On Saturday, April 25, 2026, Dalang Publishing’s advisor Lian Gouw, Director Gemah Rahardjo and presenters, Prof. Dr. Wigati Yektiningtyas and her husband Dr. James Modouw, arrived at the Indonesian Consulate General’s residence in San Francisco, to set up for the morning presentation. We were welcomed by the Consul General Yohpy Ichsan Wardana and his wife, the Consul for Information and Sociocultural Affairs Monica Sonia Maria Purba, and the secretary of the Consul General, Riena Sarojo.
After the opening introductions, Advisor James Modouw started the presentation with an overview of the tribal population, environment, and social welfare of Papua overall. Professor Wigati Yektiningtyas then followed with the in-depth results of 36 years of research she did on the culture of those who live on Lake Sentani’s shores. This included the Sentani people’s folklore, rock and tree-bark painting, woodcarving, and dance. She concluded the presentation with a personal statement on “the need to preserve and disseminate folklore as a source of knowledge, education, history, philosophy, cosmology, and identity through creative ways and strategies.”
The following questions were directed to Ibu Wiga during the Q&A:
1. Mark Chandler, Director of International Trade & Commerce, San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development
Q. I was amazed that Papua has 273 local languages. Why can’t the younger generation speak the language anymore, and what can be done to help them learn the language?
A. Geographically, Papua has dense rainforests, high mountain ranges like the Jayawijaya Mountains, deep valleys, and limited transportation routes. Therefore, it is not easy for groups of people to communicate. When groups do not interact much, their languages naturally drift apart and become completely distinct over time. Young people do not speak the local language because many of them come from outside of Papua. They cannot speak Papuan languages, and locals do not speak their language, so finally everyone uses Bahasa Indonesia as their medium of communication. Young people do not have language role models, as their parents do not speak the local language at home. Psychologically, then, young people consider their local language to be not as prestigious as Bahasa Indonesia and foreign languages.
Helping young people learn their local language is important. We can do that via formal and non-formal education. Formally, local languages can be used in schools, infused in some teaching process, i.e., teaching materials such as Bahasa Indonesia, culture and arts, etc. Non-formally, local languages can be taught in art studios and literacy centers, and parents should proudly speak it at home and teach their children.
2. Dr. Liliane Koziol, Coordinator, Northern California Fulbright Visiting Scholar Enrichment Program
Q. I am interested in your presentation about the richness of Sentani folklore and local languages. What is being done to preserve the folklore?
A. Preserving folklore (especially the oral ones) means also preserving the local language, because folklore is mostly told or sung in the local language. What we have done in Sentani is to teach local languages at schools and villages by working together with the tribal chiefs and village heads. We invite the younger generation to use it on social media, like Facebook, TikTok, YouTube is also used to share videos of folksongs, dances, carving, and painting. Also, we utilize digital printing to reproduce carvings, bark paintings, etc., on T-shirts, pouches, and other gear.
3. Dr. Sandra Sardjono, Founder Tracing Patterns Foundation (Berkeley, CA)
Q. What is the meaning of the colors preserved in the bark paintings and carvings? Who is allowed to paint on bark? Who can keep the paintings and carvings?
A. There are three colors used in the bark paintings: white symbolizes prosperity (blessings), black symbolizes evil, and red symbolizes hard work. In the past, only men were allowed to paint. Men had to paint in a hidden place, and no one was allowed to see them. Bark painting was considered sacred, related to local beliefs that bark paintings were deity’s clothing. Now, everyone can paint. Each tribe has its own patterns. One tribe cannot collect bark paintings from other tribes. Sentani has a hierarchical level of social status: ondofolo (high social level) and yobhu yoholom, low social level. They also have different patterns. Bark paintings from high social-level people cannot be kept by lower social-level people.
After the Q&A, the presentation concluded with everyone, including the Consul General and his wife ⸺ dressed in Papua batik, joining in a Papua line dance.
The Indonesian Consulate provided event attendees with a delicious Indonesian buffet lunch. Grateful for the warm welcome and impressed with the well-organized presentations, we left Wisma Indonesia around 2:30 p.m. The event will leave a lasting impression on everyone who attended.
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