A matriarch from the Dani tribe, dressed in traditional gear, leads female dancers during a ‘pig festival’ in Papua, Indonesia.
During these festivals – which are common in Papua’s Baliem Valley – a pig is slaughtered and roasted on an open fire. It’s then buried in the ground on a layer of hot rocks, where it finishes cooking alongside various root vegetables.
While the feast is being prepared, the women of the village dance and sing. By contrast, the menfolk sit to the side and watch the festivities, only joining in to kill the pig and strip its flesh.
The Baliem Valley is one of the most exciting and confunding places I’ve ever visited. I hope my travels take me back there one day.
