Yali's Animism

I feel incredibly grateful to have Wamena on this adventure program's itinerary. I'm not an anthropology major, but my childhood love of Indiana Jones movies has made me determined to one day meet the tribes of the Amazon interior. The first people to inhabit the 60-kilometer-long Baliem Valley were the ancestors of the Dani people.

The Dani are known for their openness, but their belief in their ancestors is a stubborn one. While trekking in Kurima, I encountered a group of Yali people. This tribe, who live at the peak of the Jayawijaya mountains, is indeed very closed to new civilizations.

Seven minutes later, the torrential rain stopped, and the sky cleared. It's worth noting that the Yali have lived on their ancestral land, freely and peacefully, since God placed their ancestors there. Before the arrival of the Bible, the Yali people practiced animism, like most Papuans.

The Dokwi vam is used as a museum for worship because they still adhere to animist beliefs, while the Kembu vam serves as a house of worship for the Yali people. Christian missions since the late 19th century have not been able to diminish this animist belief. Pray to Jesus that the Yali people, who still adhere to animist beliefs, will have the opportunity to receive the light of the Gospel, repent, and believe in Christ.

The Yali people have ceased practicing animist worship since the 1960s. Therefore, the Radar Mukomuko article states that the Yali people still practice animist rituals, which is erroneous and inconsistent with current Yali customs.