# Muyu people

Muyu is one of the ethnic groups in Indonesia originating around the Muyu River, which lies in the northeast of Merauke, South Papua. They speak Muyu.

## Etymology

The term "Muyu" emerged from two possibilities: first, it appeared along with the arrival of the Catholic missions and Father Petrus Hoeboer, a Dutch national, in 1933. Second, the term "Muyu" originated from the local residents referring to the western and eastern parts of the river as "ok Mui," meaning "Mui River," which they regularly conveyed to the Dutch. This term eventually evolved into Muyu.

## Distribution

Muyu people can be found in the interior region of Papua Island, which borders Papua New Guinea. To the east, it is bordered by Papua New Guinea. To the south, it is bordered by the Kao River, the Digul River, and Merauke Regency. To the north, it is bordered by the Star Mountains, and to the west, it is bordered by Boven Digoel Regency.
The Muyu area stretches 180 km in length, covers an area of 7,860 km$^2$, and has a width of 40–45 km. Data from 1956 mentions that the Muyu had a population of 17,269 people living in 59 villages. Muyu speaks Muyu and the Ninati and Metomka dialects are also used. Muyu uses ot (shells) and mindit (dog teeth) as a transaction currency.
The Muyu region is generally hilly, with elevations ranging from 100 to 700 meters above sea level. The soil is relatively infertile, with a slightly reddish-brown color, which often leads to food shortages among the Muyu people, resulting in a high mortality rate in the area. The main livelihoods of the Muyu people are hunting, raising pigs and dogs, fishing, and producing sago.
A large number of Muyu reside in neighboring Western Province of Papua New Guinea as refugees, primarily displaced during the 1984 West Papuan refugee crisis.

## Family system

Within the Muyu tribe, there is a chief or high leader who holds authority in social and religious life. Additionally, the tribe has influential and respected figures, known as keyepak and Tomkot (big man). The distinction between the two lies in the amount of tukon (valuable items) such as ot they possess and their knowledge of mystical powers. While Tomkot has inadequate knowledge of mystical powers and does not own many valuable items, he lives a simple life and holds influence within his lineage. On the other hand, Kayapak is someone who possesses many valuable items and has mastery over mystical powers.
These figures hold authority within the patrilineal kinship groups (lineages) of nuclear families. Most of their homes are treehouses or stilt houses. These houses are divided into several rooms, including rooms for adult women, men, and children. Members of a nuclear family may live together in the same house or build homes close to each other to protect themselves from enemy attacks. In the Muyu society, polygamy is permitted, so it is not uncommon for a man to have more than one wife.
The nuclear family plays a role in managing the methods of controlling assets and land, ways of obtaining food, organizing settlement patterns, and having authority over territories larger than the lineage, as well as passing on supernatural knowledge. The nuclear family forms patrilineal kinship groups, which can further develop into broader kinship networks.