About

Location: The Korowai, also called the Kolufo, live in southeastern Papua in the Indonesian provinces of South Papua and Highland Papua.

Language: Korowai language belongs to the Awyu–Dumut family.

Economy

The Korowai are hunter-gatherers and horticulturalists who practice shifting cultivation. The Korowai have a few gender-specific activities, such as the preparation of sago and the performance of religious ceremonies in which only the male adults are involved.

Religious life

Minimal to no contact with the outside world until around 1975. The Korowai have an extraordinary and rich oral tradition: myths, folktales, (magical) sayings and charms, and totem traditions. 

Korowai believe in the existence of a reciprocal type of reincarnation.

Economy

Famous for building treehouses, typically 8-15 meters off the ground, with some reaching up to 45 meters on tall trees

Social Structure

There is no particular hierarchy system; they value equality and harmony among the tribe members. The patriclan is the central social, economic, and political organization unit.

Cannibalism

Historically associated with cannibalism as part of their spiritual and social beliefs, though the practice has largely faded over time

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Consider the following information about the tribe:

1. It is an Indigenous group living in the isolated, forested regions of southwestern Papua.
2. The tribe builds their tree houses from natural forest materials such as wood, bamboo, and leaves of the sago palm.
3. According to The Daily Telegraph Until the late 1970s these people were unaware of the existence of people other than themselves.

Which of the following tribes is related to the above-given statements?

(a) Kaluli tribe

(b) Korowai tribe

(c) Enga tribes

(d) Foi tribe

Answer: b

Explanation:

The Korowai, also called the Kolufo, live in southeastern Papua in the Indonesian provinces of South Papua and Highland Papua. The Korowai language belongs to the Awyu–Dumut family (southeastern Papua) and is part of the Trans–New Guinea phylum. A dictionary and grammar book have been produced by a Dutch missionary linguist. The Korowai are hunter-gatherers and horticulturalists who practice shifting cultivation. They have excellent hunting and fishing skills.

According to The Daily Telegraph, "Until the late 1970s, when anthropologists embarked on a study of the tribe, the Korowai were unaware of the existence of any peoples other than themselves"