Wai Apu people
The Wai Apu people are one of the native peoples of Buru island in Maluku, Indonesia, typically inhabiting the north-east of the island in what are now the Namlea and Waplau [id] districts. Research from the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs in 1985 numbers the Wai Apu population at approximately 44,048.[1]
Religion
The creator opolastala formed Mount Date and Lake Rana [id], together a region termed bumilale, as the source of life for humanity. Accordingly bumilale occupies a central position within the Wai Apu belief system, conceptualised as a paradise surpassing all other regions in its beauty, one which must be protected from outside harm to preserve its harmony.[2]
In the Wai Apu cosmology, Buru island (bupolo) is likened metaphorically to a human, with the various geographic features representing anatomical features:[2]
- Head: Mount Kapalatmada,
- Left hand: Wanibe river,
- Right hand: Waemala river,
- Back: Garan forest,
- Stomach: Lake Rana [id],
- Genitals: Mount Date,
- Left foot: Waeapo River,
- Right foot: Mount Batakbual [ceb].
See also
- Buru
- Seram
- Maluku
References
- ^ Melalatoa, M. Junus (1995). Ensiklopedi Suku Bangsa di Indonesia Jilid L-Z. Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia. p. 907.
- ^ a b Mus Huliselan, dkk (1998). Orang-Orang Bumi Lale dan Dunianya: Organisasi Sosial, Pertukaran, dan Perubahan Sosial di Sentral Pulau Buru Maluku-Indonesia. Ambon: Laporan Penelitian Dinas Kebudayaan Ambon. p. 44.