The Asmat Tribe

Asmat tribe is the most famous cannibalistic tribe on Papua. The Asmat are a Melanesian people who live within the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya. This tribe are actually having a bit of similarity with Korowai tribe in terms of basic life. 

The Asmat are widely known for the quality of their wood sculptures. The Asmat's first European contact was with the Dutch in 1623. Their homeland is 25,000 square kilometers in southwestern Irian Jaya. 

 The Asmat are hunters and gatherers. Their employment is actually a bit similar to the Korowai. They hunt crocodiles and other animals, and they gather and process the pulp of the sago palm. Some also grow vegetables or raise chickens. 

                                       

The Asmat's tribe were at  missionary work.

Since they are exposed to missionary work in the region, the Asmat spoken language is the national language of the Republic of Indonesia.

Asmat's men recently attire.

Asmat's men with the correct traditional attire.

Asmat's women attire before and after of western-style influenced them.

 As for their traditional attire, the Asmat traditionally have worn little or no clothing. Unfortunately, due to missionaries and other outside influences, many Asmat today wear Western-style clothing. The most popular attire is rugby shorts for men and floral cotton dresses for women. 

The Asmat practiced a native religion involving spirit worship and fear of the ghosts of the dead. It was believed that most deaths were deliberately caused by evil forces. The ancestral spirits were said to demand that wrongful deaths be avenged by killing and decapitating an enemy.

 In traditional Asmat societies, there were elaborate cycles of ceremonial feasting throughout the year. Feasts that celebrate deceased kinfolk are still very important celebrations. Although Islam is the major religion of Indonesia, it not practiced among the Asmat population. 

Kinfolk celebration.

Last but not least, The Asmat tribe are facing the same kind of problems which is they are fighting to retain their traditional ways of life in the face of pressure by Indonesian administrators. As Asmat tribe are exposed to missionary, many Asmat people have converted to Christianity and are being educated in Western-run schools.