<![CDATA[This research investigates the ways in which Catholic–Malind Anim inculturation contributes to the formation of a living sacred landscape in Sinai, South Papua. The study responds to the continuing lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the manner in which ritual movement, locally embedded material expressions, and communal engagement collectively generate sacred space as an evolving spatial system. Adopting a qualitative case-study approach with a spatial-ethnographic framework, the research explores the dynamic relationship between religious practice, cultural traditions, and spatial production. Data were obtained through participant observation, the examination of 15 in-depth interview records involving 17 informants, limited participatory mapping activities, and thematic-spatial analytical procedures. The results demonstrate that the sacred landscape of Sinai is constituted through a recurring ritual structure, processional pathways that connect village circulation networks, coastal territories, and riverine environments, as well as ritual focal points including gamav aha, gogo, and tiang kamb. Furthermore, inculturation practices are manifested through the incorporation of local language, symbolic representations, musical traditions, and indigenous material expressions into Catholic liturgical observances. These findings suggest that sacredness within Sinai is not derived exclusively from permanent or monumental religious artifacts; rather, it emerges through repetitive collective rituals and spatial inscriptions that are continuously maintained and reaffirmed by the local community. From an architectural perspective, the study interprets Sinai as a living sacred landscape whose spatial significance is produced and sustained through ongoing socio-cultural and religious practices. Moreover, the research positions inculturation as a spatial-production mechanism that strengthens spatial interconnectedness, reinforces cultural and ecological relationships, and enhances the legitimacy of community-based territorial identity.]]>
