VI
EN
The Baliem Valley Cultural Festival, held annually in August in Indonesia, is an opportunity for the country to showcase the beauty of the customs and traditions of the Papuan tribes to visitors.
A Papuan man with body art and wild boar tusks attached to his nose.
Papuan men, women, and children all wear traditional clothing in a group photo celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Baliem Valley Festival.
The Papuan people of the Baliemc Valley are divided into three main tribes: Dani, Lani, and Yali. Each tribe has its own characteristics, customs, and living areas. Beginning in 1989, these three tribes have gathered annually for three days to celebrate the valley festival, singing, eating, dancing, and having fun together.
The colorful hat was elaborately crafted with bird feathers and wild boar ivory.
A baby from the Dani tribe had traditional patterns painted on its face.
Participating in a traditional Papuan festival, many tourists might feel embarrassed when they see the unique traditional attire of the indigenous people from three tribes. All the men wear "koteke," a type of covering over the sensitive parts held in place by two thin strings wrapped around the waist—a truly distinctive sight.
Papuan men's traditional attire is incredibly elaborate, featuring mud smeared around their legs, Kotoke (traditional headwear), and feathers and animal teeth adorning their bodies.
A man decorated himself by smearing mud all over his body and wrapping fern leaves around his waist.
Meanwhile, the women of the tribe wear skirts made from orchid shells and a traditional "noken" headdress. A distinctive feature is that they go bare-breasted even when appearing in public.
Most men wear "Kotoke" to cover their private parts.
The Dani women are building a fire to roast sweet potatoes, one of the main foods and a special part of the dowry.
The festival is a vibrant three-day event with many exciting activities such as mock battles, singing and dancing together, watching pig races, and participating in feasts with roasted pork as the main dish.
The women are preparing food for the festival in the traditional style.
Part of the festival involves holding mock battles.
The tribes in the Baliem Valley live completely isolated from the modern world, preserving their unique cultural characteristics. The Papuans were only discovered in 1983 when an American philanthropist traveled through the area on his way to New Guinea.
