 Dani people from the central highlands ofWestern New Guinea, Indonesia. | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 14,800,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
New Guinea (Papua): Papua New Guinea Western New GuineaDiaspora:  Australia United States Canada Netherlands Singapore | |
| Languages | |
| Languages of Papua: NativePapuan languages andAustronesian languages Lingua francas (in Papua New Guinea): English,Tok Pisin,Hiri Motu, andUnserdeutsch Lingua francas (in Indonesian Papua): Indonesian andPapuan Malay | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity,Islam,[1] and nativePapuan religions | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| OtherMelanesians,Ambonese,Moluccans,Aboriginal Australians |
TheIndigenous peoples ofPapua New Guinea and ofWestern New Guinea inIndonesia, commonly calledPapuans,[2] areMelanesians. There is genetic evidence for two major historical lineages in New Guinea and neighboring islands: a first wave from theMalay Archipelago perhaps 50,000 years ago when New Guinea and Australia were a single landmass calledSahul and, much later, a wave ofAustronesian people from the north who introducedAustronesian languages and pigs about 3,500 years ago. They also left a small but significant genetic trace in many coastal Papuan peoples.
Linguistically, Papuans speak languages from the many families ofnon-Austronesian languages that are found only on New Guinea and neighboring islands, as well asAustronesian languages along parts of the coast, and recently developed creoles such asTok Pisin,Hiri Motu,Unserdeutsch, andPapuan Malay.[3][4][5]
The term "Papuan" is used in a wider sense in linguistics and anthropology. In linguistics, "Papuan languages" is a cover term for the diverse, mutually unrelated, non-Austronesian language families spoken inMelanesia, theTorres Strait Islands, and parts ofWallacea. In anthropology, "Papuan" is often used to denote the highly diverse aboriginal populations of Melanesia and Wallacea prior to the arrival of Austronesian-speakers, and the dominant genetic traces of these populations in the current ethnic groups of these areas.[4]
Ethnologue's 14th edition lists 826 languages ofPapua New Guinea and 257 languages ofWestern New Guinea, a total of 1083 languages, with 12 languages overlapping. If we adopt the figure proposed byGlottolog for Papua New Guinea, namely 928 languages,[6] the total is even higher. This corresponds to15% of the world's 7700 languages.
In terms oflinguistic families, the indigenous languages of New Guinea can be divided into two groups: 283 languages belong to theAustronesian family, and the other 858 are non-Austronesian[7]—a grouping commonly described as "Papuan languages" for convenience.
The termPapuan languages refers to anareal grouping, rather than a linguistic one. So-called "Papuan" languages are distributed into as many as eighty unrelatedlinguistic phyla, including 43 families and 37isolates.[8]: 6
The origin of Papuans is generally associated with the first settlement ofAustralasia by a lineage dubbed 'Australasians' or 'Australo-Papuans' during theInitial Upper Paleolithic, which is "ascribed to a population movement with uniform genetic features and material culture" (Ancient East Eurasians), and sharing deep ancestry with modernEast Asian peoples and other Asia-Pacific groups.[9][10][11] It is estimated that people reachedSahul (the geological continent consisting of Australia and New Guinea) between 50,000 and 37,000 years ago. Rising sea levels separated New Guinea from Australia about 10,000 years ago. However, Aboriginal Australians and Papuans had diverged genetically much earlier, around 40,000 years BP. Papuans are more closely related toMelanesians than to Aboriginal Australians.[12][11]
The majority of PapuanY-DNA Haplogroups belong to subclades ofHaplogroup MS, andHaplogroup C1b2a. The frequency of each haplogroup varies along geographic clines.[13][14]
The genetic makeup of Papuans is primarily derived fromAncient East Eurasians, which relates them to other mainland Asian groups such as the "AASI", Andamanese, as well as East/Southeast Asians, although although there is possible gene flow from an earlier Out-of-Africa group (xOoA), around 2%,[15] next to additional archaicDenisovan admixture in theSahul region. Papuans may harbor varying degrees of deep admixture from "a lineagebasal to West and East-Eurasians which occurred sometimes between 45 and 38kya", although they are generally regarded "as a simple sister group ofTianyuan" ("Basal East Asians").[10][11][9] They are also closely related toAndamanese Onge and East Asians and mainly differ due to their Denisovan admixture.[16] According to a 2025 study, Papuans are a sister group to East Asians with no genetic input from earlier Out-of-African populations. They diverged from Europeans and East Asians about 51.2 and 46.2 thousand years ago respectively and mixed with Denisovans about 31.2 thousand years ago, contributing to about 3.23% of their genetic makeup. Compared to Europeans and East Asians, Papuans also experienced severe bottlenecking.[17][18]
Papuans display pronounced genetic diversity, explained through isolation and drift between different subgroups after the settlement ofNew Guinea. The most notable differentiation was found to be between Highlanders and Lowlanders. Papuan Highlanders fall into three clusters, but form a single clade compared against Lowlanders. The Highlanders underwent a population bottleneck around 10,000 years ago, associated with the adoption of Neolithic lifestyles. Papuan Lowlanders display increased diversity and can be broadly differentiated into a Southern Lowlander cluster and a Northern Lowlander cluster. The genetic differentiation among Papuans is suggested to date back at least 20kya, while the sub-structure among Highlanders dates back around 10kya, with higher diversity among western Highlanders than Eastern ones. The genetic diversity is paralleled by linguistic and cultural diversity.[19]
East Asian-related admixture is also observed in modern Papuans, especially coastal Papuan groups.[20]
Based on a reevaluation of mitogenomes, Gandini et al. 2025 proposed a "long chronology", which suggested an earlier settlement of Sahul by two migration routes about ~60 ka. One route came from northern Sunda via thePhilippine archipelago whilst the other came from southern Sunda viaMainland Southeast Asia, with both routes ultimately tracing back to South Asia. The settlers that undertook these routes were ancestral to populations indigenous to Australia, New Guinea and Oceania, and related to other East Eurasians instead of belonging to a separate wave.[21]
Based on his genetic studies of theDenisova hominin, an ancient human species discovered in 2010,Svante Pääbo claims thatancient human ancestors of the Papuans interbred in Asia with these humans. He has found that people of New Guinea share 4%–7% of their genome with the Denisovans, indicating this exchange.[22] Denisovan introgressions may have influenced the immune system of present-day Papuans and potentially favoured "variants to immune-related phenotypes" and "adaptation to the local environment".[23]
In a 2005 study ofASPM gene variants, Mekel-Bobrov et al. found that the Papuan people have among the highest rate of the newly evolved ASPM Haplogroup D, at 59.4% occurrence of the approximately 6,000-year-oldallele.[24] While it is not yet known exactly what selective advantage is provided by this gene variant, the haplogroup D allele is thought to be positively selected in populations and to confer some substantial advantage that has caused its frequency to rapidly increase.
The following indigenous peoples live within the modern borders of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Austronesian-speaking (AN) groups are given initalics.
Papuan ethnic groups/tribes in the Indonesian province of West Papua include:Arfak (Hatam [id],Meyah [id],Moile [id], danSougb [id]), Borai,Numfor-Doreri,Irarutu [id],Koiwai,Kuri [id],Madewana [id], Mairasi, Maniwak,Mbaham-Matta [id],Miere [id], Moru,Moskona [id], Napiti, Oburauw,Roon [id], Roswar,Sebyar (Damban-Kimbaran) [id] , Soviar, Sumuri,Wamesa,Warumba,Waruri,Wondama [id].[25]
Papuan ethnic groups/tribes in the Indonesian province of Southwest Papua includeAbun,Ambel [id],Batanta,Biak (Betew [id],Kafdaron [id],Karon,Usba [id],Wardo [id]),Biga,Butlih [id], Domu,Duriankere,Gebe (Gag),Fiawat [id], Imekko (Inanwatan-Bira, Matemani-Iwaro,Kais [id],Awe [id],Kokoda-Emeyode [id]), Irires,Ma'ya (Kawe, Laganyan, Wawiyai),Matbat-Matlow,Maybrat (Ayamaru, Mare,Karon Dori-Miyah [id],Aifat [id], Aitinyo,Wayer),Moi-Ma'ya, Moi,Mpur [id], Nerigo,Tehit,Tepin [id], Yahadian,Yaben-Konda.[25]
Papuan ethnic groups/tribes in the Indonesian province of Papua include:[26]
| Jayapura City |
|
|---|---|
| Jayapura Regency | |
| Sarmi Regency | |
| Keerom Regency | |
| Biak Numfor Regency |
|
| Waropen Regency |
|
| Yapen Islands Regency | |
| Mamberamo Raya Regency |
Papuan ethnic groups/tribes in the Indonesian province ofHighland Papua include:[26]
| Jayawijaya Regency | |
|---|---|
| Nduga Regency | |
| Yalimo Regency | |
| Pegunungan Bintang Regency | |
| Tolikara Regency | |
| Yahukimo Regency |
|
Papuan ethnic groups/tribes in the Indonesian province ofCentral Papua include:[26]
| Deiyai Regency | |
|---|---|
| Dogiyai Regency | |
| Intan Jaya Regency | |
| Mimika Regency | |
| Nabire Regency[27] | |
| Paniai Regency[28] | |
| Puncak Regency | |
| Puncak Jaya Regency |
Papuan ethnic groups/tribes in the Indonesian province ofSouth Papua include:[26]
| Merauke Regency |
|
|---|---|
| Asmat Regency |
|
| Mappi Regency |
|
| Boven Digoel Regency |
According to the official Indonesian national linguistic data, there are at least 428 living Papuan languages (and 37 Papua-basedisolate languages) natively spoken by the Papuans in Indonesia alone belonging to eitherPapuan orAustronesian language families,[29] making it the most linguistically diverse community in Indonesia. Papuan languages are also spoken outside of New Guinea such as theTimor–Alor–Pantar speakers inTimor,Alor, andPantar,[30] as well asNorth Halmahera inMaluku Islands.[31][32]: 20
As part of the Indonesian nationals, the Papuans also speakIndonesian, it is anofficial andnational language of Indonesia, and its regional dialects such asPapuan Malay andSerui Malay, which also spoken by their fellowPapuans inPapua New Guinea, especially in the border areas.[33]
Carving (especiallywood carving) in Indonesian Papuan culture is not merely decorative—it embodies a deep connection to the spirit world, tradition, and community identity.[34] It is a significant artistic and cultural tradition among many Indigenous Papuan communities in Indonesia, especially in regions likeAsmat, Kamoro, and Sentani. These carvings are deeply symbolic and often tied to spiritual beliefs, ancestral worship, and daily life.[34]
.jpg)
Among the Asmat Papuans, for example, wood carving is highly developed and serves ritual purposes. They create bis poles, tall carved wooden poles made to honor ancestors and used in funerary ceremonies. The carvings typically depict human figures, animals, and mythological symbols representing strength, protection, and spiritual connection. Meanwhile, Sentani artists are famous for carving motifs into wooden bark paintings and household items, often featuring spiral patterns and stylized figures.[34]
.jpg)
In some highland communities, such as the Dani tribespeople in the Baliem Valley,mummification calledakonipuk [id] is a traditional practice used to honor and preserve the bodies of important tribal leaders or warriors.[34] The process involves smoking the corpse over a fire for weeks to dry and preserve it, often in a sitting position. These mummies are then kept in special huts and are considered sacred, symbolizing ancestral strength and leadership. This tradition is now rare and mostly preserved as cultural heritage.[34] Similar mummification traditions are practiced by the Mee, the Moni, the Lani, the Eipo, among others.
Noken, the traditional knitted or woven bag, an invention of the Indonesian Papuan people, is internationally inscribed as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by theUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since 2012.[35]
It is also inspired theNoken system, a unique electoral method used in Indonesia. Instead of individual voting, community leaders (Papuan tribal chiefs) vote on behalf of their people, often through consensus or traditional customs. This system respects local indigenous Papuan traditions and emphasizes communal decision-making rather than individual ballots. This system also known colloquially as 'Papuan hanging bag system' (named after the hangingNoken).[36]
Indonesian Papuans have gained increasing recognition in popular culture (nationwide in Indonesia and internationally), particularly in the movie and music industries. In Indonesian cinema, Papuan actors have been cast in leading roles, portraying authentic stories from their communities and highlighting the region's unique cultural identity. In the music scene, Papuan artists have also emerged in mainstream competitions and platforms, showcasing powerful vocals and distinct musical styles rooted in their heritage. This growing representation reflects a broader movement toward inclusion and appreciation of Papua's contributions to Indonesia's cultural diversity.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)Taken together with a lower bound of the final settlement of Sahul at 37 kya it is reasonable to describe Papuans as either an almost even mixture between East-Eurasians and a lineage basal to West and East-Eurasians which occurred sometimes between 45 and 38kya, or as a sister lineage of East-Eurasians with or without a minor basal OoA or xOoA contribution. We here chose to parsimoniously describe Papuans as a simple sister group of Tianyuan, cautioning that this may be just one out of six equifinal possibilities.
It has sometimes been argued that the ancestors of Sahul populations were distinct from the main wave of out-of-Africa dispersal (20, 31) but, as for mtDNA, the Y-chromosome data clearly connect Sahul to other East Eurasian populations, in line with more recent autosomal results (21).
IY was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).
Media related toPeople of Papua at Wikimedia Commons
Papuan ethnic groups/tribes in the Indonesian province ofSouth Papua include:[1]
| Merauke Regency |
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|---|---|
| Asmat Regency |
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| Mappi Regency |
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| Boven Digoel Regency |
Media related toPeople of Papua at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
