Every part of Indonesia has its own culture, including Papua with its Papua culture. People have known Papua for its natural beauty. For years, the beauty of Papua has attracted both domestic and foreign tourists to visit Papua. However, Papua is not only interesting in terms of the beauty of its nature, but also in terms of local culture and traditions. Since Papua is the easternmost island in Indonesia, it definitely has a unique tradition and culture you have never seen nor known. Let us take you to get to know the culture and traditions.
Traditional Dresses
The traditional dresses in Papua depend on which tribe one lives. Since there are lots of tribes in Papua, the traditional dresses also vary. Usually, the men wear head accessories, necklace, traditional belt, and tufted sarong. The necklace is made of either animal’s teeth and bones or seashells. In addition, the men also use traditional spear and shield with its unique patterns while wearing the traditional dress. Moreover, the women’s traditional dress is quite similar to the men They also wear tufted dress and necklace with additional accessories on their arm. Nowadays, only people living in the tribe wear traditional dresses, while the people who live in the city wear modern clothes.
Dance
Each tribe also has its own traditional dance. Perhaps, the most popular ones are the Welcome Dance and Mbes dance. Both Welcome Dance and Mbes dance are used to welcome the guest who came to their island. Besides, those traditional dances describe the happiness of people of Papua to welcome and respect the guests as well. The unique thing about this Papua culture is when the dance comes into the part where the guest is lying on a shield and carried by the tribes. It is a unique way to welcome the guest.
Tradition
Papua has several unique traditions that you may not encounter in any part of Indonesia. The most unusual one is finger cutting tradition. When a family member is dead, the family members who are grieving will cut one of their fingers. You may think it is odd, but it is a tradition in Dani Tribe. It symbolizes grief as well as to prevent bad luck which has caused the death of their family members. The more family members one loss, the more finger is cut. The finger is cut using a machete or knife.
When you come to visit Papua to see Papua culture, do not let Indonesia culture shock got you.
