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People group profile · PG023023

The Pauwi of Indonesia

The Pauwi of Indonesia, numbering about 200 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are a small Papuan community of the Mamberamo lowlands whose Pauwi language, closely related to the neighboring Yoke, has since gone extinct, one of many small language communities in the Mamberamo's remote lakes-plains region.

They are an indigenous people in the New Guinea people cluster of the Pacific Islander Peoples. Their primary religion is Protestantism, and they primarily speak Yoke.

Pray for the PauwiPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Pauwi people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Pauwi

Fast facts

Country
Indonesia
Population
200
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
New Guinea
Primary language
Yoke (yki)
Primary religion
Protestantism
Strategic Progress Index ?
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
40% or Greater but Less than 50%
GSEC ?
10% or Greater Evangelical
Lostness priority ?
Significantly Reached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia
Location
Papua province: Sarmi regency, Mantarbori village northeast of Rombebai lake, east of Mamberamo river

Where they live

Gospel status

The Pauwi are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 10% evangelical.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Pauwi

  • Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
  • Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
  • Send out laborers from this people to the nations

Primary religion

Protestantism · Christianity

49% adherents

Primary language

Yoke · Austronesian family

76% speak Yoke

Gospel resources in Yoke

  • Bible not available
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources not available
  • Bible stories not available

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Pauwi

  1. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  2. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  3. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  4. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.

Download a prayer guide

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