Wandamen's Animism

Based on the 2010 Indonesian population census, out of 753,399 people, the indigenous population of West and Southwest Papua was 387,816, with the Wandamen as the main group. The Wandamen language is spoken by approximately 8,000 people in Wasior District, Manokwari Regency. The first was a Biak man, and the second a woman from Karoon.

At their request, Mansinam was appointed as their workplace. After 14 days living together in the forest, they were discovered by Hattam people, and the two fled to Andai. They ambushed the woman, killing her six-year-old child in the fire.

It was later discovered that that same day, another person had died a four- to five-day walk away. One of their foster children, a little girl named Fatima from Serui, also died. And finally, a real crisis occurred when a husband and wife, along with their highly respected grandmother, Main Pao of Kurudu, died one after another.

It was situated higher up the coast and was then named Bethel. An epidemic broke out in Menukwari. Even in Moom, things were unsettled.

The Ruhr of the people who had lived in the Milky Way, in the midst of the stars. Elli accompanied them to Java and lived there for several years. The expedition returned home on May 16th, accompanied by the music of the famous war.

Fifty years before that event, the Major's father had accepted a slave girl as his wife, and he had not paid the price for her, even though she had died. Eighteen years of hostilities had lasted, and there had been many casualties. How could it have lasted for 25 years, with little hope of success, so many dangers, and so few opportunities to connect with the interior?

On October 21st, Rumfabe's envoy died at the age of approximately 80. After he died, they summoned him to fulfill the ancestral rules. The father, named Keiruri, insisted that an evil spirit had fatally injured his son and therefore needed someone who could exorcise it.

The Irianese people understand the significance of symbolic acts and gifts, such as offerings to ancestors and spirits. Only with the protection of their ancestors can a child grow up safely, and murder by an enemy who cannot avenge them endangers the child and diminishes their chances of survival. Animistic thinking is clearly evident here, as is the way the Numor people perform ceremonies before building a house.

Thus, it became clear that Grandma Mioyang was unable to fight the disease. Sengaji was consistent and loyal to her ancestors, to her beliefs, and to her role. At that time, some people faced the problem that the new religion would separate them from their ancestors.

The generation laughed at the customs of their ancestors, but they also laughed at the word of God they had heard as children, in the schools run by missionaries. But in fact, the missionaries themselves had shown them the way regarding their attitude toward ancestral customs. The people of Numfor felt that they would be denying their ancestors if they participated in the church's construction.

Should we say this was the work of the Holy Spirit? If so, then this is an opportunity to demonstrate that the Holy Spirit was at work in people's hearts. We see that the people of Doreh Bay, in their own way, had attached themselves to the missionaries, who were increasingly able to use their language.

Anything that differed from a true imitation of the traditional Dutch house and clothing was always condemned. If we want to understand something about this, we need to adhere to the wisdom of the UZV and the sayings that can be heard primarily on the annual missionary day. During that pioneering period, the missionaries placed great emphasis on the commandment regarding the Sabbath, especially the second part, which prohibits work.

Three days later, he recovered from his illness and returned to the service. The latter converted to Christianity with his wife, who was from Windesi. Perhaps the establishment of such a village could be justified if the Christians in question lived among Muslims or Hindus in Bali, given the apparent boycott, even regarding burial sites.

Meanwhile, people also cite Johannes Hoornbeek, a 17th-century Protestant theologian. However, in the case of Mojowarno, the experience since 1848 has not been so encouraging.

In 1859, for example, there were complaints about immorality, family relationships, drug use, theft, and polygamy within the Mojowarno congregation. People feltI was surprised and offended by the other party's incomprehensible attitude, and thus the situation had become roughly the same as it had been in 1869, just before Geissler's departure. With the departure of Geissler and then his widow, the relationship with the trading company in Ternate that Geissler had maintained ended.

Before 1870, the search for a better solution continued, and various plans were made. Van Hasselt, who had left for Maluku in November 1868, returned to Man in March 1871. The year 1874 was not favorable for this missionary work.

In 1875, the head of the UZV delivered another speech. The same thing happened in 1876. On Christmas Day 1879, the church was inaugurated.

The first incident occurred in February 1880. In August 1881, the administrator was forced to repeat his order. In 1885, the school had 44 students, making it impossible to deliver lessons effectively without helpers.

Most missionaries, including Woelders, were convinced of the superiority of European culture, even in the smallest details. After Woelders had lived in a makeshift house for about two years, a permanent home was ready and ready for occupancy. Woelders had been encouraging the missionaries to cultivate rice for seven years.

If this were successful, they would no longer be dependent on Amberbaken, as they had always sourced rice from Amberbaken, risking attacks en route. In April 1888, Woelders completed the construction of a small church. Anyone who thought Van Hasselt, who had worked there for 12 years, would accept this request without hesitation simply didn't know the missionaries of that era.

Eleven years later, Bink heard comments about this. Bink then learned something related to the death of Korano Burwos of Dordeh. Year after year, according to reports, Korano's relatives came to his grave on Sunday mornings, but it remained closed.

Every Saturday, Bink visited the house and invited people to come and listen, but the turnout remained small. Bink once heard about it about 15 years after Ottow's death, through a conversation with Mambui. The man was finishing up work on a spirit statue and tried to convince Bink that it had magical powers to calm winds and storms, find thieves, and help its owner in all sorts of accidents.

Hearing this, Bink stated that if the man refused to change and remained stubborn in continuing his ancestors' traditions, it would be best for him and all the other missionaries to leave the area. Together with G.L. Bink, he traveled by boat to Moomi, where J.H. Meeuwig was to be settled. Meeuwig was placed in Momi.

Jens and his motherless son no longer lived in Kwawi. Later, there was another proposal to place a missionary in Roon, and Jens was asked to go there. Jens also spoke and reminded Bink of the mission that had taken place in Utrecht 10 years earlier.

Time and again, it turned out that this friendly attitude was also used toward Palawey, a gospel teacher from Sangir, even in a humorous manner. Rinnooy, who replaced Mosche in Meoswar, was a man who, by the standards of the time, was very progressive.