away. There are also other traditions from the Asmat tribes that have charm, such as the dowry ceremony or plate stepping. Each has its own value and uniqueness.
Conclusion
The Asmat tribe is one of the Papua tribes that has certain characteristics that could attract people to come to their place. Not only about their cultures, but also their knowledge of crafting and technology that could awe everyone who witnessed it. There is always a reason why people always come to their land which is friendliness and knowledge.
