 Yali with traditional clothing,sabiyab andkem. | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 49,000 (2009) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Indonesia (Highland Papua) | |
| Languages | |
| Yali orMek languages,Indonesian language | |
| Religion | |
| Protestant Christian &Catholicism (predominantly),Animism,Dynamism (metaphysics),Totemism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Dani people,Lani people,Nduga people,Mek people |
Yali are a major tribal group inHighland Papua, Indonesia, and live to the east of theBaliem Valley, mainly inYalimo Regency,Yahukimo Regency, and the surrounding regions.
The Yali andDani word for "lands of the east" isyali, from where the Yali took it.[1][2] When combined, the wordsya (path/connecting staircases) andli (light) means "people from the place where the sun rises (East)." The-mu suffix is added to indicate 'place',[3] the phraseO Yalimu refers to the Yali people's traditional region.[4] Another origin for the name is its association with the mythical character Yeli, who was impervious to death even after being cut. Because humans, animals, trees, and other living things sprouted from his severed body parts, he was revered as the creator of the universe. Before disappearing in the west (Baliem Valley), he taught the Yali customs and asked to be worshipped. Gradually, his name's pronunciation changed to become Yali.[5]
In general, the Yali are split into two groups, Yali (mo) and Yali Mek, which live inYalimo Regency andYahukimo Regency, respectively. They also speak two different languages, the first one related to theDani in the Ngalik-Nduga subfamily,[2] the other one related to theMek. They in turn are split into more sub-groups with their own dialects.[6] The settlement territory of the Yali lies between the rivers Ubahak to the east and Sibi, Yahuli, and Podeng to the west. Their major settlements are Anggruk and Kosarek Districts, which are isolated by challenging geography. The major access to their territory is by air. The villages are only accessible by walking for several hours.[2] These territories are collectively calledYalimu, sometimes spelledYalimo.[2][5]
To the west of Yalimu lives the Hubula (Dani), and to the northwest, partially in the mountains, theLani. To the north are the territories of theKem and theWalak. To the east are the territories of otherMek groups and theKimyal, while to the south are the territories of Momuna people.[6] Accounts of the population size vary according to the source. In 1991, it was estimated to be 15,000[7] or 30,000.[8] While according to the2010 Indonesian census, the population was 133,812; however, this figure includedNgalik people.[9]
Traditionally the men are only clothed with a penis sheath (humi) andrattan rings around the waist, this combined attire is calledsabiyab. The more the rattan rings indicate more prestige and bravery, since rattan grew outside of Yali territory, hence difficult to obtain. The rattan ring also functions as afire starter. Thehumi of the Yali are long and thin made from driedbottle gourd, and secured with the rattan. Their heads are occasionally covered with hair nets, which have a pointed end at the neck. They are decorated with feathers and furs fromcassowary, yalme,cuscus, while fur fromsugarglider are used to decorate the tip of the penis gourds. The skin are painted with clay or charcoal, and boar tusks are fashioned to necklace or nose accessories. The women wear a short skirt made ofreed calledkem orkem lahuog. Their heads also carrynoken calledsum.[10][4] However, T-shirts and trousers or skirts and blouses are becoming more common.[2]
The Yali usesweet potatoes andtaro as their staple foods, which are grown usingshifting cultivation. Other food sources are hunting and gathering.[2] For festivities such as weddings pigs are slaughtered, which are only being kept extensively. Fruits are not part of the common diet. In apatriarchal society, the men are responsible for building houses and hunting, while women grow and gather food.[2]
Today the Yali are ofChristian religion, mainlyProtestant. Until the 1970s there were reports ofcannibalism. The Christian missionaries stopped several feuds between villages;[2] old war rituals and ancestor cults were forgotten. The Yali live in villages calledopumbuk, which consists ofyowi, hut for men,homea orhomi, hut for women,wam ibam, pig house for livestocks, and a sacred house for boys and men rituals calledusa yowi.[6][11]
The Yali practices exogamousmoieties, as they believed they were the descendant of two brothers, Winda and Waya. While in Anggruk and Ninia Districts, the brothers are called Kabak and Pahabol. All Yali clans belong to either one moiety, and marriage of clans inside a moiety group is strictly prohibited and consideredincest (pabi). Punishment in the past would have been death, though after discouragement by Christian missionaries, the punishment for incest is more lenient. Clans in Yali are called unggul, and all members believed in one origin myth; they are then part of a larger unggul uwag. This larger group have multiple origin myths, though carrying the same clan names.Unggul uwag groups then joined together with another to form wilig lumpaleg; these are sometimes called confederations. Like the one of the Dani, the names ofwilig lumpaleg are formed by combining the clan names. However, unlike the Dani, Yali confederations can be formed from clans from one moiety group. The even larger group is calledap ahe, as the clans have spread to many regions and may now belong to other tribes, like the Lani and the Dani, though they are still believed to be related and descend from one founder (ap ahe).[12]
Media related toYali people at Wikimedia Commons
