Papuans are not primitive!

The assumption that Papuans are still primitive is mainly due to the clichés produced by the mass media over the decades.

One example that is often presented as a form of "primitiveness" of Papuans is the way they dress. Indeed, many tribes in the interior of Papua still use koteka or penis sarong. This has led non-Papuans, especially in Indonesia, to think that the koteka is an inappropriate and outdated attribute. 

In fact, being naked has nothing to do with backwardness. Not using a writing system does not mean a lack of civilization. Indigenous Papuans are by no means primitive: Before the arrival of foreigners, tribes in Papua had practiced autonomous and democratic governance. Without an alphabet system, Papuans have been able to preserve their noble values and various traditions for more than fifty thousand years. These are just a few of many examples.

I think the criteria of being primitive should be redefined. Or maybe the term should simply be abolished. To me, the belief that a person is considered inferior because of their culture makes no sense at all. The real primitives are humans who look down on their fellow human beings, who treat them like half-humans.

We Papuans, who lived under Indonesian colonial rule for more than sixty years, know what true primitiveness is.