The Dhani Tribe - Papua

Although still a part of Indonesia, Papua is really far from the rest of the archipelago; in fact, most papuans are still trying to fight for independence from Indonesia. On this trip, I travelled to Wamena, the largest town in the Baliem Valley, situated in the heart of the cyclops mountain at an altitude of 1600 meters. This town has staggering HIV and AIDS prevalence, with approximately 5,000 HIV/AIDS cases, since most men conventionally have more than 2 wives. The health conditions are also poor, with high rates of malaria, because most of the population don’t regularly shower or practice oral health and still excrete on the grass. The weather there is really sunny but at the same time windy since the valley is surrounded by mountain peaks of 2,500-3,000 meters and is situated in the highlands of Papua.

During my trip to Wamena, I had the chance to attend the Baliem festival, where multiple primitive tribes from different districts got together to show off their traditional dances and tribal mock battles, accompanied with traditional papuan music and tasty local foods. There were also other traditions showcased such as the traditional Puradan Rattan spear throwing, souvenirs, and many more. There are 3 main tribes that exist in the Baliem valley area: Dani, Yali, and Lani. Each tribe has their own unique cultures and styles of clothing to distinguish themselves from other tribes. This festival is held annually by the government to preserve the cultures of Baliem tribes.

I was also lucky enough to be able to stay over at a Dani tribal village in Wamena for a day to experience their traditional way of living. The villagers still used minimal clothing and lived in small huts made of straw and wood called Honai. The Dani men don’t wear any forms of clothing other than traditional penis sheaths called kotekas, which are made from a local dried-out plant. On the other hand, the tribal women usually do not wear shirts but wear grass skirts to cover the bottom half of their bodies.

When we first arrived at the village, the men performed a tribal war simulation for us, equipped with real spears and bows, to highlight one of their most integral historical moment. Then, they sang their traditional chant for us and were joined by the women villagers for a dance routine to welcome us to their family compound. After that, we were free to take pictures and talk to the villagers to learn more about their daily lives and culture. I got the chance to talk to an old woman who cut off her fingers when her husband died, which is an old tradition in the Dani tribe. Meanwhile, the women cooked a vegetable meal, with a method called 'bakar batu', for the whole village to eat. I witnessed a man creating a fire with only a rock and a few bamboo sticks; which I found really compelling. The way the 'bakar batu' process works to prepare a meal is that rocks are thrown over a pit of hot coals on the ground. Then, sweet potatoes, vegetables, and a red fruit called tawi is wrapped in banana leaves and put in the pit. Then, more rocks are put on top of the banana leaves and left to bake.

When the ladies were done cooking, they laid out local handicraft souvenirs such as necklaces and bracelets for us to buy. The mountains around the area provided a great scenery, complimenting the people of Wamena and their simplistic way of living. Overall, I had a really fun time in Wamena and hope I can visit again soon; this place is truly an untouched beauty.