Getting To Know The Tradition Of Cutting Fingers In Papua, The Symbol Of Berkabung Suku Dani After Being Left Behind By Family Members

YOGYAKARTA Many of us do not know the tradition of cutting the Finger of Papua. Also known as Iki Palek, this tradition is carried out by the Dani Tribe which lives in the Baliem Valley area in the middle of the Jayawijaya mountains.

The cutting of the finger tradition is carried out to show deep sadness as a result of being abandoned by family members.

Curious what the tradition of cutting Papuan fingers is like? Compiled from various sources, see the full information below.

The tradition of cutting fingers is carried out by the Dani ethnic community when there are family members, be it father, mother, son, or younger brother who dies.

Although it looks quite extreme, the pain of losing a finger symbolizes that death is a deep sorrow for the family he left behind.

In Papua, this tradition is one of the binding facts until death separates and the most respected family ties. The death that occurs in family members carries an outburst of emotion where sadness is emotional suffering.

However, for women of the Dani tribe, deep sadness does not stop there, but rather blends with physical suffering. For this reason, it is the women who carry out the tradition of cutting their fingers.

The fingers of women of the Dani tribe cut in this tradition symbolize grief due to the death of a loved one. This finger cut is done only with confidence in what the radius represents for the Dani tribe.

According to the trust of the Dani tribe, the finger means strength and unity. When the fingers come together and work together, the inability to function properly with only a few fingers symbolizes the sadness and strength of the family that is decreasing.

Dani's belief in cutting his finger ritually is considered to be able to keep the restless spirit away from the deceased.

As for men, the sadness caused by the loss of family members is shown by cutting their ear skin.

Before the finger cutting starts, the finger will be wrapped with threads and they will read the mantra. Their fingers will be tied with threads until they are numb. Then, just cut to reduce the bleeding that comes out.

The finger cutting process is carried out in two ways. First, the women of the Dani tribe who underwent this tradition, moved their fingers until they broke off. The second way, use an ax to cut their fingers.

After undergoing this tradition, the wound will be tied with leaves and will undergo a natural healing process which is estimated to be around a month.

Along with the times, this tradition has slowly begun to erode. The emergence of this tradition is also a result of the ban from the Indonesian government on the grounds of Human Rights (HAM).

Although the tradition of cutting Papua's fingers has begun to fade, concrete evidence of this tradition as a symbol of mourning can be found in traditional elders, most of whom have lost their fingers because they were cut off.

That's information about the tradition of cutting Papuan fingers. Get news updates of other options only on VOI.ID.