West Papua people have beautiful cultures and traditions that enrich Indonesia’s diversity. West Papua is located in the eastern part of Indonesia. Papua and West Papua used to be one province, but it was separated for development purposes in 2004. West Papua’s capital city is Manokwari and this province has more than 1 million population.
Ethnicity and Nationality
West Papuans race is different from their brothers and sisters in the other provinces of Indonesia. West Papuans are Melanesians while most Indonesians are of Mongoloid race. Ethnically, West Papuans are closer with the people in the neighboring country, Papua New Guinea. The colonizers use this racial issue to take control of West Papua and separate it from Indonesia.
However, West Papua history has shown that the people in West Papua have chosen to unite with Indonesia in The Act of Free Choice referendum. It means, no matter what the race is, West Papuans are Indonesians. The Indonesian language is used as the official language to unite people from all races and ethnicities that reside in West Papua. But some local languages are also still used by the people, especially in daily informal communication.
Religion
Christianity is the most widely practiced religion by the West Papua people. This religion was brought by the missionaries in 1855 and still has a strong foothold in this area until now.
Nowadays, many immigrants from the other provinces of Indonesia come to stay in West Papua. Because of this, the number of Muslims as well as the other religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism are also increasing. At least 55% of West Papua populations are Christians, and the rest practice the other religions. Traditional religions like Animism are also still practiced by some tribes in the rural areas.
Culture and Tradition
There are over 250 local tribes in West Papua. Each tribe has its own unique culture and tradition. So, you can imagine how rich, diverse, and beautiful, the cultures in this province are. Some arts, traditions, and customs are more widely known than others and become the representative of West Papua people on the national and international stage.
For example, Rumah Kaki Seribu (Thousand Legs House) is considered West Papua’s traditional house. This is the traditional house of the Arfak tribe that lives in the Manokwari regency. This house uses so many wooden poles as the foundation which makes the house looks like it has thousands of legs. The wooden poles are believed to protect the house from invaders, wild animals, and also black magic.
Rumah Kaki Seribu is not the only traditional house in West Papua. The other tribes might have their own traditional houses. This traditional house is mostly used by people that live in the mountains. Since the weather is cold, this house doesn’t have windows to keep the inside warm.
Due to its mountainous geographic condition, most people in West Papua work in the agricultural sector. 65% of the citizens are traditional farmers. The most prominent agricultural commodity here are potatoes, soya beans, mung beans, corns, and yams. The total production of those commodities reaches 73,000 tonnes per year.
Besides highlands, West Papua territory is also surrounded by seas. As a result, this province is also rich in maritime products. Because of this, you can find various fish dishes in West Papua. One of the most popular is Manokwari’s Grilled Fish. This dish is very famous and it is something that tourists should not miss when they visit Manokwari. Because it is surrounded by seas, West Papua also has many beautiful beaches. Some regencies have started to take advantage of this and brand their place as a heavenly tourist attraction. You can visit these beautiful places to experience the amazing nature of West Papua and the friendliness of West Papua people.
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