Kurudu's Animism

Indonesia, a pluralistic nation, is situated among islands, stretching from Sabang to Merauke. The Wondama Bay Regency has had its capital in Raisiei since April 12, 2003. Given its diverse geographic characteristics, it is not surprising that the Malay Archipelago boasts a diverse array of ethnicities, flora, and fauna, as identified by Wallace.

Many of its flora are closer to those found in Australia than in Asia. From Suabey to the Anggris River, there are the Arimiusore and Wiay clans, whose traditional plains stretch up to Mount Topai. Several tributaries flow and hydrate the land, providing fertility and a haven for the tribe from prehistoric times to the present day. The Kurudu tribe inhabits Kurudu Island and the Pamai Erar coastline on the north coast of Papua.

The Wamesa tribe, also known as the Windesi, resides on the eastern coast of the Bird's Head region. Those Biak and Serui people who were cured settled and lived in Mangguray, while others returned to their hometowns in both Biak and Serui. Entering the 18th century, the island was written about in European books, describing the trade they had observed there.

In a report by Resident Braam Morris, when they visited the Mamberamo people on July 21, 1884, they found that the natives possessed items such as beads, knives, plates, and other goods. Traces of such trade had been going on since the 1800s. This means that the Mamberamo people did not obtain these goods directly from Chinese traders.

Maniwak is the name for the indigenous tribe, the ancestors of the Ramar clan, who lived behind the hills and plains of Miei village all the way to Mangguray. However, it was not easy to change their beliefs and traditions inherited from their ancestors in a short time. The Fakfak people, who still adhered to animism, received the gospel from Catholic and Protestant missionaries.

In the past, the Anio Sara (the sacred place) had been dismantled, and ancestral traditions abandoned, as the missionary house had replaced it as the center of magic. However, after the missionary house disappeared, the Meoswar people were forced to return to their ancestral traditions. Yan's dream revealed that the gospel occupies a central place in Roon mythology, so that the path to the eternal land is not through the ancestral Korwar, but through faith in the gospel.

Their presence, generally teachers and nurses from Maluku, such as Tanimbar, Banda, and Sangir, helped the pastors spread Christianity. The presence of these missionaries saved three Germans, while two others were killed. The missionary house collapsed, waves from the earthquake swept away homes, and landslides occurred in the Arfak Mountains.

In Yaur, the residents also hoped for a missionary. However, Van Hasselt Sr. brought from Ambon not teachers, but several young men who still needed education. There were around 65 listeners at the church, 35 students at the school, and 40 people attended the service in Syabes village.

Then, Master Jozef was placed in Kaibi, with 82 schoolchildren, 98 catechists, and 200 churchgoers. When a teacher was later assigned there, Jozef went to Rasiei with 70 schoolchildren, 53 catechists, and 150 churchgoers. Philip married a slave from Tandia.

Reverend Eygendaal served in Babo Bintuni, with a strong desire to visit all the areas he served. Reverend J Bijkerk served as far away as Genyem and Sarmi. Ten Haaft was then transferred to Korido to assist the HJAgter missionary work there.

Yonathan Ariks, who had been educated in Depok, became a teacher, later strengthened by CM Gossal from Manado. This Western-style education was certainly new to the indigenous community. In 1856, the first elementary school was opened in Mansinam, then gradually other elementary schools were opened in other locations until there were seven in 1897.

Ottow, who worked diligently and had already mastered the local language, suddenly fell ill and died on November 9, 1862. Geissler and Jaesrich continued their work, and not long after Ottow's death, in 1863, a missionary pastor sent by the Utrechtsche Zendings Vereeniging arrived. The Jaesrich and Klaassen families were forced to leave for Ternate.

Klaassen, meanwhile, moved to Halmahera. As usual, Bink and Van Balen held services every Sunday. When residents fled the village due to suspicious events following the deaths of several young men, in October 1889, Bink took advantage of the quiet time to build a new church.

The church was inaugurated in 1891. One of the ways taken was in 1923 when UZV brought in a teacher, IS Kijne, from the Netherlands to take over.The school, which was led by Van Hasselt, was then appointed director and teacher, leading and teaching from 1925 to 1942.

Then, in 1926, the school received a government subsidy. However, by 1930, some of the students had become farmers and ranchers, similar to the colonists who settled in Hollandia, Manokwari, and the surrounding areas. Furthermore, the Japanese established a branch of the Nanyo Kohatsu Kabushiki Kaisha, the South Seas Development Company, which acted as a production company but was actually a spy organization.

The teacher training school reopened in 1946 in the city of NICA and was later moved to Yoka.