Western Dani Bible (DNWLAI)

Overview

The New Testament in the Lani language (commonly called Western Dani), published in 1981 by the Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia (Indonesian Bible Society, LAI). [1] The Lani people inhabit the highlands west of the Baliem Valley in the province of Highland Papua (formerly part of Irian Jaya), Indonesia, and number approximately 180,000, making their language the most widely spoken Papuan language in Indonesian New Guinea. [2] [3] The Lani are often grouped with the Dani people of the Baliem Valley by outside observers, though they maintain a distinct identity and language. [3] Christian missions among the Dani and Lani peoples began in 1954 when missionaries from the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) were flown into the Baliem Valley region from Sentani. [4] The first Western missionaries to live among the Lani were John and Helen Dekker, who worked in Kanggime, Tolikara, and under whose ministry the local Christian population grew to approximately 13,000. [4] Today an estimated 90% of the Western Dani/Lani people identify as Christian. [4]

Language and People

Western Dani (ISO 639-3: dnw) is spoken by approximately 180,000 people in Indonesia, Eastern Papua. [Glottolog: west2594]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by Indonesian Bible Society.

References