Asmat Is The Name Of A Tribe In Papua

Asmat is the name of a tribe of the largest and most famous among the many tribes in Papua , Irian Jaya, Indonesia. One of the things that made ​​the Asmat tribe well known is the result of traditional wood carving is very typical . Some ornaments / motifs that are often used, and the main theme in the process of sculpting a statue made by the Asmat tribe is the theme of the ancestors of their tribe, commonly called mbis. But do not stop there, often also found ornaments / other motif that resembles a boat or wuramon, which they believe to be a symbol of the boat that brought the spirit of their ancestors in the underworld. For the Asmat tribe of natives, wood carving rather a manifestation of the way they perform rituals to commemorate the souls of the ancestors.

Asmat tribe spread out and inhabit the sea around the coast and the mountains Arafuru Jayawijaya, with a fairly heavy considering the terrain occupied area is wilderness , in the life of the Asmat, a stone that we usually see on the streets was very valuable to them. In fact, the stones can be used as a dowry. All of that is because the places that set up a live Asmat swamps making it very difficult to find stones street which is very useful for them to make axes, hammers, and so on.

Asmat population in general have distinctive physical characteristics, black and curly-haired. Her body is quite high. The average height of the Asmat women around 162cm and height 172cm men reach.

One thing that enviable lifestyle of indigenous tribes asmat, they feel he is a part of nature, that is why they are very respectful and keep the natural surroundings, in fact, the tree of life around the place they considered to be a picture of himself. The trunk describe arms, head pieces depict and describe the roots of their feet

Asmat people daily work surrounding environment, especially for foraging, hunting and gardening in a way, which is still using the traditional method and simple enough. Asmat cuisine unlike our cuisine. Special dishes for them is sago worm. But everyday they just grilling fish or meat of animals hunted.

The uniqueness of the Asmat tradition Coastal and Inland

Asmat is a tribe in Papua. Asmat wood carvings known as a unique result. Asmat population is divided into two, namely those living in coastal areas and those living in the hinterland.

Both of these populations differ from each other in dialect, way of life, social structure and ritual. Coastal populations further divided into two parts namely spare Bisman located between the river and the river Sinesty Nin and spare Shimei.  There are many contradictions between different villages Asmat. The most appalling is the way the Asmat used to kill enemies. When the enemy is killed, his body was taken to the village, then cut and distributed to all residents to eat together. They sang songs of death and memenggalkan head. His brain is wrapped in sago leaves are roasted and eaten.  Now normally, about 100 to 1000 people living in a village. Each village had one house and lot Single family home. Single house used for ceremonial and religious ceremonies. The family home occupied by two or three families, which has its own bathroom and kitchen. Asmat has particularly very simple way to apply them. they only need red soil to produce a red color. to produce white color they made of shells that have been crushed. While they produce black warnah of crushed charcoal. How was fairly easy to use, simply by mixing it with a little water, the dye was able to use to dye their bodies.

In addition to its unique traditions, the villagers Syuru also very good at making carvings such as the Asmat tribe in general. Asmat carvings for the tribe could be a link between the present life with the life of an ancestor, to each dwelling carved image and recognition of their ancestors that is loaded with greatness Asmat.  Sculptures and carvings are generally those created without sketches. For the Asmat tribe scorpion sculpture is one in which they communicate with the ancestors yag exist in another realm. This is possible because they know the three concepts of the world: Amat ow capinmi (natural life now), Dampu ow campinmi (pesinggahan nature spirits of the dead), and Safar (heaven). Believe before entering heaven, the spirits of the dead would interfere with humans. Interference can be a disease, disaster and even war. So, to save mankind and redeem souls, those who are still alive to make sculptures and statues mengelar party like a party bus (Bioskokombi), party masks, party boats, and sago worm feast.  It is said that the statue statues bus is the most sacred form. However, now a statue to not only meet the Asmat tribe tradition calls. Because the results are also engraving that they sell to strangers while carving party, they know the results of hand-carved prized between Rp. 100 thousand to millions of dollars outside Papua.

Habits Eye quest to survive and find food among the tribal one with the other tribes in the District Citak Mitak was almost the same. Asmat tribal land, tribal and ethnic Mitak citak daily habit of making a living is separti hunt forest animals, snakes, cassowaries, pigs, Hitan, dragons and others. They also always meramuh or pound sago (sago tree cider-making process) as a staple meal and the fishermen catch fish and shrimp to eat.