Sekar in Indonesia

Introduction / History

The Sekar people (also identified by the language name "Sekar", spoken in the Onin Peninsula and Kokas District of Fakfak Regency, West Papua) are an Austronesian-speaking indigenous community of the Bomberai Peninsula (Onin Peninsula) of West Papua. Their language is recorded under the name "Sekar" (or Sekar-Onim) and is classified in the Yamdena-North Bomberai branch of the Austronesian family.

Historically the region was influenced by coastal trade routes, the Sultanate of Tidore, and later Dutch colonial structures; the local "Kingdom (Petuanan) of Sekar" was among the traditional polities of the region. Over time, contact with outside religions, markets and administration led to social change, while Sekar communities retained customary ties to land, clan and sea-coast environments.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Sekar people live in villages primarily on the Onin Peninsula and Ugar Island area within Kokas District, Fakfak Regency, West Papua. Their livelihoods are shaped by coastal, riverine and forest ecosystems: fishing, reef and near-shore gathering, sago and root-crop cultivation, and small garden plots are integral parts of everyday life.

They continue to hold clan and village-house institutions, customary land rights, and traditional social organization, though increased use of Bahasa Indonesia, schooling, migration and outside economic influences are changing aspects of village life. The Sekar language is classified as endangered. The cultural heritage includes the former petuanan (kingdom) structure, coastal trade history and continuing crafting and local custom in the Onin peninsula.

What Are Their Beliefs?

In the region of Fakfak, where the Sekar people live, Islam is dominant in many coastal groups while Christianity (Protestant and Catholic) is present especially in inland or upland zones. Specifically for the Sekar people, the "Kingdom of Sekar" was historically Muslim and identified with the Sultanate of Tidore's influence. Thus many Sekar persons likely identify with Islam through coastal trade influence.

At the same time, customary beliefs and ancestral/spirit-land traditions remain part of local worldview—village ritual and land-spirit obligations continue to be referenced in ethnographic work. The religious life of the Sekar people then reflects a blend: formal religion (primarily Islam) and indigenous customary belief.

What Are Their Needs?

The Sekar people need culturally and linguistically appropriate access to the Christian gospel in their heart language, so that if any choose to follow Christ or grow in faith their understanding is deep and contextual. They need the training and equipping of indigenous Christian leaders—from within the Sekar community—so that any church planting or discipleship efforts are led and sustained locally rather than externally imposed.

They also need holistic development interventions that are respectful of their coastal/forest environment—improved education, health and livelihood pathways (fishing, sago, reef resources) that fit their ecological context—so that spiritual growth goes hand in hand with social and economic flourishing.

Prayer Points

Pray that the Sekar people would encounter the living Christ and receive scripture and discipleship tools in their language and culture, so the gospel becomes their own.
Pray for a new generation of Sekar believers and leaders who can serve their own communities with confidence and cultural sensitivity, establishing churches that serve Sekar villages from within.
Pray for Sekar youth—that they would hold fast to their language, customs and heritage even as education and migration bring change—and that faith in Christ would strengthen rather than weaken their cultural roots.
Pray for holistic transformation among the Sekar community: that Christians would engage not only spiritual renewal but also community wellbeing—sustainable fishing, healthy reef/forest livelihoods, education, health access.
Pray that Sekar Christians would wholeheartedly embrace the great commission, preach the gospel, and make disciples of their people and the world around them.

Text Source:   Joshua Project