Fumeripits was the first being to exist on earth according to Asmat tradition. He grew tired of being alone so he carved human figures out of trees and placed them in a ceremonial house, but they were still inanimate. To bring them to life, Fumeripits created a drum from a hollowed out tree and used lizard skin to make it. When he played the drum, the figures came alive and began to dance, thus creating the first people out of trees, who were Asmat.

1. Contemporary Traditional Asmat Culture, Part
2
The Asmat Creation Story: Fumeripits Creates
People From Trees
By: Ismerai Garcia, Culture And Geography

2. According to Asmat traditon: Fumeripits was
the first being to exist on earth, and he also
created the first men's ceremonial house
[called] a "Jeu."

3. Fumeripits would spend his days dancing
along the beach, but after awhile grew tired of
being alone.

4. So he chopped down a number of trees,
carved them into human figures, and placed
them inside the "Jeu."

5. However, since the sculptures were inanimate,
Fumeripits was still unhappy. He then decided to
create a drum, and chopped down another tree,
hollowed out the center, and stretched a piece of
lizard skin over the top.

6. As he began to play the drum, the human figures
miraculously came to life, their elbows came unstuck
from their knees, and they began to dance.

7. This is how Fumeripits made people from trees. And
the first people were Asmat.