The Kanum people are spread across several villages along the
Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border, particularly in Merauke Regency. In Indonesia, the Kanum tribe has a vast indigenous territory within the Wasur National Park with a topography of swamps, forests, and savanna plains. The Kanum people hunt animals like wild boars, deer, and
wallabies using traditional methods with bows and arrows, spears, and machetes. The Kanum people also collect plants from nature, such as
sago palms, and cultivate tubers like
lesser yams (Kanum called it
nai); these two plants serve as their staple foods. Additionally, Kanum utilizes
eucalyptus wood, which is abundant in the Wasur National Park. They distill the plant for oil and then sell it to other regions to boost their economy. The Kanum languages are classified as endangered because there are only few speakers. In 2024, only 80 people spoke the Smarky, while 100 people spoke the Kanum Sota. There is also the Kanum Badi language, with only 10 remaining speakers. The Kanum people also live in Papua New Guinea and still maintain frequent contact with the Kanum tribe in Indonesia. They often visit the Sota Border Crossing Post (PLBN) on foot or by bicycle for tens of kilometers from their villages to buy groceries and sell agricultural products such as fish and hunted game. They can easily enter Indonesian territory with cross-border documents. The Kanum people from Papua New Guinea are also frequently invited to participate in certain celebrations in Sota. == See also ==