The migration and settlement process implies assimilation, which makes Raja Ampat unique: a home for people with various customs and cultures, including Indigenous Papuans, people from other parts of Papua Island, people from different areas in Indonesia, and foreigners who came with the development of the tourism industry.
One of the Maya Tribe's elders in Mayalibit Bay amidst a traditional procession to protect their ocean.
That hundreds of years' process has influenced the Raja Ampat's Indigenous belief system as well, with unique animism and dynamism, similarities found in other communities in Papua and the eastern part of Indonesia. Europeans introduced Christianity, while Muslim traders introduced Islam. Nowadays, the majority of people in Raja Ampat are Christians, while some others are Muslims.
The Lelayon dance performed by a troubadour from Misool Island. People from North Maluku were considered to have sailed to Raja Ampat since the 1400s.
People in Raja Ampat speak Bahasa Indonesia, but they also typically speak other local languages. Communities in central Waigeo Islands and eastern Mayalibity Bay speak Ambel, while Biak is spoken by the Biak Tribe, which has lived in Raja Ampat for hundreds of years. The Ma'ya Language is spoken by some communities in Kabui Bay. There are many other local languages, including those spoken by communities originating from different parts of Indonesia.
Flute, or 'Suling' in Bahasa Indonesia, is the main instrument in Suling Tambur, which is commonly performed by Raja Ampat's Indigenous people for specific occasions.
Indigenous people in Raja Ampat, similar to other areas in Papua Island, based their ownership in land and water, both terrestrial and ocean, on hereditary rights passed on verbally by the elders, which usually is the oldest son of the owner families, and is usually domiciled in the main or 'old' village.
Indigenous community in Salawati Island organised a customary procession to protect three marine biota, sea cucumber, seashell and lobster, and banned all destructive fishing gears.
Customary entities in Raja Ampat also take care of natural resource management issues, which are essential and high-value commodities for the Indigenous people's livelihood, address environmental degradation caused by outsiders, and grant a piece of their ownership for the community's interests.
The collaboration among communities, the government, and the management authority is key to managing Raja Ampat MPAs.