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Sawi
Sawuy

Total population
4,800
Regions with significant populations
Indonesia (South Papua)
Languages
Sawi language, Indonesian language
Religion
Christianity (predominantly), Animism
Related ethnic groups
Awyu, Wambon, Kombai, Korowai

The Sawi or Sawuy are an ethnic group of South Papua, Indonesia. They were known to be cannibalistic headhunters as recently as the 1950s. They speak the Sawi language, which belongs to the Awyu language family.

Since then, many of Sawi have converted to Christianity and the world's largest circular building made strictly from un-milled poles was constructed in 1972 as a Christian meeting place by the Sawi. Christian missionary Don Richardson who lived among the Sawi wrote a book about the experience called Peace Child.

See also

• Indigenous people of New Guinea

References

1. "Sawuy in Indonesia". Joshua Project. Retrieved 2014-09-18.
2. Tucker (1983), p. 476
3. Tucker (1983), p. 478

Further reading

• Peace Child (1974) ISBN 1-57658-289-2
• Tucker, Ruth (1983). From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya: A Biographical History of Christian Missions. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. ISBN 0-310-23937-0.

External links

• Never the Same Documentary about visit to the Sawi in 2012

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• Indigenous ethnic groups in Western New Guinea
• Cannibalism in Oceania
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