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 districts. Research from the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs in 1985 numbers the Wai Apu population at approximately 44,048.[1]
Religion
editThe creator opolastala formed Mount Date and Lake Rana, 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,
- Genitals: Mount Date,
- Left foot: Waeapo River,
- Right foot: Mount Batakbual.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ 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.