The Sacred Myths of Environmental Guardians and the Origins of Clans in the Cosmology of the Biak Community

This study aims to examine the relationship between sacred mountains in Biak and the origin of clans, which hold cosmological and cultural significance for the Biak community. In the perspective of the Biak people, each mountain is regarded as the dwelling place of ancestral spirits, guardians of customs, and determiners of kinship identity. Through an ethnolinguistic and cultural anthropology approach, this study found that sacred mountains are not merely geographical symbols, but a knowledge system that governs the social, moral, and ecological behavior of the community. Mountain toponyms reflect the relationship between humans, ancestors, and nature as a harmonious unity of life.