Arfak's Animism

Pagaf Regency can be reached via two main routes. The village of Irai is called inyomusi. The Moi people originate from the Sorong region and its surroundings.

The Maybrat people live in Maybrat Regency. The Irarutu people live in the coastal areas of Fakfak and Kaimana. According to folklore and oral tradition, the ancestors of the Arfak people originated in the fertile interior and migrated along the large rivers in Manokwari.

Their unique history is evident in their way of life, which upholds the values ​​of mutual cooperation, mutual respect, and reverence for their ancestors. The Arfak people still deeply respect their ancestral heritage and traditional beliefs. Every ceremony is performed with reverence and prayer to their ancestors.

The Arfak people also have a customary legal system called Tata Hatam, which regulates the relationship between humans, nature, and ancestors. Traditional songs are often sung at traditional ceremonies, expressing gratitude to God and their ancestors for the bounty of the earth. They live in harmony with nature, upholding noble customs and preserving their ancestral heritage through local wisdom.

The tribes and indigenous peoples of West Papua live in harmony with nature, upholding ancestral values ​​passed down through generations. They are known as indigenous people who protect the forest as their ancestral heritage. This ritual is not simply a communal meal, but a symbol of togetherness, peace, and respect for their ancestors.

Their spiritual beliefs are rooted in reverence for ancestors and the power of the universe. Each color and symbol on their clothing has its own meaning, such as courage, fertility, and gratitude to their ancestors. Values ​​such as mutual cooperation, harmony with nature, and respect for ancestors serve as role models for today's generation.

They use social media to promote their culture, utilize education to advocate for customary land rights, and hold cultural festivals to foster a love for their ancestral heritage among the younger generation. These activities include language documentation, ethnographic research, and training young people in ancestral traditions. As long as these traditional values ​​are preserved, their heritage will continue to be a beacon for the future of indigenous communities.

Amidst modernization, the indigenous peoples of West Papua maintain their identity and ancestral values, passed down through generations. Before many embraced modern religions, the Arfak people adhered to an animist belief system. They believe in ancestral spirits and the power of nature.

In their belief system, the Arfak people believe in the power of ancestral spirits and a sacred connection with nature. The Arfak people believe this house is a symbol of family unity and protection from evil spirits. The tall shape of the house symbolizes the human connection with the ancestral world, which is considered to be above.

When clearing new agricultural land, the people perform traditional rituals to seek permission from the guardian spirits of the forest. They believe that all living things have spirits, including trees and stones. Before the arrival of modern religion, the people of West Papua embraced animism and dynamism, believing that every element of nature has a guardian spirit.

Before the arrival of Christianity in the Arfak mountains, the people adhered to animism, which is the belief that objects possess supernatural powers. It is not known exactly when Petrus Kafiar was born, but it is estimated that he was born around 1864-1873 with the nickname Noseni. During his time in the village of Maudori, Noseni adhered to the animist beliefs of the Biak people, who believe that ancestral spirits can communicate with the living through a mon statue or through a medicine man.

This treatment not only used leaves and plant roots, but also involved summoning spirits using a medicine man and placing a statue of a mon (mon) possessed by the spirit. The final stage of the funeral was a final burial on Bepondi Island, located several kilometers to the north. During this attack, Noseni, who was left alone in the village, was captured by the mambri and taken to Korido.

In cases like this, the Biak people of the past had a custom of calling on their ancestors for help in weathering the storm. He and his wife, Lidia, were apparently very grateful for Noseni's arrival, as they had long desired a son. In the Keizer family home, Noseni lived with David and Lidia, along with their daughter, Margareta.

Unlike the Biak people, Christians believe that a person's life is in the hands of God and not the influence of evil spirits. Initially living with animist beliefs, he was taken to Mansinam Island to study in a Christian school and was baptized in 1887. When the mission needed workers to build a missionary teacher's village in Amberbaken, David instructed Petrus to take the job.

David understood his adopted son's wishes and...After consultation with the priests, Petrus was sent to study at a second-grade Malay-language government school in Ternate for a year. One source states that Petrus intended to continue his studies, either in Sulawesi or Java. Petrus Kafiar married a woman named Ida on August 12, 1898.

However, they refused to settle on the Amban coast anymore because, according to them, the nature spirits they had left behind after converting to Christianity were angry and would send plagues.