Papuans (Indonesia)

Papuans

Papwa Papua
Regions with significant populations
Eastern Indonesia	3,916,242
Languages
Native: Papuan Also: Molo’uku Timor Indonesian English
Religion
Predominantly: Tribal animism Also: Christianity Melanesian folk religion Islam
Related ethnic groups
Melanesians Oceanians Aboriginal Australians

According to the official Indonesian law, the Papuans, indigenous Papuans, or native Papuans (the plural anglicisation of Papua or Papwa) are the common native-derived internationalized endonym in Indonesian English for indigenous people of New Guinea residing in the Indonesian part of the Papua island (as opposed to “New Guineans” term coined by the British colonizers). They are closely related to Melanesians and Oceanians (and to some extent, the Australian Aboriginals), who natively inhabited the Eastern Indonesian provinces of Central Papua, Highland Papua, Southwest Papua, West Papua, South Papua, and Papua in Indonesia (which historically part of the larger Sahul palaeocontinent). The Noken, a traditional knotted or woven bag, an invention of Papuan people, is internationally inscribed as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Papuans natively speak numerous Papuan languages, each with its distinctive and unique linguistic features that are only can be found on the land.

The Papuans are one of the peoples of Indonesia that are protected under the national law by the government of Indonesia, to ensure their stability in economic and development.

Terminology

Papuans, Kiwis, and Aboriginals

Multiple terms have been proposed to describe the native inhabitants of Eastern Indonesia. However, the “Papuans” is the preferred term (especially in Indonesian English), since it is based on actual native nomenclature used by the Native Indonesians as recorded in several ancient native evidences. Its counterparts, such as Melanesians and Oceanians, are also the proposed terms, commonly but not usually overlapping to one another, but its usage limited to and popularized exclusively around the Australia and New Zealand regions (in Australian and New Zealand English terminology). In a sense, the “Papuans” term usage in Indonesian English is similar to “Kiwis” usage in New Zealand English and “Aboriginal Australians” in Australian English.

Ethnic groups

The Papuans grouped into numerous ethnicities, they possess various cultures and traditions. They are originally tribal community, shared different customs to one another, living in different isolated areas within the region.

Languages

Main article: Papuan languages

According to the official Indonesian national linguistic data, there are at least 428 living Papuan languages (and 37 Papua-based isolate languages) natively spoken by the Papuans in Indonesia alone, making it the most linguistically diverse community in Indonesia. The Papuan languages also spoken beyond its native homeland, such as on Timor Island (which might include the territory of Timor Leste), where sizeable Indonesian Papuan diaspora could be found in the region.

The “Papuan languages” is the native-derived term of Indonesia-origin that unified languages of the Papuans in Indonesia, numerous linguistic study and evidences was thoroughly observed to determine the classification. Meanwhile, on the other hand, the linguistic family that connects between the Papuan languages of Indonesia and New Guinean languages of Papua New Guinea has been proposed by non-Papuan linguists (mainly by the British colonizers), known as the Trans–New Guinea languages, although the classification is rather controvesial and lacks in direct evidences.

Notable people

A

• Abdul Hakim Achmad Aituarauw, member of Indonesian People's Representative Council

B

• Boaz Solossa, Indonesian footballer

E

• Elie Aiboy, former Indonesian footballer

F

• Frans Kaisiepo, 4th Governor of Papua and National Hero of Indonesia
• Freddy Numberi, Indonesian politician and former Minister of Transportation

M

• Machmud Singgirei Rumagesan, King of Sekar and National Hero of Indonesia
• Marlina Flassy, Indonesian anthropologist and the first woman to be appointed Dean of Cenderawasih University

N

• Nitya Krishinda Maheswari, Indonesian badminton player and 2014 Asian Games women's doubles gold medalist
• Nowela Auparay, professional singer and Indonesian Idol winner

R

• Raema Lisa Rumbewas, Indonesian weightlifter and silver medallist at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics
• Ricky Kambuaya, Indonesian footballer

S

• Saiful Islam Al-Payage, Indonesian Islamic preacher

T

• Titus Bonai, Indonesian footballer

See also

• Melanesians
• Oceanians