Did you know that West Papua has many interesting facts? As one of the unique places with a strong tradition, West Papua has a lot of things you can explore. Especially about the West Papua culture and, of course, the tradition of their local people. Let’s gain knowledge about it from this article!
The Culture of West Papua
Although West Papua is not a place with a large population, it has a high population density. The culture in West Papua is incredibly diverse and has evolved. That’s why this is an interesting topic we can talk about.
You need to know that the dense forests of West Papua are very rich. There are many different tribal groups and approximately 225 indigenous groups. It will make you feel amazed while learning about their tradition because there are many differences.
Each group of people that live in West Papua has their own language. Some of them are unrelated to other people in the world. There is a high diversity in West Papua. It happens because of the endlessly varied landscape there. From the coastal areas to the mountains, West Papua has it all.
The Remote Tribe of West Papua
When we talk about West Papua culture, it won’t be enough if we don’t talk about the remote tribe. There are many remote tribes in West Papua that make this place so special. If you want to learn more about this place, then you have to learn about its remote tribes.
As was mentioned before, there is a diversity in West Papua because of the varied landscape. So, the traditions and habits of the remote tribes are also different. It depends on where they live and their environment.
In the central mountainous region, there are the highland people. They cultivate the land with some plants. You can find sweet potatoes, canes, yams, and so on. They plant to live, and this is their everyday habit.
In other places, like those who live in the famous Baliem valley, there are people who still practice the traditional culture. They also celebrate annual traditions like the Baliem Valley Festival. Many traditions continue to exist, and this strengthens them.
There are groups of people who live in lowland areas. They tend to plant sago trees for the staple food and the main ingredients to make papeda. There are also groups of people who live in coastal areas. Their traditions are mostly influenced by foreign cultures.
The Hunting Technique
In West Papua, the culture is very strong. Especially for people who live in the mountains and lowlands. They are still hunting to stay alive. They hunt animals so they can eat them together. This is a common habit in West Papua.
People in the mountains usually used a spear to hunt bears, wild boars, or other animals. They don’t use a gun to hunt the animal, but they make their own traditional gun for hunting. This also happens to the groups who live in the lowlands.
People who live in the lowland will hunt for fish and wild boar. Most of them prevent hunting the animal rather than growing a staple food. They will move from one spot to another just to find more animals. If they find the big one, they will eat it together.
One interesting fact about the West Papuan tradition is burning the stone habit. Once they get a big animal from hunting, they will burn the stones. It’s a symbol of their gratitude.
The West Papua culture is very interesting. There are many groups of people who live in the forest and still do traditional things. If you want to get to know them well, you can watch many videos about their lives and you will discover how beautiful it is.
