PAPUA – The Vth Port Numbay Festival which takes place on April 18-20, 2024 features various cultural traditions of the lost Sentani people in Jayapura Regency, Papua. The lost culture of the Sentani people will be revived through traditionally presented performances from Yoka village and Waena village, both of which are designated as hosts of the 2024 Vth Port Numbay Festival.
Roy Jefri Okoka, Chairman of the Vth Port Numbay Festival Committee, who is also a traditional leader in Yoka village, revealed that there are several Sentani cultural traditions that have been lost and were revived in the Port Numbay Festival, one of which is the tradition of Sasi Fish Nest or in Sentani language: Bhukere. Roy said the Bhukere tradition has been lost in the daily lives of the Bhuyaka Sentani people, this tradition is often the most sacred ritual in the traditional cultural order of the Sentani people, in keondofoloan events, traditional rituals or large events in the village that bring many people.
This tradition is commonly used as a traditional way for the Sentani people to catch fish in large quantities and the process of making Bhukere is not carelessly made and requires a special person appointed by the Ondofolo or Tribal Chief as a customary representative, in this case to ensure that Bhukere is made properly in accordance with the ways of the ancestors. The results of the fish harvest in this Bhukere tradition will be public consumption, according to the distribution of the ondofolo or Abhu Afa in a traditional feast.
Bhukere is an icon in the implementation of the 2024 Port Numbay Festival, because Sentani Lake is a picture of the tribal culture of the Sentani people, Sentani Lake is an implementation of the existence of the Bhuyaka Indigenous People, starting from:
- Management Space,
- Culinary Tradition,
- Culture,
- Surrounding Nature.
In addition to the Bhukere tradition, traditional games and arts that were once the culture of the Sentani people will also be performed at the 2024 Port Numbay V Festival. The organizers will also present traditional culinary in the Port Numbay Festival, such as papeda wrap served using pandan leaves and then other traditional Sentani food preparations such as papeda processed using earthen pots, earthen trays, and earthen pans in the local language: Ebhehele.
The 2024 Port Numbay Festival is the annual agenda of the Jayapura City Tourism Office and this year the Port Numbay Festival is packaged with the concept from city to village and they will raise and develop the potential of villages that have not been glimpsed as icons of tourism and the creative economy of the community.
Head of the Jayapura City Tourism Office Matias Benoni Mano revealed the selection of Yoka and Waena villages as hosts of the 2024th Port Numbay Festival, because all the potential related to tourism is in the village, both traditions, culture, customs, arts and folklore and natural potential, “in the village there is a lot of potential, so we package this and develop it to invite tourists from the city to go to the village, let’s go to the village,” said Matias Benoni.
Since 2020, the Port Numbay Festival has been held from village to village starting from Kayu Pulo village to Skouw and targeting the Heram West Region in Yoka and Waena villages.
