Kaiwai, Adi in Indonesia

Introduction / History

Nutmeg and seashells are readily available in the area because the Kowiai people are coastal and island-dwellers. At an altitude of less than 100 meters above sea level the Massep people can best be accessed by boat.

Historically when the Kowiai area was ruled by a king the king's spit was used to "water" the garden because it was alledged to have the power to keep pigs and birds away. They also sold Nanesa and Mairasi people to slave traders who came. The Kowiai are reported to have come from Maluku in the mid 1800s and intermarried with Papuans.

For marriage celebrations those invited by the groom's side are to bring something for the wedding. Burial happens within 24 hrs of death after the body is washed by members of the same gender. Burial can turn out to be quite expensive.

The main staple of the Kowiai people is fish and coconuts, but they also eat game. They wear modern clothing although the sarong is sometimes still worn. Within the typical Kowiai home there is a front room and bedrooms only because a structure apart from the home is built for the kitchen. The Kowiai people have machettes, boat motors, and spear guns among other tools. But the Kowiai people have no gospel cassettes, films, or videos in their language.

The Kowiai are sometimes known as the Koiwai, Kaiwai, Kuiwai, Aiduma, Kaymerah, Kajumerah, Adi, Namatota, or Namatote people. They speak Kowiai at home.

Text Source:   GMI Papua