goodmorningpapua.com – The Jayapura Regency Government held a Pre-event for the Lake Sentani Festival and the VI 2022 Indigenous Peoples Congress of the Archipelago (KMAN) at the Golden Ballroom of The Sultan Hotel & Residence Jakarta, Friday night, 12 August 2022. The event entitled ‘Papua Intimate Dinner’ This is packaged in the form of a cultural musical drama for the people around Lake Sentani.
This musical drama was performed by Papuan artists, namely Nogei (Stephen Wally & Michael Jakarimilena), Putri Nere, Lala Suwages, Nobo Sasamu, Boii Is, as well as dancers from Kasbi dance.
In his remarks, Jayapura Regent Mathius Awitauw said, the VI Congress of Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago (KMAN) will be held in the Tabe Indigenous region, Papua, on October 24-30, 2022. At the same time, the Lake Sentani Festival will be held.
“Indeed, October 24 is the ninth day of the Awakening of the Indigenous Peoples in Jayapura, so the congress and several activities are united there,” said Mathius, Friday night.
Mathius explained that the provinces of Papua and West Papua are provinces with special autonomy, based on customs and tradition. “The 6th congress of indigenous peoples throughout Indonesia, which will be present in October will prove that the specificity of Papua with the existence of this special autonomy national policy really exists and this is a means of proving that this policy is really present and exists in the Papua Province and West Papua,” he said.
For him, through this congress and festival, his party will also voice that diversity will become the strength of the people of the nation and state. Around nearly 10,000 are expected to attend the congress and festival.
Mathius said the participants would live mingle with indigenous people in Papua, especially in Jayapura Regency. “We want to show the culture and uniqueness of Papua together with the congress of indigenous peoples of the archipelago together with brothers from all over Indonesia we will voice our cultural diversity to build the unity and integrity of Indonesia,” said Mathius.
Lake Sentani Festival is an annual tourism festival held around Lake Sentani located in Jayapura Regency, Papua. This festival has been held since 2007 and becomes an annual festival and belongs to the main tourism calendar of Jayapura Regency.
The Lake Sentani Festival is held in the middle of the year for five consecutive days and is filled with traditional dances on a boat, typical Papuan war dances, traditional ceremonies such as the coronation of Ondoafi, as well as serving a variety of Papuan specialties. However, since the Covid-19 pandemic, the Lake Sentani Festival has been canceled for two years (2020-2021) to prevent the transmission of Covid-19 cases.
In 2022, the Jayapura Regency Government will again hold the Lake Sentani Festival in conjunction with the 6th Nusantara Indigenous Peoples Congress and the IXth Anniversary of the Awakening of the Jayapura Regency’s Indigenous Peoples on October 24, 2022.