Last of the Dani
The Dani people populate the Baliem Valley in West Papua Province
of Indonesia. They first came into contact with modern civilization
in 1938 when the Baliem Valley was discovered by the American
zoologist, Richard Archbold, during his expedition in New Guinea. At that time the Dani lived in the Stone Age and many had practiced
cannibalism. When West Papua joined Indonesia in 1969, a policy of intensive settlement of the region by people from other parts of the country was carried out and attempts were made to force the locals to abandon their traditions and culture. In the years 1971-1972 the Indonesian authorities implemented the “Operation Koteka” to
force locals stop using “kotekas” – penis sheaths. The operation
was not successful: the Papuans neither had alternate clothes, nor
soap and were unfamiliar with the care of such clothes so the unwashed clothing caused skin diseases. However, with the years of flooding the region with cheap Indonesian and Chinese goods, and the introduction of the prohibition to appear in traditional clothes
in official places and educational centers, less and less people keep theirs customs and traditions. Only near Wamena, the Baliem Valley’s
capital, there are “touristic” traditional villages, where almost
all the population lives in the old Dani stile. These people stay in
the Stone Age only to make money from foreigners, who pay them for taking pictures and buy handmade goods. The heads of such villages still use penis sheaths, but keep their savings in banks and
maintain this lifestyle only to make money. In each of other nontouristic Dani villages there are only few people left who live by custom.
However they listen radio, ride taxis and use mobile phones.
Many of these “last Dani” are over 70 years old and admit that they
are the only ones who observe old traditions. Most of them support OPM - “Free Papua Movement” and blame the Indonesians who, in their words, occupied the Baliem Valley, and made the Dani lose
their customs over a very short period of time.
of Indonesia. They first came into contact with modern civilization
in 1938 when the Baliem Valley was discovered by the American
zoologist, Richard Archbold, during his expedition in New Guinea. At that time the Dani lived in the Stone Age and many had practiced
cannibalism. When West Papua joined Indonesia in 1969, a policy of intensive settlement of the region by people from other parts of the country was carried out and attempts were made to force the locals to abandon their traditions and culture. In the years 1971-1972 the Indonesian authorities implemented the “Operation Koteka” to
force locals stop using “kotekas” – penis sheaths. The operation
was not successful: the Papuans neither had alternate clothes, nor
soap and were unfamiliar with the care of such clothes so the unwashed clothing caused skin diseases. However, with the years of flooding the region with cheap Indonesian and Chinese goods, and the introduction of the prohibition to appear in traditional clothes
in official places and educational centers, less and less people keep theirs customs and traditions. Only near Wamena, the Baliem Valley’s
capital, there are “touristic” traditional villages, where almost
all the population lives in the old Dani stile. These people stay in
the Stone Age only to make money from foreigners, who pay them for taking pictures and buy handmade goods. The heads of such villages still use penis sheaths, but keep their savings in banks and
maintain this lifestyle only to make money. In each of other nontouristic Dani villages there are only few people left who live by custom.
However they listen radio, ride taxis and use mobile phones.
Many of these “last Dani” are over 70 years old and admit that they
are the only ones who observe old traditions. Most of them support OPM - “Free Papua Movement” and blame the Indonesians who, in their words, occupied the Baliem Valley, and made the Dani lose
their customs over a very short period of time.