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Abun people

Total population
4,300
Regions with significant populations
Indonesia (Tambrauw Regency, Southwest Papua)
Languages
Abun language, Papuan Malay
Religion
Majority: Christianity Minority: Indigenous beliefs
Related ethnic groups
Biak Karon (Bikar), Maybrat (Karon Dori)

The Abun, previously also known as Wen and Coastal Karon, are an ethnic group of New Guinea, residing in the Sausapor district of the Tambrauw Regency in the province of Southwest Papua. They speak the Abun language. They live in the Sausapor, Jokte, Emaos and Uigwem villages of Sausapor  [id] and are of the clans Yekwam, Yenjau, Yeblo, Yesnath, Yenbra, Yenggrem, Yesomkor, Yerin, Yeror, Yewen, Yemam and Yesian.

Name

The Abun were originally the Wen from the Tambrauw Mountains (locally called the Ndokdar Mountains). After having socialized with the Biak people [id] near the coastline, they were then called the Karon (meaning: the people from within), while the ones who continued to stay in the mountains were called Karondori. However, this eventually had negative connotations and they adopted the name Abun (meaning: tribal language), which originally was used for the name of their language.

Culture

Farming

The Abun are primarily banana farmers. 21 categorizations of bananas are named and are divided by whether it is eaten fresh or cooked first. The harvesting of the bananas are done by both men and women; typically but not necessarily being the men chopping the trees and the women transporting the fruit. On most days, they head to the farms which are around 1–2 km away between 8–9am (WIT) and return home by 5pm.

Leadership

The highest ranking leader of the Abun tradition is called the Yekwesu who governs the Wis in the village. Every Wis also has a leader Yehos who help the Yekwesu govern. Anyone can become a Yekwesu with their own efforts, but has to be rich in cloth (kain timor), and also be brave, wise, generous and diplomatic.

Salara Dance

The Salara is a traditional dance performed in a group with a snake-like formation possibly in a circle; holding one another by the arms to form a chain. It is said that the ancestors of the Abun people turned into a snake and left the mountains for the beach. The dance is similar to the other Tari Tumbu Tanah of the Arfak people.

See also

• Indigenous people of New Guinea

References

1. "Abun in Indonesia". Joshua Project. Retrieved 2022-01-20.
2. ^ Ronsumbre, Adolof (2020). Ensiklopedia Suku Bangsa di Provinsi Papua Barat (in Indonesian). Yogyakarta: Penerbit Kepel Press. ISBN 978-602-356-318-0.
3. Syufi, Yafed (2013). Sociolinguistic Overview of the Irires Language: A Native Speaker Perspective. Tifa Antropologi.
4. ^ Djoht, Djekky R. (2002). "Etnobotani Pisang Suku Karon: Studi tentang Ekologi Pangan Pokok" (PDF). Antropologi Papua (in Indonesian). 1 (2).

External links

• (YouTube video) Abun traditional dance in the Tambrauw Regency

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