Light from the Gaze
Welcome to the Asmat - part 3
Posted by Stephen (Canberra, Australia) on 2 May 2012 in Transportation and Portfolio.
Asmat war canoes greet our arrival on the river off Syuru Village. We could hear the war cries of the Asmat warriors while they still had their boats hidden in the mangroves waiting to ‘ambush’ us. There were over 60 canoes.
A unique display of culture. And yet the future of the Asmat - as with the whole of Papua – is less than certain. The two regions we visited on this cruise - the Asmat and Tanimbar Islands (in the Banda Sea), have populations of 70,000 and 60,000 respectively. In total, this is less than 0.05% of the population of Indonesia. Papua also has the country's richest mineral wealth. I can only hope that the type of tourism I took part in will help to sustain the traditions I was lucky enough to witness.
Nikon D5000 1/320 second F/8.0 ISO 400 105 mm |
cruise-ships | orion | agats | asmat |
@Sarito: I think that is a hand carved shell nose ring. Bones are also used.
@Monique: Yes, this ‘chief’ caught my eye - but not sure what exact status he might hold in the tribe. The question of contact with outside cultures is a big issue. Indonesia has a Transmigration policy that sees people from Java paid to resettle in areas of low population such as the Asmat.
@Z: Thanks, Z. You say this very well.
@Adela Fonts: Thank you, Adela. I'm glad my image brought back these memories for you!
@London Caller: Worn only by highland tribes – can’t find the gourds on the coast, I guess!