3 Famous Tribes in West Papua and Their Uniqeness

West Papua is one of the five provinces on the island of Papua in the westernmost part. The area of West
Papua Province is 61,073 km2 consisting of 7 districts and cities with the capital being Manokwari. West
Papua's tribes and traditional communities consist of several types which have unique characteristics. Generally,
there are 7 types of tribes that inhabit West Papua Province. This essay will explores the three tribes that are
most famous, among others are the Arfak tribe, the Maybrat tribe, and the Wamesa tribe.

First of all, the Arfak tribe is the largest tribe in West Papua Province which has customary rights in
Manokwari, especially in the Arfak mountains. The Arfak tribe is known as skilled hunters among other tribes.
Apart from that, they are also skilled in mixing medicinal plants so it can be said that they are quite competent
in traditional medicine. Then, The Hatam language is one of the languages spoken by the large Arfak tribe.
Uniquely, the Hatam language has 5 different dialects which makes this language have its own. Apart from
language, The millipede house is the original traditional house of the Arfak tribe. This traditional house is
nicknamed that because it uses many supporting pillars underneath so that if you look at it has many legs like a
millipede animal. The Arfak tribe has a distinctive dance art, namely the tambuk dance. Of which there are two
types of dance. Naming this dance based on the place of performance. If this dance is danced on the street, the
dance will be called the Tambuk Tanah dance and whereas if the dance is around the house, it is called the
Tambuk Rumah dance.

The next tribe is the Maybrat tribe which is also one of the indigenous tribes of West Papua Province who
inhabits the Maybrat Regency area. The exact location of the Maybrat tribe's settlements is in Ayamaru District,
Teminabuan District, Aitinyo District, and Aifat District in Sorong City. The majority of Maybrat people's work
is as farmers who cultivate various types of plants, such as tubers, bananas, and so on. Maybrat language is the
language used by Maybrat people. In the Maybrat community there are certain people who can relate to the
supernatural world, this group of people is called "Wofte". Apart from these groups, there are also several
groups called "kabes fane". In Papua better known as "swanggi”, a group of people who hold black magic and
can change their form into anything. After that, House on stilts is the residence of the Maybrat tribe in
mountainous and coastal areas. The settlements of this tribe follow the hills, roads and river flows in a scattered
pattern.

After the Maybrat tribe, the last tribe that is also well known among the public is the Wamesa tribe, which
is an indigenous tribe from West Papua Province which also inhabits the area in Teluk Bintuni Regency. The
exact location of their settlement is around the Wasian River in Bintuni District, Teluk Bintuni Regency. They
also have their own language for communicating, namely the Wamesa language, which is a non-Austronesian
language family. The majority of the Wamesa people's source of livelihood is gathering sago, while some live
from catching fish. So the main food for the people of this tribe is sago and fish. Apart from that, the traditional
house of this tribe is called “Igkojei”. Igkojei is a traditional house originating from the Wamesa tribe in the
Cendrawasih Bay area in West Papua and Central Papua Provinces.

After the discussion above, we now know the famous tribes that exist among the people of West Papua. As
people who live in West Papua, we should know the local culture. One thing that must be noted is that the ethnic
diversity found in this province is its characteristic. In conclusion, if we know & study West Papuan culture, we
will increasingly respect and appreciate the diversity and differences that exist.