In West Papua, Indonesia, there are 428 local or regional languages recorded across six provinces, some of which are threatened with extinction due to the decreasing number of language speakers or users.

The young generation in West Papua, for example, currently prefers to use Indonesian when communicating with their families and in their environment. The plus point is that Indonesian as a language of unity is increasingly developing. However, on the other hand, this is accompanied by the number of regional language speakers continuing to decrease, some of which have even become extinct.

It is recorded that four languages have become extinct, namely the Tandia language in the Wondama Bay area and the Air Matoa language in Kaimana, West Papua Province, as well as the Mapia language in Supiori Regency and the Mawes language in Sarmi Regency, Papua.

Of the four extinct languages, the last one to disappear was the Air Matoa language in Kaimana because in 2010 only one elderly speaker was found.

“Because there is only one person left, it is estimated that the language has also become extinct,” said Widyabasa Madya Antonius Maturbongs.

To ensure that more and more languages in the Land of Papua do not become extinct, the Papua Language Center is collaborating with the regional and municipal governments to preserve them. The way to do this is by making the local language a local content subject so that students are required to want to learn the regional language.

This effort is not easy because apart from the increasing number of speakers in certain languages, this effort also requires regulatory support or a legal umbrella for schools to implement it.

Not to mention the limited number of textbooks that serve as a reference for teaching to students.

The local government must print books that serve as references in large enough quantities so that they can be distributed to teachers who must also involve local speakers who are fluent in the language and writing.

The Language Center in Papua has conducted research from 2006-2019 and recorded that there are 428 languages, the most spoken of which are Dani, Baliem or Hubula in the Papua Mountain Province and the Mee language in Central Papua which has more than 1,000 speakers.

“Indeed, these are the only two languages that have more than 1,000 speakers, and there are still many young people who are fluent in the local language or their mother tongue,” explained Anton Maturbongs.

Through the “Freedom of Learning” program since 2022, regional language revitalization has also been carried out, namely local content lessons filled with regional language lessons so that students know the regional language where they live or reside.

Several regions that have collaborated with the Language Center in Papua include local language subjects, such as the Jayawijaya Regional Government through the Education Office, which implements Dani language learning in elementary schools.

“There are 38 elementary schools in Jayawijaya Regency that have included Dani language lessons for students so that they can get to know and learn the language used by the people in the Papua Mountain Province,” said Anton Maturbungs.

Need Legal Certainty

The Principal of the Kotaraja Dorce State Elementary School Elsye Mano is ready to allocate time for local language lessons, but is currently still waiting for a legal umbrella or instructions from the Jayapura City Education Office.

In principle, SDN Kotaraja is ready, but implementation still needs to be regulated in more detail, for example, whether the teachers will be from existing teachers or from outside, considering that the number of Tobati speakers is limited.

“It’s not easy to teach the local language because (teachers) have to be really fluent, including writing and interpreting it,” said Elsye Mano, who admitted that she came from Tobati but was not fluent in the language.

If this program is implemented in schools, it is believed that the number of speakers will increase so there is no need to worry that local languages will become extinct.

“As an educator, I hope that the languages in the Jayapura City area, apart from Tobati, namely Engros, Kayu Pulau, Nafri, and Skouw, one of them will be taught to students so that local languages do not become extinct,” said Elsye Mano.

The role of family, customs and religion

Cenderawasih University anthropologist Frederik Sokoy explained that to arouse the interest of the young generation in the Land of Papua in using local languages, it requires cooperation from all parties, especially families, customs and religious communities because their main role is to care for local languages.

To preserve the Sentani language, for example, the indigenous community collaborates with various parties including the church — in this case the Synod — so that once a month during Sunday services, they use the regional language.

By using regional languages, the number of speakers continues to increase so that these languages do not become extinct due to changing times because the younger generation is becoming more fluent in local languages.

Families are also asked to play an active role in using the local language when gathering together, including leaders when meeting with residents, not only in the village, but also at every meeting.

Brigadier Daniel Bouway, a member of the Papua Regional Police who comes from Seroyena village, Yokari District, Jayapura Regency, admitted that he was no longer fluent in the regional language because he had left the village in 2009 to continue his education at junior high school in Sentani.

As a child in the village he also used Indonesian more often than the regional language so he was no longer fluent in the regional language. Daniel Bouway’s confession was confirmed by his colleague, Brigadier Aprilia Yoku, who comes from Kampung Harapan.

Preserving regional languages in Papua, which consists of six provinces, namely Papua, West Papua, Central Papua, Mountain Papua, South Papua and Southwest Papua, is indeed a big challenge when you look at the extent and number of local languages.

However, efforts to save local languages which are currently being initiated by the regional government together with the Language Center can at least save some of the remaining local languages.