The Distinctive Traditions and Rituals of the Abun Tribe

abun tribe

In terms of culture and natural beauty, the country of Papua is renowned for its diversity. The traditions and practices of the New Guinea people are still deeply ingrained in daily life. The Abun tribe is one of the Papua tribes that hypnotize many people due to its distinctiveness.

How Many Tribes in Papua New Guinea?

How Many Tribes in Papua New Guinea - Abun Tribe
How Many Tribes in Papua New Guinea – Abun Tribe

West Papua, which is separate from Papua New Guinea, an independent nation, is the western half of the island of New Guinea. There are about 312 distinct tribes, some of which have not been in contact with outsiders.

The highland peoples of Papua live in the middle of a hilly region, raise pigs, and grow sweet potatoes.

The lowland Papuan tribes hunt and gather food to survive in the marshy, malaria-infested coastal regions.

The several tribal languages are spoken in Papua New Guinea range from similar to completely different. Its population differs racially from most other ethnic groups in Indonesia.

At PNG’s well-known cultural events, many of these indigenous people now dress in their traditional attire and perform their ritual dances.

These include the Mt. Hagen Show, established in 1961 to unite the regional tribes, and the Goroka Show, annually welcomes thousands of tourists from abroad.

History of the Abun Tribe

History of the Abun Tribe - Abun Tribe

The people gave the language the name Abun; a means’ language,’ and Bun means’ bush, jungle.’ They are known as the Yenden people, from the words ye- ‘person’ and nden’ interior, land.’

They sometimes call their language Anden, but they usually call it Abun. They rarely refer to themselves as the Yembun people; instead, they refer to themselves as the Yen den people, who speak the Abun language.

Karon Pantai, Madik, and Yimbun are some of the names given to the Abun language. The Biak people gave the Abun-speaking people the name Karon Pantai, which is listed in Voorhoeve.

To the west, the Moi people refer to them by the ambiguous name Madik. For what has later been identified as the Abun Ji dialect, Voorhoeve listed the term Madik as a distinct language.

The Yimbun or Yembun is the name that the Amberbaken to the east gives them; it is clear that they adopted it from the Yenden themselves. Western members of the linguistic group frequently use this name.

Abun Tribe’s Rituals

Abun Tribe’s Rituals

The Menke Womom ritual evolved from a family ritual that the Abun community has long practiced as local wisdom.
When the Abun Tribe believes that the number of leatherback turtles on the shoreline is dwindling, they will usually hold a large-scale Menke Womom ritual instead of a domestic ritual.

The Abun Tribe is committed to protecting their sea as part of the Menke Womom rite. The prosperity of humans, especially the Abun Tribe, depends on the sustainability of the sea and turtle populations. It is time for us to contribute to the conservation of the biodiversity of the sea.

Menke Womom rituals are typically held in the late afternoon. In the late afternoon, giant sea reptiles may land or visit a coastline.

The ritual should be performed carefully by 13 tribal leaders, with two assigned to summon the Ocean God on the shoreline.

Due to the peak egg-laying season, the ceremony is often carried out towards the end of June. A tribal meeting held behind closed doors decided on the ritual’s day and location.

Wormon Beach and Jamurba Medi Beach, now known as Jeen Womom Beach, are the two beaches most frequently chosen as locations for rituals.

Final Thoughts

Now you know a lot of tribes in Guinea, each with its own traditions and rituals. Abun is an ethnic group with a language that is believed to be God’s language.

According to the second viewpoint, the word Abun is made up of two words: a and Bun. A is for language, and Bun is for the tribe. So Abun is the name of both the Abun language and the Abun tribe.