Overnight in the Wild
Melanesians have an extraordinary diversity of languages. On the Papua side of Indonesia, there are about 250 languages, while in PNG there are 840 languages.
Preparing to leave Ber, Papua New Guinea
In the late afternoon our boat left Ber, Papua New Guinea, for Tais, the hometown of Sisi and the others on the boat, some 30 kilometers away.
The sea was not as fierce as yesterday. When it was not too dark yet, we stopped sailing, looking for a place to spend the night in the wild and planned to continue our journey the next morning.
As we docked on the dark shore, another boat also stopped at the shore. There\'s someone else.
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The atmosphere was suddenly tense. Sisi immediately whispered, telling me not to make a sound at all. “There are a lot of bad people here. They can kill you."
The men on our boat then shouted in their native language, the Na language, towards the shore. A moment later, we heard shouts back from the shore, also in the local language.
This was a general procedure to ensure a level of security. From language, they can detect if the people on the other side are a friend or not.
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Melanesians have an extraordinary diversity of languages. On the Papua side of Indonesia, there are about 250 languages, while in PNG there are 840 languages. Because of the extreme diversity of languages in this area, neighboring villages can speak completely different languages.
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For example, from Daru Island to Mabadauan, the people speak Kiwai. Next, in Sigabaduru, Ber and Buzi, the people speak Agob language. In the following villages, Tais and Mari, the inhabitants speak Na language.
So why is the commonality of language so important? To understand this, we need to understand the relationship between language, tribe and land for Melanesians.
If people speak the same language it means they come from the same tribe, which also means they have the same ancestors, the same tradition and are considered to have always been on the same side. In short, they are friends. This is the basis of a tribal tradition called wantok (from English one talk, “one language”).
Map of Strachan, Papua New Guinea and surrounding areas.
Melanesians also have a unique concept relating to land. Outsiders may see the terrain of Papua as a vast wild land, an empty wilderness without humans. But all the land actually has an owner, as empty and wild as it looks.
The landowners are tribes scattered throughout the country. In the Melanesian concept, land can only be owned by the tribe. Individuals cannot own land, so land cannot be traded. Land can only be rented out, and that too must be with the consent of all tribal members.
Customary lands are also sacred because there are sacred places related to their respective religions and beliefs.
For a tribe, customary land is very important. On the customary land, they farm and hunt. There also lay their ancestors buried on the land. So, the land has to be defended by all members of the tribe. Customary lands are also sacred because there are sacred places related to their respective religions and beliefs.
Like the state, tribal lands also have borders, which outsiders should not arbitrarily violate. The issue of land borders of this customary land for Papuans is very serious.
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> Wantok
The Dani tribe, who inhabit the Baliem valley on the Indonesian side of Papua, for example, used to build wooden monitoring towers up to 10 meters high on the borders of their respective customary lands. The tribal men took turns standing guard at the top of the tower, watching for any trespassing by other tribesmen.
For the local people, “peta mental” or cognitive maps are clearly drawn in their minds: The river belongs to whom, the big tree grows on whose land, what tribe owns the mountain. When hunting or traveling through the wild, they are very careful not to step on land belonging to other tribes. They prefer a long and difficult detour rather than an easy shortcut that trespasses on the lands of other tribes.
Making a bonfire during the night in Strachan, Papua New Guinea.
Violation on customary land can have very serious consequences. The mildest one might lead to fights, but the severest ones could lead to torture, murder even tribal wars. Moreover, in remote hinterlands, where the police or state apparatus are invisible, tribal laws apply very strongly.
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As for the people on the dark beach who shouted back, they were a family group from Tais, who was taking a young man with an injured leg for treatment at a hospital in Daru. Their boat engine broke down so they were stranded there. From atop a small cliff near the shore, they shone their flashlights at us, helping us up the steep cliff, part of Strachan Island. In fact, it is not a real island because it is surrounded by two large rivers, Mai Kassa and Wasi Kussa, which are full of crocodiles.
We gathered firewood, made bonfires on the edge of the wooden poles that had been used to build houses, on flat ground covered with yellow dry leaves.
Sitting by the bonfire Sisi said, “A long time ago, Tais village was located on the shores of this Strachan Island. But they all moved because of the massacre by mysterious killers who mastered witchcraft."
(This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswoko).
