Online Travel Vietnam: Every tribe will field 30 to 50 groups of up to a hundred warriors each, all armed to the teeth and ready for battle. However, no human blood will be shed during this event. The Indonesian authorities, in order to stem bloodletting from centuries of sporadic conflicts among the Dani people, organize the festival to let rival tribes channel their fight adrenaline into mock battles and a series of competitions.
Preliminary activities leading to the event include animal hunting and dancing to evoke the spirit of the festival. Amidst the festivities, the men gather to plot and strategize. The discussions are accompanied by sounds from the Pikon, a traditional musical instrument. This is followed by an animal hunting expedition. As for the womenfolk, they get busy harvesting sweet potatoes.
A pig is slaughtered, and then carved up together by tribal representatives as a gesture of peace, before being cooked. The men prepare by burning small stones that will cook the pork, quarry meat from the hunt and the sweet potatoes.
The job of cooking will be done by the women, who will sing thanksgiving songs for the food, while the men will separately offer up prayers to their ancestors. Once prepared, the food will be kept overnight, to be served the next day when the Baliem Valley Festival begins.
In the morning, Koteka-clad warriors assemble on the grounds; a ragtag army armed with primitive weapons of spears, bows and arrows. Though they wear a loud array of body gear that has to be seen to be believed, including boar tusk nose rings, mud and chalk body paint, feathers, tropical fruits, pointed hats and even neck-ties, the overall mood is nonetheless serious.
A pig race kicks off the festival, followed by a procession of women singing songs of encouragement. Then following an age old code of conduct, war is openly declared once both sides are ready. Spears and arrows are unleashed by opposing teams with ferocity, and mock houses, built for the purpose of the festival, are razed to the ground, with women and children fleeing and screaming as part of the make-believe mayhem.
If the above is too violent for some, the festival also include competitions involving skills of archery as well as that of throwing and rolling of objects at targets. Outsiders such as local residents, officials and tourist can even join in these activities. Traditional food, crafts and dances are also showcased.
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