Indonesia is an archipelagic country consisting of various types of tribes with different customs that are different from each other. The tribes are living on the coast, urban even in the depths.
"Different but still one, that is Indonesia".
Those words must be very close to the minds of Indonesians? If you open a book of diverse cultures in Indonesia, surely will know that the country of Indonesia consists of many tribes and cultures, one of which is the Asmat tribe, the tribe who inhabit the eastern region of Indonesia (papua). Let's take a closer look at the Asmat tribe.
Youjg girls and young boys Asmat tribe follow the cultural carnival at the National Jamboree 2016 Cibubur, Jakarta
Mathius, a 15-year-old boy from the Asmat tribe who met briefly following the cultural carnival on the way of the National Jamboree in Cibubur, Jakarta, in 2016, Asmat Tribe consists of 2 groups of coastal Asmat and Asmat hinterland. Both are very different in terms of dialect, way of life or culture, but there are similarities that are very interesting to be a cultural tourist destination, he said while smiling.
For tourists or lovers of cultural tourism who have been to Papua, must know the Statue of Asmat, which is a work of carving is very phenomenal.
Like other tribes in Papua, Asmat tribes live in coastal areas with distance from 100 km to 300 km, even in the hinterland, surrounded by heterogeneous forests containing rattan, wood (gaharu) and tubers with time travel for 1 day 2 nights to reach residential area with one another. While the distance between the village and the village about 70 km. With such geographical conditions, walking is the only way to reach each other's village, Mathius explained.
One of the young girl from the Asmat tribe of Papua
In general, the physical condition of Asmat Community members, well-built, nose sharp with skin color and black hair and round eyelids. In addition, the Asmat tribe belongs to the tribe of Polonia, which is also present in New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, as I call Mathius exemplifies himself.
Asmat tribe is famous for its unique wood carvings, such as the Asmat Statue. Remarkably, carvings are made without sketching first.
The carvings have meaning, that is, as gifts and thanks to the ancestors. For the Asmat, carving is not an ordinary job, but is a way to connect with the ancestors.
The Asmat people believe that the spirits of the dead can cause disaster for the living, cause war, also spread disease. To avoid this, the Asmat people will make sculptures and organize various parties, such as the Bus Party, Dairy Party, Sago Caterpillar Party, and Mask Party.
"The life of the Asmat tribe has not been much affected by modern life, one of which is the ornate habit, we are still adorned with tarnished faces with colors, white and black, the materials we obtain in a very simple way too.
Mathius (left) and Abel, young boys of Asmat tribe from Papua
For the red color, we get from the red lot that is around the area where we live. While the white color of the shell is pounded until smooth, da black from charcoal wood is also pounded until smooth, he said close the conversation because it must immediately follow the cultural carnival.
In a very short time, of course there is much information about Asmat tribe that has not been obtained. However, for the initial information may have illustrated a little uniqueness of the Asmat Tribe. Another time, if reunited with Mathius, or other Asmat tribe people, many materials can be excavated related to their lives.
All these photos were taken using the Nikon D5200 camera with lens Nikkor AF-S 55-200mm f / 4-5.6G ED, by
