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]

  1. Head: Mount Kapalatmada,
  2. Left hand: Wanibe river,
  3. Right hand: Waemala river,
  4. Back: Garan forest,
  5. Stomach: Lake Rana [id],
  6. Genitals: Mount Date,
  7. Left foot: Waeapo River,
  8. Right foot: Mount Batakbual [ceb].

See also

References

  1. ^ Melalatoa, M. Junus (1995). Ensiklopedi Suku Bangsa di Indonesia Jilid L-Z. Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia. p. 907.
  2. ^ 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.


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