Irian Jaya's Lake Sentani, another name for beauty
Irian Jaya's Lake Sentani, another name for beauty
Text by Hartoyo Pratiknyo, photos by Arief Hidayat
SENTANI, Irian Jaya (JP): It takes more than seven hours of flying from Jakarta, a few more hours in a bus or chartered car, and then a canoe trip across a lake, to reach the heart of this ancient land. The reward, however, is well worth the effort.
In the early hours of the morning, as the pilot makes his final approach, the air traveler is greeted by the glistening water of Lake Sentani, 200 meters above sea level. It is called Bu Yakhala (Clear Water) by the indigenous inhabitants of the area. Green islands, big and small, are scattered across its surface.
From the road the green hills and the blue expanse of water broken by clusters of stilted houses makes for a strong first impression. Half way from the airport on the lake's northern banks to Jayapura, Irian Jaya's provincial capital to the northeast, the road follows the shore of the lake. The rolling hills rise to the left while the water stretches out peacefully to the right. In the distance on the right, Robinsolo -- the Cycloop Mountain Range -- rises like guardian protecting the landscape.
About 17 kilometers long from east to west and 45 meters deep, Lake Sentani is one of the most scenic spots in the province. The Sentani District, with a population of 37,000, including new settlers, embraces 11 villages and two subdistricts. It is divided into three cultural zones: the Ralibu on the eastern side of the lake, the Noloby in the center and the Waibu to the west. Each is distinguished mainly by the dialect they speak.
Remote and exotic as it may appear to people accustomed to living in crowded urban environments like Jakarta, Sentani is not really the pristine jungle realm that may exist in the imagination of many. In fact, it was one of the first regions of Irian Jaya to have contact with the world outside, and nowhere has contact with other civilizations been as intense and as prolonged. For this reason, the cultural makeup of the people of Sentani presents a blend of influences, although the indigenous ancestral element dominates.
Some anthropologists believe that the people of Sentani have maintained contact with other cultures since at least 300 years ago, when migrants from Micronesia moved towards Sepik in what is now Papua New Guinea. It was presumably during this period that the Micronesian influence first made inroads into the area, as is attested by the stone statues that have been found, and the traditional building style and dowry tradition.
Previous to this development, the Melanesian influence had already developed, counting among its features the stone mortar, the quadrilateral axe, head-hunting and other religious customs. The next stage saw the introduction of the socketed bronze axe, which is a feature of the Dongson tradition of Indochina. The tradition of raising their houses on stilts over the water is an inheritance designed to ensure protection against foraying wild animals.
According to their traditions, the world consists of two parts. The first is the world of reality, which is called wali yo, or "life place". The second is that of the supernatural, where the ancestral spirits and the spirits of land, sea and air reside. This world is known as heles yokunuwai yo, meaning the "everlasting and happy place".
The advent of Christianity and the introduction with other new cultural elements, however, has caused a new lifestyle to emerge. Today, the process of change is accelerated by the growing influx of newcomers from other parts of Indonesia.
At present, one of the most visible remaining expressions of the traditional Sentani culture and lifestyle can be found in the graceful, richly carved canoes which ply the waters from morning to night. As things develop, however, it isn't at all difficult to visualize motorboats replacing these canoes before very long, shattering the tranquility of the lake with the roar of their engines.