Published in the Indonesian Journal of Advanced Research (IJAR), the study addresses a growing challenge facing indigenous communities in Papua: the gradual loss of traditional practices amid modernization, globalization, and changing religious perspectives. Wenda and Kogoya argue that local traditions should not automatically be viewed as outdated customs or obstacles to Christian faith. Instead, familiar cultural symbols can provide a meaningful way to communicate religious values within the community's own social and cultural context.
More Than a Banana Leaf
For the Lanny people, the Ndumma banana leaf tradition is associated with social gatherings, traditional ceremonies, communal meals, welcoming guests, and efforts to restore relationships after conflict.
The study finds that sharing food on banana leaves represents much more than eating together. It creates a social space where people strengthen relationships, express solidarity, and reinforce a sense of belonging. Community members participate regardless of economic position, social status, or family background.
This makes the banana leaf an important cultural symbol. It represents openness, equality, cooperation, and respect for others. According to the researchers, these values have helped strengthen social relationships and community identity among the Lanny people.
The tradition is also connected to cooperation among families. During communal activities, families contribute according to their abilities, whether through food, livestock, labor, or other resources. The shared contribution reflects a social system built around mutual assistance and collective responsibility.
A Cultural Symbol of Reconciliation
One of the most significant findings concerns reconciliation.
The study describes communal gatherings and shared meals as spaces where relationships damaged by conflict can begin to heal. When people who have previously experienced tension sit together again and share food, the act itself can signal the restoration of peace and social relationships.
Wenda and Kogoya connect this cultural meaning with Christian soteriology, which views salvation not only in terms of forgiveness but also as the restoration of broken relationships. From this perspective, the Ndumma tradition provides a culturally familiar example of reconciliation and restored community life.
The tradition also emphasizes sacrifice and sharing for the common good. Community celebrations depend on contributions from many families rather than one individual. The researchers interpret this willingness to give and serve others as a cultural value that resonates with Christian teachings about love, service, and sacrifice.
Connecting Christian Teaching with Local Experience
The researchers are careful to distinguish between a cultural symbol and the Christian concept of salvation itself.
The Ndumma banana leaf is not presented as a means of salvation. Instead, it is described as a cultural symbol that can help Lanny communities understand different dimensions of Christian salvation through experiences already familiar to them.
The study explains that contextual theology does not require the Gospel and local culture to be merged indiscriminately. Rather, it seeks meaningful connections between Christian teachings and the lived experiences of a particular community. In this case, the Ndumma tradition can help communicate concepts such as acceptance, cooperation, forgiveness, unity, and respect for life while maintaining the centrality of Christian teaching.
This approach could be particularly relevant in Papua, where Christian identity and indigenous cultural identity have sometimes been treated as separate or even conflicting aspects of community life.
Nature Is Part of the Story
The study also highlights an environmental dimension.
The Lanny community's relationship with nature is closely connected to food, livelihoods, cultural practices, and everyday life. Banana leaves are therefore more than natural materials used in traditional activities. They can symbolize the relationship between human beings and the environment that sustains them.
The researchers connect this perspective with a broader understanding of salvation that includes the restoration and care of creation. In this interpretation, caring for nature becomes part of a responsible way of living rather than a separate environmental concern.
This message is increasingly relevant as communities face environmental pressures, including resource exploitation, ecosystem degradation, and climate change. The Ndumma tradition provides a cultural reminder that human life depends on a balanced relationship with the natural environment.
A Lesson for Younger Generations
Another important implication concerns the younger generation.
Globalization and popular culture are changing how young people relate to inherited traditions. The study warns that if traditional knowledge is not passed on, younger generations may become increasingly disconnected from the cultural values that have historically supported community life.
The Ndumma tradition can therefore function as a form of cultural education. Through it, younger Lanny people can learn about cooperation, respect, solidarity, community responsibility, and the importance of maintaining relationships with others and with nature.
The findings also suggest opportunities for churches working within indigenous communities. Familiar cultural symbols can become part of faith education and spiritual formation, allowing Christian messages to be communicated through concepts and experiences that people already understand.
What the Findings Mean for Papua
For Wenda and Kogoya, preserving Ndumma is not simply about protecting an old tradition. It is also about maintaining social cohesion, cultural identity, intergenerational knowledge, and environmental awareness.
The study concludes that the tradition contains values consistent with Christian soteriology, including non-discriminatory acceptance, reconciliation, sacrifice for the common good, respect for others, and responsibility for creation. It therefore has potential to serve as a theological bridge between the Gospel and Lanny culture without replacing or diminishing Christian teachings.
The broader message is that local culture can remain relevant in a changing society when its deeper values are understood and passed on to future generations. For the Lanny people, the simple image of food shared on banana leaves can carry a much larger message about belonging, peace, responsibility, and life together.
Author Profiles
Daniel Wenda is the corresponding author of the study and is affiliated with Sekolah Tinggi Agama Kristen Protestan Negeri Sentani.
Milinggen Kogoya is the second author and is also affiliated with Sekolah Tinggi Agama Kristen Protestan Negeri Sentani. The article focuses on Lanny cultural traditions, contextual theology, and Christian soteriology.
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