Deputy Minister of Culture Supports Establishment of Dedicated Cultural Agency in Southwest Papua
Sorong (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Giring Ganesha Djumaryo supports the aspiration of the Southwest Papua Provincial Government to have its own Culture Agency in order to strengthen efforts to preserve and promote culture in the region.
Giring said the existence of a dedicated regional apparatus handling culture is important to ensure that cultural development can be carried out in a more focused and sustainable manner.
“I strongly agree with the aspiration to establish a dedicated Culture Agency. My commitment and the Minister’s, we will oversee it,” said Giring while attending the 2026 Domberay Indigenous Youth Jamboree in Southwest Papua on Tuesday.
According to him, strengthening cultural institutions will have a major impact on the region, especially in safeguarding, preserving, and developing the cultural potential of Southwest Papua.
He assessed that Southwest Papua possesses extraordinary cultural wealth, including the presence of indigenous communities with various languages, traditional knowledge, arts, and value systems that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Giring stressed that indigenous communities are not groups on the periphery of national development, but rather the owners, actors, guardians, and heirs of Nusantara culture.
“Indigenous communities are the owners, actors, guardians, and heirs of Nusantara culture. They safeguard language, ancestral knowledge, customary law, arts, and living spaces,” he said.
He expressed hope that strengthening cultural institutions in Southwest Papua can proceed in tandem with the involvement of indigenous communities and the younger generation in safeguarding ancestral cultural heritage.
Giring specifically invited Domberay indigenous youth to take on a role as key actors in both the preservation and development of culture.
He encouraged the younger generation to learn regional languages, musical arts, dance, village history, and various traditional knowledge that form the identity of the Domberay indigenous community.
“Young people must not merely be spectators of change, but must become key actors of change, safeguarding identity, passing on noble knowledge, as well as innovators who develop culture without losing their identity,” he said.
Giring added that efforts to safeguard culture are not only related to preserving ancestral heritage, but are also an important part of safeguarding the nation’s future.
“Safeguarding indigenous communities means safeguarding Indonesian culture. Safeguarding culture means safeguarding the future of the Indonesian nation,” he said.
He also expressed his commitment together with the Minister of Culture to oversee the aspiration for the establishment of the Southwest Papua Provincial Culture Agency.
Giring expressed hope that a strong cultural institution will eventually be able to serve as one of the foundations for sustainably developing the cultural potential of Southwest Papua.