I See Dead People | Explorer

I've traveled to the remote Highlands of Sui Indonesia to witness the unusual customs of the people of Taja, who mix Christianity with ancient religious beliefs. Thank you for having me a part of this.

Okay, thank you. I just came to visit. I just came to visit your grandmother in Taja. After someone's dead but before they're buried, they're considered to be sick or still sleeping, so keeping them at home until the burial is a common thing. That gives families time to plan and save money for an elaborate sendoff ceremony.

So this is the family wel ter Maki. Okay, very, very beautiful the way she's dressed. Yeah, that's a typical tan dress. How long has she been sleeping? For 4 days. 4 [Music] days.

The ancestral village of Kesu is home to stone caves where the dead are ultimately laid to rest. I was prepared for a profound spiritual moment, but as it turns out, so were a lot of other people.

On okay, thank you. I was actually under the impression that this was, uh, you know, sacred and remote, and I was actually a bit taken back to see so many other tourists. It was like Disney World for the dead. There turned out to be people here from all over the world.

What did you come to Taja for? Come to see ceremonies. It was very nice. Could you imagine tourists coming to your funerals? No, no, no, not in this way.

Even Katarina, who welcomed me into her home earlier, turns out she works in the tourism industry as well, at a booth that sells death-related souvenirs.

Tell us, is that? Yeah, you want to dance and then you use that on your head. [Music] Show me around, show me all the things you've got. Sell me something. Or why are there so many knives here?

Sacrifice. Sacrifice. Buffalo. You kill a buffalo with one of these. This is a song that we wear at the funerals. Yes. Let's get this buffalo head to go. SEO to go.

It's pretty clear Trajans have made some of their traditions into an entire tourist industry.