There are many ways you can do to experience the traditions in Papua firsthand. One of them is by attending the massive Baliem Valley Festival. You can get to know the tribes participating in the festival better without having to make the arduous journey in the interior of West Papua. During the festival, have your camera ready to capture unique moments that you don’t want to miss.
Ultimate Guide to Capture the Moment
You will find more than a thousand participants taking part in the festival. They come from inland tribes who are less familiar with the development of the outside world. For these reasons, you should politely ask them to pose in your camera shots. This is an unusual experience not to be missed while witnessing the Baliem festival.
All you need to do during the festival is to observe and enjoy the performances of the tribes. After the Festival, visitors can continue their journey to Dani Market in Wamena. This can be done by visiting the traditional Wauma Village which can be reached by car from Wamena. In addition, you can continue your journey in West Papua to the place of the unique Dani tribe.
Baliem Festival Destination
The purpose of the Baliem Festival is to save the quality and culture of the indigenous tribes in Papua. This festival is packaged in a unique way because it symbolizes the fun and energy that has been preserved for centuries. There are various kinds of shows that you can watch. One of them is the Papuan Traditional Dance in the form of a large attraction, traditional dance (ethai).
In addition to these arts, you will also see body cosmetic crafts with different frills by the Hubula clan, exhibitions of conventional instruments and children’s games (puradan and sikoko). Not to forget the traditional cooking (baking batu) attractions, Popping Sege and Karapan Pork as cultural exhibitions that are always displayed every year during the festival in West Papua.
Another interesting thing that can be seen from this festival is the Tribal War. Initially, this celebration was about a war between tribes, namely the Dani, Lani, and Yali. This was eventually immortalized into an iconic dance. Despite the fact that the war dance is just a show, it has a plausible scenario. It begins with the killing of tribal members or attacks on agricultural land.
The clans then sent the best warriors with their own tribe’s official attributes specifically. After all, the war itself was a large organized movement involving the three tribes. If you look at it in flashback, this comes from the story of the Dani tribe to protect their city from other people’s attacks. However, anthropologists note that the war in Dani denotes skill, not desire to kill.
In order to enjoy the festival, there are some unwritten standards that you must observe. The main thing is to pay attention to the habits of the local people. For these reasons, you can prepare some cigarettes or candy if you don’t smoke. Sometimes some locals in West Papua will approach you and ask for cigarettes.
In conclusion, the Baliem Valley festival has a uniqueness that cannot be found in other areas. For those of you who intend to travel to Papua, then prepare supplies, including physical. This is because the tracks in Papua are not the same as the capital and other parts of Indonesia. So, it is important for you to prepare everything well to support your trip.
