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The Baliem Valley, also called Shangri-la by American pilots that first spotted the valley’s population in the 1940`s. Before then, this part of the highlands was thought to be unhabited by people, but it wasn’t before the pilots saw people here aiming with spears and arrows, they was just in for a surprise that this was a quite “developed” area of the highlands. Developed, as in having many innovative organizational and material innovations, however ofcourse being within their traditional culture.
The Dani people are one of the most populated tribes of West Papua, and today number over 220.000 people. Around 100.000 of these live in the grand Baliem valley, the rest of them to the north, south and west. The Dani people neighbour the Yali, Nduga- and Damal people. There is one city in the Baliem valley, Wamena, that is a strange mix between Papuan and Indonesian society.
I most likely have visited the Baliem valley more than 10 times over a period from 2003-2010, having lost count because of the frequency during a period when I lived in West Papua. Most of the visits to the area was primarily dedicated to trekking in the area, sometimes, among others, as far out of Dani territory as to the Yali- and Mek tribal regions in the east.
2003-2010
Baliem river running trough the Baliem ValleyApproaching Wamena, the most populated (and only) town in Baliem valley. There is no road connection to the coast (as of 2010) so to get there you have to fly in.WamenaWamena airportMy first visit to the Valley in 2001.First meeting with the chief Yali Mabel. He is most likely the most photographed Dani tribesman of the Baliem Valley. During my many visits to the Baliem valley, I met him many times in town, and If I had visitors, I brought them to his village for a cultural experience. However it is very money oriented. 🙂....
The Kurima mummy. Local legend has it that its a mummified warrior, who died several hundred years ago.Hamlet of Traditional houses (Honai).Inside a honai.Crossing the mountains between Wamena and Tiom.One of my porters resting enjoying the view towards Tiom village.Scenic hamlet on the mountainsside outside Tiom.Cultural performance on the Baliem Festival in 2003..Before the age of phonecameras, a camera was actually something exciting to study.Traditional Dani-elder.A cool nose-piercing is obviously a painful investment..........Looking towards the mountains to the SW of the Baliem..Hunters who managed to get a few Cuscus during their hunt.Preparing the Cuscus and sweet potatoes.Village kids.During a memorial of a influential man in a village in South-Baliem....Around 50 pigs were slaughtered during the event, and prepared in earth-ovens (heated rocks placed on top of food wrapped in banana-leaves) called “Bakar Batu” by the highlanders including the Dani............3 generations..Lonely elder I met on a mountaintrail south in the Baliem Valley..Mountainside in west of the BaliemOn one of the hillstops in the middle of the Baliem Valley there is a area of pure white sand......The south of Baliem..My latest visit the the Mummy of Kurima..A man belonging to the Yali tribe. The Yali traditionally wear these rattan-rings around the weist, the Dani dont wear these normally...
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West Papua is the western half of the island of New Guinea, nowdays being Indonesian territory. The eastern part of the Island is the independent country of Papua New Guinea. The Capital of West-Papua is the city of Jayapura located on the north-coast. Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000.
New Guinea is one of the least explored places on earth (almost) matching the Amazon, and being the second largest island in the world. West Papua alone is home to over 300 tribes and languages. Up until recent times, New guinea was scarcly populated, and natural boundries as thick forests, large rivers and mountains isolated populated areas. Because of this isolation people in the different regions and areas, developed cultural traits and languages – making it a special place to see living tribal culture.
I lived in West-Papua from 2003-2007, studying anthropology at the University of Cenderawasih and conducting research among various tribes in the region.
