Dani people

Dani

Hubula, Balim, Parim
A Dani man with custom accessories
Total population
90,000[1]
Regions with significant populations
Indonesia (Highland Papua)
Languages
Grand Valley Dani, Indonesian language
Religion
Christianity (especially Protestant), Islam
Related ethnic groups
Hupla people, Lani people, Nduga people, Walak people, Wano people, Yali people

The Dani (also spelled Ndani) are an ethnic group from the Central Highlands of Western New Guinea in Baliem Valley, Highland Papua, Indonesia. Around 100,000 people live in the Baliem Valley, consisting of representatives of the Dani tribes in the lower and upper parts of the valley each 20,000 and 50,000 in the middle part (with a total of 90,000 people). The areas west of the Baliem Valley are inhabited by approx 180,000, representatives of the Lani people, incorrectly called "Western Dani".^[1] All inhabitants of Baliem Valley and the surrounding areas are often called Dani hence they are also sometimes conflated with other highland tribes such as Lani in the west; Walak in the north; Nduga, Mek, and Yali in the south and east.^[2]

They are one of the most populous tribes in the highlands and are found spread out through the highlands. The Dani are one of the best-known ethnic groups in Papua, due to the relatively numerous tourists who visit the Baliem Valley area where they predominate. Ndani meaning 'people of the east' is the name given to the Lani living east of the Moni, at the time misunderstood to refer to all inhabitants of the Baliem Valley,^[3] and while they call themselves Hubula (or Huwulra, Hugula, Hubla),^[4] they have been known as Dani since the 1926 Smithsonian Institution-Dutch Colonial Government expedition to New Guinea under Matthew Stirling who visited the Moni.^[5][2]