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The Asmats believe every living creature in this world as brothers that they too deserve a good life, and that each of them has to protect and guard one another. This tradition has ingrained in the bloods of Asmats that it has become a natural instinct for them to do so. Not only living in harmony and peace with their surroundings and always preserving nature and its wonders, the Asmats also praise greatly their ancestors.
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The Boat Ceremony of the Asmats |
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 Once every five years the people of Asmat create new boats. They use yellow wood (ti), ketapang tree (commonly grows in the tropical seashore) and bitanggur tree (milk wood/yerak).
After one tree is selected, cut down, peeled and sharpened at both ends, it is ready to be made into a boat.
Some superstitious are believed in the making process of the boat, such as; there should not be much noises around the building place, and the trunk cannot stepped upon before it is made into a boat and reaches the water, because they believe it will get so heavy that it can’t be moved anywhere.
About 5 weeks is required to complete one boat. The process from the beginning to the end consists of these steps; the forepart of the boat, called cicemen, is carved into a bird or some other animals that symbolize a headhunter. A carving of a dead relative, in their honor, can also be another option. Usually the name of the boat would also be named after the person. A boat can reach a length of 15-20 m.
By carving the head of the dead relative onto the boat, they believe that it would please them and wherever the boat goes their safety will always be a certainty. To make more delicate-looking carvings, they have to chalk the carvings.
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