Not A Blank Canvas

by Joshua Irwandi (b. 1991)

Asmat is a tribe of New Guinea discovered not a century ago, notorious for the disappearance of Michael Rockefeller in 1961. However, ever since Indonesia annexed West Papua from The Netherlands, Indonesian government’s transmigration program has brought in an influx of foreigners (from other islands of Indonesia), leading to construction projects, deforestation, and outside influence coming in to Asmat. Consequently, Asmat people are becoming marginalised in their own land. Although Asmat ritual feasts are still taking place with far less frequency, there is religious tension between the Catholic majority of Asmat and Islam brought in by the foreigners, the two dominant religions in the area on top of Asmat’s own beliefs. The foreigners own most businesses, which renders the Asmats economically disadvantaged. With increasing number of foreigners coming in per year, by 2030 less than 20% Papuans will cease to exist. Asmat is only one of the many tribes in West Papua.

I had been working on the Asmat project for 3 years, and was embedded as museum staff at the Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress, a local museum in Asmat. My intention in photographing the Asmat from the very beginning was to raise awareness of what’s happening in Asmat, and to reinvestigate the consequences of development and ‘progress’. We cannot stand oblivious to the change that is rapidly taking place. Change will wipe whatever remains in West Papua. My decision to work in Asmat was because I wanted to try to engage the Asmat people visually of what’s happening in their land. Asmat is not a blank canvas where outside forces can simply project influence upon them. Asmat have their own way to respond; how, and what their responses are, makes it difficult to predict their future.