Air Matoa Language: A Language for Kaimana People

It is believed that Indonesia is a country rich in culture and language. There are at least 1000 local languages, with Bahasa Indonesia serving as the unifying language. Furthermore, almost 300 of these languages may be found in West Papua, Indonesia’s easternmost area. One of the 300 native Papuan languages is named Air Matoa language.

So, this time we will speak about the Air Matoa language, which is spoken in the Kaimana regency. Let’s get going for extra information.

Air Matoa Language: A Language for Kaimana People

Air Matoa is spoken in Rurumo Village, Teluk Etna District, Kaimana Regency, and West Papua Province. Apart from the Air Matoa language, they also speak Yeresiam and Yuafeta.

Rurumo Village is located on the seaside and is home to ethnic Miere people. However, just one individual in this town has mastered the Air Matoa language, and four others simply comprehend it passively.

The original speakers of Air Matoa came from Air Matoa Village, located in the woodland region to the north of Rurumo, until they relocated to and resided in Rurumo Village in 1976.

The residents claim that Napiti Pantai is spoken in the villages of Bamana, Ombapamuku, and Hairapara, located to the east, west, and north. Meanwhile, towards the south, the Busama language is spoken in Boiya village.

Furthermore, the cultural heterogeneity in this location is made based on dialectometric calculations, which demonstrate that the Air Matoa isolect differs from either the Girimora Language, Irarutu-Bofuer Language, Kamberau or Bauana Language, or Inland Jeresiam Language by 81%–100%.

Allow us now to discuss the entire territory of West Papua.

The Government System in West Papua

West Papua is divided into a few regencies and the city of Sorong by organizational procedures. At the lowest administrative level, these entities are divided into a regency, a district, and then a village. The governor is West Papua’s main executive officer.

So, after learning a bit about West Papua’s governance structure, let’s learn a little more about the Kaimana area, which is the focus of the development of the Air Matoa language.

The Details of the Kaimana Regency

Kaimana is known as the “Twilight City.” It is a coastal city in West Papua Province, just facing the Arafuru Sea on the neck of Papua Island. As a result, many consider the twilight in this location to be quite unusual.

In terms of customs and culture, the people of Kaimana are quite religious, and they have a monarch or chief to whom they look up—a traditional chief of sorts.

This territory directly faces the Arafuru Sea and is a coastline area, as previously stated. As a corollary, the commodities of fish and other marine sectors are quite good.

Sea cucumber, skipjack, tuna, mackerel, pearl clams, oysters, tiger prawns, sharks, turtles, anchovies, and various forms of reef fish are examples of the marine richness found here.

not to mention the aquaculture in the sea. A huge mangrove forest exists in Kaimana Land. The mangrove forest is undoubtedly ideal for aquaculture systems or other types of industrial fish farming.

And speaking of natural goods, Kaimana has significant potential for cocoa, coconut, and oil palm. In this location, several varieties of wood with considerable economic importance, such as gaharu, binuang, masohi, nutmeg, and Cinnamomum culilawan.

Indigenous Language in West Papua

That was about one of the indigenous languages spoken in West Papua, specifically in the Kaimana regency. It may be inferred that this language is one of the most widely spoken and recognized in eastern Indonesia.

We also hope that this little description of the Air Matoa language will make us appreciate the diversity of Indonesian languages all the more.