Trance (Indonesia, Yogyakarta)

The war dances seen here come from the Papuan traditions of West Papua (Indonesia), a region located on the island of New Guinea. The body designs are made with natural pigments based on lime (white) and ochre (red), applied by hand or with a stick. The skirts are made from pandanus fibers or dried sago palm leaves.

In Yogyakarta, festivals such as the Budaya Nusantara Festival or Pekan Papua bring together Indonesian diasporas, including Papuans, to celebrate their cultural heritage. These dances, accompanied by traditional percussion instruments such as the tifa , are not folkloric: they perpetuate historical narratives, trance practices, and rituals related to war, initiation, or guardian spirits.

The Papuan presence in these festivals is also a political act . Papua remains a marginalized region, marked by conflicts with the Indonesian central government. Maintaining these practices in the public space is a form of identity and cultural assertion .