Social media interactions and modern customs are gradually eroding local culture. This condition was also felt in Papua, so the government appealed for the role of youth in promoting Papuan culture.
Folklore and entertainment activities participated in by some art galleries are one of the efforts to disseminate information. In this case, the aim is that the government wants to get closer to the community.
Image of the Land of Papua
Tourism in West Papua has been known throughout Indonesia and even the world as a region with abundant natural and cultural wealth.
Many stories, publications, research, and visual works have recorded the diverse ecosystems and traditions of the Land of Papua.
The richness of Tourism in West Papua also arouses the interest of many parties to come and see it firsthand. Some even physically exploit the land by clearing forests and extracting marine resources.
As a result, Papuans need help to listen, provide feedback, receive benefits, or get positive input from research activities in their region.
On the other hand, Papuan youth have yet to show much interest in researching their region. The participation of Papuan youth in research on the Land of Papua is essential to provide local perspectives and representation.
Their participation can also help the policy formulation and decision-making process for a more prosperous life for the Papuan people and a sustainable environment.
The Need for Youth to Play a Role
Currently, the influence of globalization is a severe threat to the resilience of Papuan culture.
It is necessary to find a format or concept to preserve Papuan culture so it is held. Otherwise, the young generation of Papua as the successor will lose its identity.
1. The Arts Path
One way young people can do this is to take the path of the arts. Young people currently favour Western art and other countries’ cultures. Many of the regional skills themselves are no less attractive.
The role of youth in promoting Papuan culture is tested in this case. Young Papuans must be willing and brave to learn about their own culture. Moreover, they must be confident in introducing Papuan art to the public.
Learning the arts and introducing them to the broader community can take many ways. Young Papuans must be familiar with art studios.
In addition, young people must be proactive in finding and learning about their native arts from various sources.
Furthermore, with the help of young people’s social networks, these arts and also Tourism in West Papua can be introduced through various events.
Today’s youth have a more diverse community. This diversity is an asset to promoting Papuan culture.
2. Education Pathway
There must be a culture education institution in Papua. This unique educational institution was created to educate students to improve their quality and quality.
The government and the private sector can collaborate to create formal and informal institutions. Thus, the entire young generation in Papua can genuinely love the local culture of Papua.
In the academic approach, the arts are played as they are or based on authenticity. The goal is to preserve the culture. The educational field is a medium for studying the details of local culture.
Through education, anyone can conduct research on local culture. Then, with the study’s publication, more people will read the research results. So the local culture will be spread through this educational channel.
3. Technology Pathway
Young people are increasingly familiar with the technology. This skill can be utilized by using technology to promote local culture. Anyone today can use gadgets and easily access the internet.
Thus, it takes The role of youth in promoting Papuan culture by using technology. Papuan youth can optimize the use of technology, even packaging local culture to be more creative.
Local arts must continue to develop, creatively packaged with modern technology, while still showing its traditional roots. So, even though gadgets are starting to penetrate Papua, there is no need to worry about extinction.
Papua’s Nearly Extinct Traditions
Local culture is more than just music or dance. Many other things require The role of youth in promoting Papuan culture. Some examples are:
1. Noken
Noken is categorized as an intangible cultural heritage. According to the 2003 UNESCO Convention, Noken is designated as a heritage that includes all practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, and skills.
This traditional Papuan bag is a handicraft with high artistic value and is considered the identity of the Papuan people. Noken is heading towards extinction because no young generation wants to continue and learn it.
The Noken in the Biak language is called ‘inokson or inoken’. Noken of the Biak tribe is made in Bosnik Village, East Biak. The artisans are older adults.
Noken needs to be included in the school curriculum as local or extracurricular content to save its existence. The role of youth in promoting Papuan culture, from learning to make to selling, is needed.
2. Helaehili and Ehabla
Helaehili and ehabla are Sentani oral poetry forms that are increasingly rare in the community. The Helaehili and ehabla are recited spontaneously by the singers without any notes and memorization background.
The chanters only prepare themes and plots that will be elaborated on at the venue.
The chant is built by a formula that makes it easy for the chanters to chant, i.e. similar words or phrases created by themselves or prepared by custom (ready-made phrase).
For a four-line chant, the first line is repeated in the third line and the second line in the fourth line using similar words/phrases. Thus, the second and fourth lines express the same essence as the first and second lines.
Parallelism is enriched with synonyms, compound words, reduplication, and other words or phrases with certain semantic parallels.
Therefore, the number of stanzas in helaehili and ehabla chants is determined by the chanter’s ability to create similar words/phrases to explore the ideas.
3. Language
At least 11 regional languages in Papua are threatened with extinction. These languages are Tobati, Kayo Pulau, Moi, Kuri/Nabi, Ormu, Somu, Saponi, Skouw, Bku, Mansim Borai and Tandia.
Several factors cause the 11 regional languages to be endangered, namely the speakers’ disloyalty to the language, parents not teaching their children local languages, and the number of speakers being minimal.
In addition, the scattered speakers eventually resulted in polarized language use, loss of language vitality caused by the low social status of the speakers, changes in population composition, mixed marriages, and cultural transformation.
This condition proves that the role of youth in promoting Papuan culture is needed. In addition, language speakers should not be prestigious to use their local language.
