 Magasa dance of the Arfak people | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| at least 70,000–100,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Indonesia (2010 Census) | 100,000[1] |
| •Pegunungan Arfak Regency | ±40,000 |
| •Manokwari Regency | ±40,000 |
| •South Manokwari Regency | ±20,000 |
| Languages | |
| Hattam,Meyah,Moile,Sougb,Indonesian | |
| Religion | |
 Christianity (majority) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Hatam,Meyah,Moile,Sougb | |
TheArfak people are anethnic group inhabiting theArfak Mountains on theBird's Head Peninsula inWest Papua,Indonesia. The area inhabited by the Arfak people is inPegunungan Arfak Regency at an altitude of 2,950 metres (9,680 ft)above sea level. The Arfak Mountains borderManokwari Regency to the north,South Manokwari Regency to the east,Teluk Bintuni Regency to the south, andSouth Sorong Regency to the west.
Pegunungan Arfak Regency is accessible via two main routes: throughManokwari Regency or viaSouth Manokwari Regency.[2]
The wordarfak comes from the wordarfk inBiak, meaning "people who sleep on fire", because the Arfak people place burning coals under theirstilted houses to warm them.[3]
According to "the father of Indonesian anthropology"Koentjaraningrat,[4] the inhabitants of theArfak Mountains consist of four sub-groups with similar cultures:Hatam,Meyah,Sougb, andMoile. Each group speaks a different language, so they cannot communicate with each other in their native tongues.[citation needed]
Arfak sub-groups inhabit the Arfak Mountains with clear territorial divisions. The Hatam, the largest group in the southern Arfak Mountains, live in Oransbari District and Ransiki District. The Meyah, often called the "original Arfak people," inhabit the eastern mountains in Warmere and Prafi Districts. The Moile live in the western mountains in Minyambouw District, while the Sougb inhabit the northern mountains in Anggi District.[citation needed]
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The Arfak people take pride in their tribal identity, and when traveling outside their region, they openly identify as part of the larger Arfak tribe. The four sub-groups of the Arfak people each have different languages, although Hatam and Moile still share some grammatical similarities with the main Arfak language. Weapons among the Arfak and their four sub-groups includebow and arrows. The complete bow and arrow set is calledinyomus inSougb andinyomusi in Irai village. Practitioners ofblack magic among the Arfak, known assuwanggi, are sometimes hired asassassins. The Sougb call themsurer.[5]
The Arfak people have traditional dances such as theTumbu Tanah Dance [id], which all sub-groups of the Arfak perform. The dance has two names depending on location: when performed on streets it is calledTumbuk Tanah, and when performed near houses it is calledTumbuk Rumah. The dance is accompanied by songs telling stories of plants, farming, the history of the Arfak people, beliefs, and past wars.
Another dance, theMagasa Dance, is also known as a Snake Dance to outsiders. The name refers to the winding, snake-like movements following the song's lyrics.Magasa is performed during weddings, harvest season, and when welcoming important guests. It is danced in pairs between men and women with hand-holding, jumps, and stomping. It tells stories of romance, heroism, and nature's beauty. The Red Fruit Dance is performed only by Arfak youths and represents the land's beauty.[6]
Each Arfak sub-group is led by a clan leader, and each group has distinct clans and languages. The Moile have clans such as Kowi, Saiba, Mandacan, Sayori, Ullo, Ayok, Indow, Wonggor, among others.
The Arfak are skilled hunters and traditional healers.
The traditionalstilt house has walls made of wood, a roof ofpandan leaves, and a floor of bamboo ornibung splits. Their traditional houses, called "hundred-pillar houses", are known asmod aki aksa inMeyah,igmam inHattam, andtu misen inSougb.[7] It is not only a dwelling but also a venue for cultural events; the upper part is for living and household activities, while the lower part is for livestock and firewood storage.[6]
