Many things can be learned from West Papua. This province, located in Eastern Indonesia, is rich in ethnic and cultural diversity. One of them is the Kuri tribe.
The Kuri tribe lives in the Kuri District in Bintuni Bay. The customs, culture, and language of the Kuri tribe should be known to the people of Indonesia to add insight into the tribes in West Papua.
Get to know the Kuri Tribe
The traditional life of the indigenous people of West Papua can still be found in villages with the tribe chief as a leader. Bintuni Bay has an indigenous population divided into seven tribes Bintuni, namely the Wamesa, Kuri, Irarutu, Sebyar, Sumuri, Sough, and Moskona tribes.
The Kuri tribe generally works as field farmers. This tribe has 12 clans and has the Kuri language as its regional language.
The Kuri tribe originates from Numfor Island, in the Teluk Wondama Regency’s coastal area. This Kuri tribe has maintained close cultural and kinship ties with the tribes of Wondama Bay for generations.
Kuri Tribe District
Districts are administrative divisions in Indonesia, especially the eastern region. The term district itself is equivalent to sub-districts in other provinces in Indonesia. According to local traditions, the district is divided into several villages or other names.
The Kuri tribe belongs to the people of West Papua, whose population is relatively small compared to other tribes. They occupy a district in West Papua called the Kuri District. The Kuri district has five villages, namely:
- Kuri I
- Kuri II
- Oboe
- Refideso
- Wagura
Mount Kuri History
5 mountains in the Kuri region have historical value for the Kuri tribe. The five mountains are named to indicate the five clans of the Kuri tribe, namely Mara Pigo, Rensawa, Werbete, Yaumina, and Koke.
The five mountains are a sign of how the Kuri tribe lives side by side in the Kuri land to this day. Furthermore, the five clans have given birth to 12 major clans in Kuri land.
Kuri Tribe Traditional Clothing
The Kuri tribe also has distinctive clothing which is still used by residents, both adults and children. This typical clothing is usually used when there are cultural festivals.
Usually, the children of the Kuri tribe celebrate the Bintuni cultural festival by wearing Kuri tribal clothing equipped with arrows and bows.
Bayaitu Dance
The Baiyaitu dance is a dance originating from the Kuri district. Bayaitu itself is the name of a bird. Generally, this dance is danced by dozens of men and women.
This Kuri tribe dance depicts how the male and female Bayaitu birds are playing around, flying to and fro.
Legend of Kuri and Pasai
In Papua, there is a legend about two giants named Kuri and Pasai. The people of Papua believe that the two of them are their ancestors. Kuri inhabits the area near the Wosimi river, while Pasai inhabits the area near Nusner.
Kuri and Pasai are two giant brothers. Due to a misunderstanding, there was a war between the two. The war between the two never ended, so Pasai left his area, heading west.
Pasai left an oath in which he promised to return to his hometown with various knowledge. Pasai kicked a rock before leaving and leaving a mark on the rock. The rock kicked by the Pasai still exists today, believed to be near the Dusneri area.
Thus, here are some interesting things about the Kuri tribe in West Papua. The Kuri people still maintain all the customs of the Kuri tribe until now.