Semiotic Analysis of the 2025 Baliem Valley Cultural Festival on Instagram for the Empowerment of Indigenous Communities

Abstract

The Baliem Valley Cultural Festival (FBLB) is an annual event of the Papuan highland communities showcasing traditional war performances, dances, and cultural rituals. Social media, particularly Instagram, plays a crucial role not only as a promotional tool but also as a space for cultural meaning-making and community empowerment. This study analyzes the digital representation of FBLB 2025 across three Instagram accounts: @kemenpar.ri, @adventure.carstensz, and @fest.budayalembahbaliem2025 using Roland Barthes’ semiotic analysis. Data were collected from pre-event, during-event, and post-event posts. The findings reveal different orientations of representation. @kemenpar.ri highlights war traditions as national icons, framing Papua as an exotic region while integrating it into Indonesia’s cultural branding. @adventure.carstensz emphasizes global prestige through MURI records and foreign tourist participation, while also displaying authenticity through dances and traditional ornaments. Meanwhile, @fest.budayalembahbaliem2025 presents a more community-oriented narrative by featuring cultural education, the roles of Papuan women (mama-mama), local SMEs, and collective memory. These representations construct Papua’s image as authentic, exotic, and global, while simultaneously opening opportunities for indigenous community empowerment in the digital sphere. Thus, Instagram functions not only as a tourism promotion platform but also as an arena of cultural meaning production that reinforces Papuan identity.