DOI Number: 10.5958/0976-5506.2019.01747.

Local Wisdom in Pregnancy, Childbirth, Childcare in Mee

Tribe, Papua

Heni Voni Rerey1, Cristina Tien Popang1, Butet Agustarika1, Ester Rumaseb1
1
Midwifery School, Health Polytechnic of Jayapura, Jalan Padang Bulan 2, Hedam, Districk Heram,
Jayapura City, Papua, Indonesia

ABSTRACT
The culture of the Mee tribe in the pattern of child care begins with the process of pregnancy, childbirth
and when the child enters school age. This study aims to find the concept of value and wisdom in the Mee
tribe community for the developmental strength of the nation’s children in Paniai Papua in the process of
pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. This study uses a qualitative approach. This research was conducted on
the Mee Tribe in Paniai District, which is in the mountainous region of Papua, Indonesia in May - October
2018. Data collection was carried out by in-depth interviews and observations. Interviews were conducted
on 25 informants selected by purposive procedures, which consisted of mothers, pregnant women, nursing
mothers, tribal heads and health workers. The Mee tribe marks pregnancy as the initial process of the birth of
a new life in the family so it is very important to maintain the health of the baby, mother and family safety.
For that, food, equipment, activities, and customs must be considered because it is believed to determine
the process of pregnancy. When pregnant, the mother of the Mee tribe consumed a lot of shrimp which was
her own catch. In the pattern of parenting, mothers carry out a care procession that strongly emphasizes
local wisdom and culture, such as using noken, leaves, stoves and embers and the presence of large events
involving large families and villages in welcoming children born.

Keywords: Local wisdom, parenting, Mee tribe

Introduction very influential and determines the pattern of child

Parenting is a factor that is very closely related to
the growth and development of children under the age of
five. Children aged 1-5 years (toddlers) are times when
children still desperately need adequate and adequate
food and nutrition supplies. Malnutrition at this time
can cause developmental disorders physically, mentally,
socially and intellectually which are permanent in nature
and continue to be brought on until the child becomes
an adult. More specifically, malnutrition can cause body
growth delay, more importantly, delay the development
of the brain and can also decrease or decrease the body’s
resistance to infectious diseases. At this time also,
children are still really dependent on care and care by
their mothers. Health and food care in the first year of
life is very important for child development4.
The pattern of parenting is influenced by the culture
that exists in the environment because everything that
is in the family both in the form of objects and people
and the rules and customs that apply in the family is
development and parents’ education5,6.
The culture of the Mee tribe in the pattern of child care
begins with the process of pregnancy, childbirth and when
the child enters school age. Cultural and social themes are
inherent in the pattern of people’s lives1. The command
of adat, advice, and abstinence from food to traditional
processions is strongly believed to be the main factor in
childcare and providing safety to mothers and babies14.
This study aims to find the concept of value and wisdom in
the Mee tribe community for the developmental strength
of the nation’s children in Paniai Papua in the process of
pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting.
Method
This study uses a qualitative approach. This research
was conducted on the Mee Tribe in Paniai District in
the mountainous region of Papua, Indonesia in May -
October 2018. Data collection was carried out at the
residence of the Mee tribe to interact in an effort to find
 1194 Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, July 2019, Vol.10, No. 7
out the Mee tribe’s wisdom in the process of pregnancy,
childbirth and care child.
Data collection is done through in-depth interviews
and observations. Interviews were conducted on 25
informants selected by purposive procedures, which
consisted of mothers, pregnant women, nursing mothers,
tribal heads and health workers.
Qualitative data analysis is carried out in order to
explore the meaning of each phenomenon that appears
during the study.
Result and Discussion
Local values and wisdom in pregnancy
1. Food consumed during pregnancy: The foods
most often consumed by pregnant women of the
Mee tribe are shrimp, fish, pork, sweet potatoes,
potato, fruits and vegetables. The types of
vegetables consumed are cabbage, potato leaves,
pumpkin and others. These foods are always
consumed by mothers from the beginning of
pregnancy to the time of delivery.
“... so if I get pregnant I usually eat potato,
shrimp, sweet potatoes, beans, ordinary carrots...
” (Informant GY, 56 years old)
Most of the Mee tribe work as cassava farmers.
Sweet potato is a staple food for the Mee tribe.
Sweet potatoes have a very high-calorie content
that is good for fetal development and maternal
strength. Even though she is pregnant, the Mee tribe
continues to carry out her activities as a farmer.
In the Mee tribe culture, husbands are responsible
for providing nutritious food for pregnant wives.
“... the husband must prepare good food if the
wife is pregnant. That must be... “(Informant SJ,
46 years).
2. A form of family support: The most important
form of support done by the husband is providing
nutritious food for a wife who is pregnant.
“... yes, there are usually women who help - help
work at home. Also normal husband... “(Informant
GY, 56 years).
Husbands help complete the heavy work that is
usually done by the wife, such as cleaning the
garden, lifting potato, and feeding pigs.
3. The level of family acceptance of health
services: Some of the services received are
weighing the body and other health checks,
tension, adjusting the position of the head,
injections. Take vitamins. However, the majority
of mothers come for a pregnancy check-up when
entering the 4th trimester and when they feel a
physical disturbance is felt by the mother.
“... Going to the Puskesmas is important because
many of us don’t know it to be a midwife who
knows. I was injected there, checked my head
position, not to turn it upside down. Same given
vitamins... “(Informant GY, 56 years)
Mee pregnant women if they do not feel any health
problems, then the pregnant woman will not go
to the health service. pregnancy is considered a
personal matter so that things related to it need not
be known by outsiders.
4. Abstinence in pregnancy: The Mee tribe
community believes that if the mother consumes
these foods, it is feared that the fetus in the
mother’s stomach will be large and this will later
complicate the delivery process.
“... if we are in the Mee tribe, parents often tell
us that we should not eat nuts. Like long beans,
peanuts, he said later that the children will grow
up and it will be hard to give birth... “(Informant
HJ, 53 years).
This prohibition is not only directed at the mother,
but there are also restrictions that apply to the
husband. prohibition of activities for pregnant
women such as mothers may not sit at the door for
too long. It is feared that spirits can see pregnant
women sitting at the door so that it can provide a
negative aura to the mother that can endanger the
mother and fetus.
“... if you are pregnant, you are usually prohibited
from sitting at the door. He said, don’t let any
spirits pass by, he saw that pregnant women were
a danger... “(Informant GY, 56 years).
“... may not pass on Daidah (sacred place) because
there is a guardian. Children can die, mother too.
Families can not survive. Especially if women
who have menstruation are not allowed to pass.
Dispose of saliva and urinate should not be there
“(Informant KY, 46 years).
 Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, July 2019, Vol.10, No. 7
Pregnant women also cannot pass through areas
that are believed to be sacred places. The sacred
place in terms of the Mee tribe is Daidah. Daidah
is an area that is sacred by the Mee tribe because
it is believed to have a guardian (spirit), so that
pregnant women cannot pass through the area
especially throw away saliva and urinate.
In addition to the prohibitions that apply to
pregnant women, the Mee tribe also knows the
prohibitions that are shown to their husbands.
“... if the wife is pregnant, the husband may not
shave. That hair, beard especially mustache. If
he cuts, the child in the stomach is also cut off.
Children can die... “(Informant GY, 56 years).
Local values and wisdom in labor: The unique thing
that happened to the Mee tribe tradition community
when giving birth was that the Mee tribe chose to do
their own labor at home without the help of midwives
and midwives. Mothers do their own labor in a lying
position or sitting position.
“... I have all the children (9 children) giving birth
at home. Only 1 child is the one you helped because
I was a little difficult... because if I told my husband,
the parents were banned because they could not. Then
if other people also already know that the process will
be long. Unless I’m weak, I just call my family, ade,
brother-in-law... “(Informant GY, 56 years old)
Mee tribe women choose to give birth themselves
due to 2 (two) reasons, namely 1) Husbands should not
be close - close to the wife who will give birth because
it will complicate labor and get bad luck; 2) The process
of childbirth cannot be known by others, because it can
cause labor to be long. The family (mother and sister)
can only accompany the mother of childbirth if the
mother experiences physical weakness so that she needs
to get help in the process of giving birth.
For the Mee tribe, home care is an option, because
living in their own home can provide comfort, calm and
not cold (can sleep near embers), use their own language,
and have family support and attention (Kayame10)..
When the mother feels she is about to give birth,
the first thing she does is pray, second, she picks up the
things that are heavy, bear, holds on to the head. When
entering the time of labor, the mother prepares labor kits
to help her through her own labor, such as sharp bamboo
1195
to cut the umbilical cord, the rope to tie the abdomen,
leaves for baby’s bedding, cloth, and mats. If the father
or mother has a bad past story, then the person concerned
must confess, because otherwise, it will disrupt the
delivery process. Children and mothers can be victims.
“... At the time of giving birth, the first one was when
she had started giving birth, first to pray. Then the second
one lifts heavy items, lifts up on the head, sometimes
walks. Prepare the bamboo, the rope must also be ready
for the umbilical cord, there are leaves - the leaves must
also be prepared, Kobe - kobe, noken, then the cloths, if
not there can use the leaves... “(Informant KY, 46 years).
The baby’s umbilical cord is cut by the mother by
using a razor blade and bamboo that has been prepared
beforehand. The umbilical cord is dried on coals of fire.
Small children are also dried on the fire barah. For this
reason, nearing the time of delivery, the husband must
prepare a lot of firewood which will be used to dry the
baby. The mother took care of herself after giving birth
using leaves available in the neighborhood of the Mee
tribe, namely onage and Pegey leaves. Onage leaves
and pegey leaves are heated on fire and placed on the
stomach to clean the stomach. The leaves are also placed
on the back of the back, the birth canal (such as sanitary
napkins). This is used to accelerate wound healing. After
3 days the mother who has just given birth can go out
and work in the garden.
“... for 3 days the mother and child continued, dried
on coals. The umbilical cord is also dried in the sun. If
it’s been 3 days the child is given the noken. So if you
want to go out, you can just hang it in noken... “(KY
informant, 46 years).
As for baby care, for 3 days after delivery, the baby
is dried on the stove. After 3 days, the baby is put in a
noken which contains dried leaves such as banana leaves
to provide warmth to the baby. Noken is also a baby
carrier when the mother is traveling. When the mother
left home and did not bring a noken baby containing a
baby, she was kept at home by hanging.
Local values and wisdom on parenting (Infants and
Toddlers): The mother gives food to the baby from the
first month, in the form of porridge mashed with a spoon
or food that is mummified by the mother and given to the
child. Most Mee mothers give milk to children until the
child is satisfied.
 1196 Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, July 2019, Vol.10, No. 7
“... The milk is given up to 2 years... even up to 4-5
years. The other mothers used to give the milk until they
were pregnant again. If you are not pregnant, your child
is given ASI and continues... “(Informant GY, 56 years).
Mother stops giving ASI to children when the mother
is pregnant again. In some children, mothers give breast
milk until the child is 3 years old until the child enters
kindergarten. Some children also get immunizations.
When children are sick, the first thing to do is pray
to God, using traditional medicine such as using drugs
such as using oil. If the child coughs, the mother gives
Geos leaves while if the child suffers from diarrhea, the
mother uses taro and Yatu (a type of vegetable candle).
This is a form of family independence in preparing
family needs.
If the child still does not show an improved
condition, the mother will take him to the hospital.
“... Kaka - those who died were due to no medicine.
That’s the first why I took it to the hospital. Maybe the
child also died... “(Informant GY, 56 years).
This study found informants who are currently
specialists. The informant was one of the sons of the
Mee tribe who managed to get a higher education and
now works as a specialist at one of the public hospitals
in one of the regions in Papua7, 8.
“... I have a father who once tied me in a chair all
day in the school field because I didn’t go to school.
He hits in front of people. I was not given food... “(DA
informant, 34 years old).
Conclusions and Recommendations
The Mee tribe marks pregnancy as the initial
process of the birth of a new life in the family so it is
very important to maintain the health of the baby, mother
and family safety. When pregnant, the mother of the
Mee tribe consumed a lot of shrimp which was her own
catch. Shrimp is the main source of protein for mothers
in addition to consumption of fish and pork. Without
realizing it, this is an important source of protein nutrition
for the process of growth and development of babies.
Traditional Mee tribes prefer to undergo childbirth alone
without anyone’s help including their husbands, this is
believed to ensure the safety of babies and families. This
shows the meaning of independence and great sacrifice
for the birth of a child. This spirit will later be passed on
to their children later9.
In the pattern of parenting, mothers carry out a
care procession that strongly emphasizes local wisdom
and culture, such as using noken, leaves, stoves and
embers and the presence of large events involving
large families and villages in welcoming children born.
The event signifies pride for family members who will
later make their family name scent. In parenting, the
role of mother and father is very dominant, the mother
gives love education while the father teaches about the
independence of responsibility11, 12, 15, 16, 17.
Local wisdom needs to be maintained in an effort to
maintain community culture and strong synergy so that
health services are still accepted by the community.
Ethical Clearance: Taken from the committee
Source of Funding: Nil
Conflict of Interest: Nil
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