Dani Tribe in Baliem

Dani tribe

    The Dani or Hubula tribe is a group of tribes that inhabit the Baliem Valley region in the Central Mountains, Papua Mountains, Indonesia. Their settlement is between Ersberg and Grasberg Hills in Jayawijaya Regency and parts of Puncak Jaya Regency.

    It is thought that mountain tribes were first known to have migrated to the Baliem Valley around hundreds of years ago.

    This tribe is known as Dani because a European expedition asked the Migani tribe who called Ndani which means "east", for the Lani tribe.

    Meanwhile, the name Hugula is an endonym in the dialects of the Itlay hisage, Itlay lokobal, Assolokobal, Ohena, Kurima and surrounding sub-tribes. Meanwhile, the Itlay sub-tribe Haluk, Siepkosi, Hubikiak, Mukoko, and some Wita Waya use the name Hubula. In the Yiwika, Musatfak, Asologaima and surrounding areas it is called Huwula/Huwulra and the Sowa/Soba, Pasema and surrounding areas are called Hubla as mentioned in Yahukimo Regency (Hupla tribe).

    It is known that the Dani people are skilled farmers who use stone axes, scrapers, knives made from animal bones, bamboo or wooden spears and digging sticks. European influence was brought to the missionaries who built the Protestant Mission center in Hitigima around 1955. Then after the Dutch founded the city of Wamena, Catholicism began to arrive.