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The
indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
of West Papua in
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
and
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
, commonly called Papuans, are
Melanesians Melanesians are the predominant and indigenous inhabitants of Melanesia, in a wide area from Indonesia's New Guinea to as far East as the islands of Vanuatu and Fiji. Most speak either one of the many languages of the Austronesian language fam ...
. There is genetic evidence for two major historical lineages in New Guinea and neighboring islands: a first wave from the
Malay Archipelago The Malay Archipelago ( Indonesian/ Malay: , tgl, Kapuluang Malay) is the archipelago between mainland Indochina and Australia. It has also been called the " Malay world," " Nusantara", "East Indies", Indo-Australian Archipelago, Spices Arc ...
perhaps 50,000 years ago when New Guinea and Australia were a single landmass called Sahuland, much later, a wave of Austronesian people from the north who introduced Austronesian languages and pigs about 3,500 years ago. They also left a small but significant genetic trace in many coastal Papuan peoples. Linguistically, Papuans speak languages from the many families of non-Austronesian languages that are found only on New Guinea and neighboring islands, as well as Austronesian languages along parts of the coast, and recently developed creoles such as
Tok Pisin Tok Pisin (,Laurie Bauer, 2007, ''The Linguistics Student’s Handbook'', Edinburgh ; Tok Pisin ), often referred to by English speakers as "New Guinea Pidgin" or simply Pidgin, is a creole language spoken throughout Papua New Guinea. It is an ...
, Hiri Motu,
Unserdeutsch Unserdeutsch ('Our German'), or Rabaul Creole German, is a German-based creole language that originated in Papua New Guinea as a lingua franca. The substrate language is assumed to be Tok Pisin, while the majority of the lexicon is from German. ...
, and Papuan Malay. The term "Papuan" is used in a wider sense in linguistics and anthropology. In linguistics, "
Papuan language The Papuan languages are the non- Austronesian and non- Australian languages spoken on the western Pacific island of New Guinea in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, as well as neighbouring islands, by around 4 million people. It is a strictly ge ...
s" is a cover term for the diverse, mutually unrelated, non-Austronesian language families spoken in
Melanesia Melanesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It extends from Indonesia's New Guinea in the west to Fiji in the east, and includes the Arafura Sea. The region includes the four independent countries of Fiji, V ...
, the
Torres Strait Islands The Torres Strait Islands are a group of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait, a waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea. They span an area of , but their total la ...
, and parts of Wallacea. In anthropology, "Papuan" is often used to denote the highly diverse aboriginal populations of Melanesia and Wallacea prior to the arrival of Austronesian-speakers, and the dominant genetic traces of these populations in the current ethnic groups of these areas.


Languages

''
Ethnologue ''Ethnologue: Languages of the World'' (stylized as ''Ethnoloɠue'') is an annual reference publication in print and online that provides statistics and other information on the living languages of the world. It is the world's most comprehensi ...
''s 14th edition lists 826 languages of
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
and 257 languages of Western New Guinea, a total of 1083 languages, with 12 languages overlapping. They can be divided into two groups, the Austronesian languages, and all the others, called
Papuan language The Papuan languages are the non- Austronesian and non- Australian languages spoken on the western Pacific island of New Guinea in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, as well as neighbouring islands, by around 4 million people. It is a strictly ge ...
s for convenience. The term ''Papuan languages'' refers to an areal grouping, rather than a linguistic one. So-called Papuan languages comprise hundreds of different languages, most of which are not related.


Papuan ethnic groups

The following indigenous peoples live within the modern borders of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Austronesian-speaking (AN) groups are given in ''italics''.


Indonesia


West Papua

Papuan ethnic groups / tribes in Indonesian province of West Papua include Abun, Ambel, Arfak, Awe, Ayamaru, Ayfat, Batanta, Biak, Biga, Bira, Borai, Butlih, Domu, Doreri, Emeyode, Fiawat, Hatam, Irarutu, Irires, Iwaro, Kais, Kawe, Koiwai, Kuri, Langanyan, Madekwana, Mairasi, Maniwak, Matbat, Mbaham, Matta, Meiah, Meybrat, Miere, Miyah, Moi, Moire, Moru, Moskona, Mpur, Napiti, Nerigo, Oburauw, Roon, Roswar, Sebyar, Sougb, Soviar, Sumuri, Tehit, Tepin, Wamesa, Warumba, Waruri, Wawiyai, Wondama, Yaban, Konda.


Papua

Papuan ethnic groups/tribes in Indonesian province of Papua include:


Highland Papua

Papuan ethnic groups/tribes in Indonesian province of
Highland Papua Highland Papua ( id, Papua Pegunungan) is a province of Indonesia, which roughly follows the borders of Papuan customary region of Lano-Pago, shortened to La Pago. It covers an area of and had a population of 1,408,641 according to the official es ...
include:


Central Papua

Papuan ethnic groups/tribes in Indonesian province of
Central Papua Central Papua, officially the Central Papua Province ( id, Provinsi Papua Tengah) is an Indonesian province located in the central region of Western New Guinea. It was formally established on 11 November 2022 from the former eight western regen ...
include:


South Papua

Papuan ethnic groups/tribes in Indonesian province of South Papua include:


Papua New Guinea

* Abelam * Angu * Baruya * Biangai * ''
Bilibil Prior to 1904, the Bilibil people lived on an island offshore from Madang, Papua New Guinea, trading clay pots along the coast from Karkar Island to western Morobe Province. The island was too small to produce enough food for the inhabitants, a ...
'' * Chambri * Duna * Etoro * Fore * Gadsup * Gogodala * Haroli * Hewa * Huli * Iatmul * Kaluli * Kwoma * Koteka * '' Maisin'' (AN with many non-AN elements) * Melpa * Mian *
Morkai Morkai is a tribe that lives around the Tabibuga Station of Jimi District in Papua New Guinea. The tribe is subdivided into the smaller clans: Kimbaka, Keska, Galeboka, Maika, Nipka and Parka. The Tabibuga Station stands on Galemboka's and Kimbak ...
* '' Motu'' *
Min Min or MIN may refer to: Places * Fujian, also called Mǐn, a province of China ** Min Kingdom (909–945), a state in Fujian * Min County, a county of Dingxi, Gansu province, China * Min River (Fujian) * Min River (Sichuan) * Mineola (Amtr ...
* Mundugumor * Ogea * Orokaiva * Sambia * Swagap * Tairora * '' Tanga'' * Telefol * Tsembaga * Urapmin * Wiru * Wola * Wopkaimin *
Yaifo The Yaifo people are a remote tribe in the East Sepik Province of Papua New Guinea in the highlands. The tribe was described by British writer, broadcaster and explorer, Benedict Allen, in his account of a 1988 expedition, ''The Proving Grounds: ...
* Zia


Bismarck Archipelago

* Baining * '' Tolai'' * ''
Trobriand The Trobriand Islands are a archipelago of coral atolls off the east coast of New Guinea. They are part of the nation of Papua New Guinea and are in Milne Bay Province. Most of the population of 12,000 indigenous inhabitants live on the main isl ...
'' File:Friends2.jpg, Girls from Papua New Guinea File:Mall culture jakarta102.jpg, Papuan people in folk dress in
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital city, capital and list of Indonesian cities by population, largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coa ...


Origin and genetics

In a 2005 study of ASPM gene variants, Mekel-Bobrov et al. found that the Papuan people have among the highest rate of the newly evolved ASPM HaplogroupD, at 59.4% occurrence of the approximately 6,000-year-old
allele An allele (, ; ; modern formation from Greek ἄλλος ''állos'', "other") is a variation of the same sequence of nucleotides at the same place on a long DNA molecule, as described in leading textbooks on genetics and evolution. ::"The chrom ...
. While it is not yet known exactly what selective advantage is provided by this gene variant, the haplogroupD allele is thought to be positively selected in populations and to confer some substantial advantage that has caused its frequency to rapidly increase. Main Y-DNA Haplogroups of Papuan people are HaplogroupMS, HaplogroupP and HaplogroupC1b2a; a significant minority belong also to Haplogroup O-M175. Based on his genetic studies of the Denisova hominin, an ancient human species discovered in 2010,
Svante Pääbo Svante Pääbo (; born 20 April 1955) is a Swedish geneticist who specialises in the field of evolutionary genetics. As one of the founders of paleogenetics, he has worked extensively on the Neanderthal genome. In 1997, he became founding dire ...
claims that ancient human ancestors of the Papuans interbred in Asia with these humans. He has found that people of New Guinea share 4%–7% of their genome with the Denisovans, indicating this exchange. Phylogenetic data suggests that an early Eastern Eurasian lineage trifurcated somewhere in
eastern South Asia Eastern South Asia is a subregion of South Asia. It includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India (specifically East India and Northeast India), and Nepal. Geographically, it lies between the Eastern Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal. Two of ...
, and gave rise to the Australo-Papuans, the AASI, as well as East/Southeast Asians, although Australo-Papuans may have also received some gene flow from an earlier group (xOoA), around 2%, next to additional archaic admixture in the Sahul region.Genetics and material culture support repeated expansions into Paleolithic Eurasia from a population hub out of Africa, Vallini et al. 2022 (April 4, 2022) Quote: "''Taken together with a lower bound of the final settlement of Sahul at 37 kya it is reasonable to describe Papuans as either an almost even mixture between East-Eurasians and a lineage basal to West and East-Eurasians which occurred sometimes between 45 and 38kya, or as a sister lineage of East-Eurasians with or without a minor basal OoA or xOoA contribution. We here chose to parsimoniously describe Papuans as a simple sister group of Tianyuan, cautioning that this may be just one out of six equifinal possibilities.''" According to one study, Australo-Papuans (such as the indigenous people of New Guinea and Aboriginal Australians) could have either formed from a mixture between an East Asian lineage and lineage basal to West and East Asians, or as a sister lineage of East Asians with or without a minor basal OoA or xOoA contribution. A 2016 study at the
University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
by Christopher Klein et al. suggests that it was about 50,000 years ago that these peoples reached Sahul (the supercontinent consisting of present-day Australia and its islands and New Guinea). The sea levels rose and isolated New Guinea about 10,000 years ago, but Aboriginal Australians and Papuans diverged from each other genetically earlier, about 37,000 years BP.


Notable people

* Abba Bina, Papua New Guinean businessman and politician * Archie Thompson, former Australian soccer player * Elie Aiboy, former Indonesian footballer *
Marlina Flassy Marlina Flassy (born 1968) is an Indonesian anthropologist, who is the first woman to hold a deanship at Cenderawasih University, and is the first woman and indigenous Papuan to be appointed Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences t ...
, Indonesian anthropologist and the first woman to be appointed Dean of Cenderawasih University *
Frans Kaisiepo Frans Kaisiepo (10 October 1921 – 10 April 1979) was a Papuan politician and Indonesian nationalist. He served as the fourth Governor of Papua Province. In 1993, Kaisiepo was posthumously declared a National Hero of Indonesia ( id, Pahlawan N ...
, 4th Governor of Papua and
National Hero of Indonesia National Hero of Indonesia ( id, Pahlawan Nasional Indonesia) is the highest-level title awarded in Indonesia. It is posthumously given by the Government of Indonesia for actions which are deemed to be heroic, defined as "actual deeds which can b ...
* Nitya Krishinda Maheswari, Indonesian badminton player and
2014 Asian Games The 2014 Asian Games ( ko, 2014년 아시아 경기대회/2014년 아시안 게임, Icheon sip-sa nyeon Asia gyeonggi daehoe/Icheon sip-sa nyeon Asian Geim), officially known as the 17th Asian Games ( ko, 제17회 아시아 경기대회/제17회 ...
women's doubles gold medalist * Nowela Auparay, professional singer and Indonesian Idol winner * Peter O'Neill, 7th
Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea The prime minister of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Prai Minista bilong Papua Niugini) is Papua New Guinea's head of government, consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the National ...
*
Freddy Numberi Freddy Numberi (born October 15, 1947) is a retired Vice Admiral in the Indonesian Navy and politician from Yapen Waropen, Papua. He was part of the Second United Indonesia Cabinet and served as Minister of Transportation in Indonesia between O ...
, Indonesian politician and former Minister of Transportation *
Raema Lisa Rumbewas Raema Lisa Rumbewas (born 10 September 1980) is a former Indonesian weightlifter. She is the country's first athlete to have won medals in three Olympic Games. She competed in the women's 48 kg at the 2000 Summer Olympics and won silver wit ...
, Indonesian weightlifter and silver medallist at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics * Boaz Solossa, Indonesian footballer * Titus Bonai, Indonesian footballer *
Ricky Kambuaya Ricky Richardo Kambuaya (born 5 May 1996), is an Indonesian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Liga 1 club Persib Bandung and the Indonesia national team. Club career PS Mojokerto Putra In 2017, Kambuaya signed a year contrac ...
, Indonesian footballer *
Michael Somare Sir Michael Thomas Somare (9 April 1936 – 26 February 2021) was a Papua New Guinean politician. Widely called the "father of the nation" (), he was the first Prime Minister after independence. At the time of his death, Somare was also the ...
, former
Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea The prime minister of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Prai Minista bilong Papua Niugini) is Papua New Guinea's head of government, consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the National ...
*
Heather Watson Heather Miriam Watson (born 19 May 1992) is a British professional tennis player. A former British No. 1, Watson has won nine titles over her career, including the mixed-doubles title at the 2016 Wimbledon Championships partnering Henri ...
, English female tennis player


See also

*
Aboriginal Australians Aboriginal Australians are the various Indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, such as Tasmania, Fraser Island, Hinchinbrook Island, the Tiwi Islands, and Groote Eylandt, but excluding the Torres Strait ...
*
Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...
* Koteka Tribal Assembly * List of ethnic groups of West Papua * Moluccans (to the west of New Guinea) *
Negrito The term Negrito () refers to several diverse ethnic groups who inhabit isolated parts of Southeast Asia and the Andaman Islands. Populations often described as Negrito include: the Andamanese peoples (including the Great Andamanese, the On ...
(Southeast Asia) * Papua conflict * Proto-Australoid * Stéphane Breton (filmmaker) * Torres Strait Islanders between New Guinea and mainland Australia (including the Meriam people, whose language family is otherwise found in New Guinea)


References


Further reading

*


External links

* {{Authority control Papuan people