Irianese tribe learns farming, cattle breeding methods
Irianese tribe learns farming, cattle breeding methods
By Neles Tebay
MOANEMANI, Irian Jaya (JP): Since the 1963 integration of
Irian Jaya until now, the local government has said it has been
difficult to help develop a better way of life for the Irianese
who live in isolated places, especially those living in the
central highlands of Irian Jaya.
The Irianese have been categorized as reluctant to adopt to
new knowledge offered by the government.
The government has always pointed out geographical constraint,
transportation difficulty and the culture as reasons for the
challenges.
However, this is not true for the Mee tribe, who are also
living in the central highlands of Irian Jaya. They have
successfully learned new methods of farming and cattle breeding.
Paulus Goo, 43, is a simple farmer and member of the Mee tribe
in Mogotogo village, Ikrar district, which is about 230
kilometers northeast of Nabire. He has a fourth grade education
from a Catholic-run elementary school. He has a plot of land with
vegetables such as peanuts and corn. He also owns an area where
he grows 250 coffee plants, and has 100 rabbits, 50 chicken and
10 cows in the village.
He can be categorized as a tonowi (rich person) in his
village.
At a recent lunch, he offered The Jakarta Post some sweet
potatoes, a staple food of the Mee tribe, green vegetables,
peanuts and an egg.
Paulus said before the Catholic Church became established in
the Paniai region, the area was occupied by the Mee tribe. In
1937, the tribespeople did not know anything about growing
peanuts, soy beans, onions, carrots or raising chickens, ducks,
cows and rabbits. "We did not even know their names or what they
looked like," he said.
They came to know about all these things after the local
Catholic Church of Moanemani Parish established the Foundation
for Farming, Husbandry, Plantations, Fishery and Carpentry (Y-P5)
in Moanemani in 1970.
"I learned all these new things when I attended two years
training at the foundation in 1986 and 1987," Paulus said.
"When I returned to my village, I implemented what I learned
in the course. The result is what you see here," Paulus, a father
of seven children, said.
His first child is a nurse and the rest are still in school.
Paulus is one of more than 1,000 Mee farmers who have
completed a two-year training course at the Y-P5 foundation. The
graduated farmers have been scattered in every village in Paniai
and Nabire regencies.
They plant vegetables and raise animals in the area
surrounding their houses and teach their skills to fellow
villagers.
Didimus Tebay, the executive director of the foundation, said
the graduates were the cadres of the foundation.
"Other farmers in the village could learn from them about
vegetables, coffee planting and cattle breeding," Didimus said.
In Manwa village, Kamu district, the Post saw that almost all
the families had rabbits.
"I raise some rabbits, even though I am not attending the two-
year course run by the Y-P5 foundation in Moanemani," Yulius Koga
said. He added that he learned how to raise rabbits from an
alumnus of the course.
Didimus said the Mee tribespeople learn more by watching than
by listening. "They have to see what a rabbit looks like and how
to breed it from other people. When they return home, they may
try to do what they have seen earlier," Didimus said.
He also said that the people are quick to respond to the
methods because they basically are farmers and cattle breeders in
their culture. Therefore, in order to improve their well-being,
the foundation trained them to be effective farmers and cattle
breeders.