 Muyu people men's dance in Katan, 1955 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| South Papua (Boven Digoel Regency) | |
| Languages | |
| Muyu, Northern Muyu, Southern Muyu, Ninggerum | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Ningrum • Yonggom |
Muyu is one of the ethnic groups in Indonesia living around the Muyu River, which lies in the northeast of Merauke, South Papua. They speak Muyu.
The term "Muyu" emerged from two possibilities: first, it appeared along with the arrival of the Catholic missions and Father Petrus Hoeboer, a Dutch national, in 1933. Second, the term "Muyu" originated from the local residents referring to the western and eastern parts of the river as "ok Mui," meaning "Mui River," which they regularly conveyed to the Dutch. This term eventually evolved into Muyu. [1]
Muyu people can be found in the interior region of Papua Island, which borders Papua New Guinea. To the east, it is bordered by Papua New Guinea. [2] To the south, it is bordered by the Kao River, the Digul River, and Merauke Regency. [2] To the north, it is bordered by the Star Mountains, and to the west, it is bordered by Boven Digoel Regency. [2]
The Muyu area stretches 180 km in length, covers an area of 7,860 km2, and has a width of 40–45 km. Data from 1956 mentions that the Muyu had a population of 17,269 people living in 59 villages. Muyu speaks Muyu and the Ninati and Metomka dialects are also used. Muyu uses ot (shells) and mindit (dog teeth) as a transaction currency. [2]
The Muyu region is generally hilly, with elevations ranging from 100 to 700 meters above sea level. The soil is relatively infertile, with a slightly reddish-brown color, which often leads to food shortages among the Muyu people, resulting in a high mortality rate in the area. The main livelihoods of the Muyu people are hunting, raising pigs and dogs, fishing, and producing sago. [2]
Within the Muyu tribe, there is a chief or high leader who holds authority in social and religious life. Additionally, the tribe has influential and respected figures, known as keyepak and Tomkot (big man). The distinction between the two lies in the amount of tukon (valuable items) such as ot they possess and their knowledge of mystical powers. While Tomkot has inadequate knowledge of mystical powers and does not own many valuable items, he lives a simple life and holds influence within his lineage. On the other hand, Kayapak is someone who possesses many valuable items and has mastery over mystical powers. [2]
These figures hold authority within the patrilineal kinship groups (lineages) of nuclear families. Most of their homes are treehouses or stilt houses. These houses are divided into several rooms, including rooms for adult women, men, and children. Members of a nuclear family may live together in the same house or build homes close to each other to protect themselves from enemy attacks. In the Muyu society, polygamy is permitted, so it is not uncommon for a man to have more than one wife. [2]
The nuclear family plays a role in managing the methods of controlling assets and land, ways of obtaining food, organizing settlement patterns, and having authority over territories larger than the lineage, as well as passing on supernatural knowledge. The nuclear family forms patrilineal kinship groups, which can further develop into broader kinship networks. [2]
Papua is a province of Indonesia, comprising the northern coast of Western New Guinea together with island groups in Cenderawasih Bay to the west. It roughly follows the borders of Papuan customary region of Tabi Saireri. It is bordered by nation of Papua New Guinea to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the north, Cenderawasih Bay to the west, and the provinces of Central Papua and Highland Papua to the south. The province also shares maritime boundaries with Palau in the Pacific. Following the splitting off of twenty regencies to create the three new provinces of Central Papua, Highland Papua, and South Papua on 30 June 2022, the residual province is divided into eight regencies and one city (kota), the latter being the provincial capital of Jayapura. The province has a large potential in natural resources, such as gold, nickel, petroleum, etc. Papua, along with five other Papuan provinces, has a higher degree of autonomy level compared to other Indonesian provinces.
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Western New Guinea, also known as Papua, Indonesian New Guinea, and Indonesian Papua, is the western half of the island of New Guinea, formerly Dutch and granted to Indonesia in 1962. Given the island is alternatively named Papua, the region is also called West Papua.
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South Papua, officially the South Papua Province, is an Indonesian province located in the southern portion of Papua, following the borders of the Papuan customary region of Anim Ha. Formally established on 11 November 2022 and including the four most southern regencies that were previously part of the province of Papua and before 11 December 2002 had comprised a larger Merauke Regency, it covers a land area of 129,715.02 km2, about the same area as Pennsylvania. This area had a population of 513,617 at the 2020 Census, while the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 537,973, making it the least populous province in Indonesia.
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Yei is an ethnic group residing near the Indonesia–Papua New Guinea border in Merauke Regency, South Papua. The Yei is a sub-tribe of the Marind. The Yei have their own language, known as the Yei, which is divided into two dialects: Upper Yei and Lower Yei. The Yei language is part of the Yam or Morehead-Maro language family, making it closer to languages in Morehead, Papua New Guinea, rather than the language of the Marind, the majority tribe in Merauke Regency.