The Traditional Ceremony 'Bakar Batu', The Uniqueness of Papuan Culture

Cyntia Bella Arisandy - Merauke, the easternmost island of Papua, has the potential for a beautiful island and its unique traditions. Papua holds various cultural that must be preserved so as not to extinct that the customs have been created by our ancestors.

One of the uniqueness of Papuan culture is the traditional ceremony called Bakar Batu. This tradition is one of the most important traditions in Papua which functions as a sign of welcoming happiness for birth, death, or to gather soldiers for war.

This tradition is carried out by tribes in the Baliem valley who are famous for cooking by burning stones. In its development, this tradition has various names, for example the Paniai people call it Gapiia, the Wamena people call it Kit Oba Isogoa.

The initial preparation for this tradition is that each group submits a pig as an offering, some dance, then some prepare stones and wood to be burned. The process of burning stones is initially by stacking stones in such a way that they begin to burn until the wood burns out and the stones become hot.
Then after that, the pig has been prepared to be shot first. Usually the ones who shoot the pigs are the tribal chiefs and are done alternately. There is a quite unique view in this pig archery ritual. When all the chiefs have shot the pig and the pig dies immediately, it is a sign that the event will be successful. Meanwhile, if the pig does not die immediately, it is believed that this event will not be successful.

The next stage is to cook the pig. The men start digging a hole deep enough, then hot stones are inserted into the excavation which has been given a base of banana leaves and reeds as a barrier so that the hot steam of the stone does not evaporate. More leaves are placed on top of the hot stone, after which the pork pieces are stored along with vegetables and sweet potatoes. Once the food is cooked, all the Papuan tribes gather with their respective groups and start eating together. This tradition is believed to lift the solidarity and togetherness of the Papuan people.

Nowadays, the tradition of Burning Stones is not only to celebrate birth and happiness. This tradition is starting to be used to welcome big guests visiting Papua, such as the President's visit and others.