As we all know, Indonesia is rich in various ethnicities and cultural traditions, including those associated with dying. They express their grief in many ways as a result of the death of a family member from simple ceremonies to more complex practices, such as those conducted by the Dani Tribe in Lembah Baliem, Papua, called Iki Palek. They had to chop off their knuckles if a family member died. This practice, however, has very significant importance for Dani Tribe. The missing finger represents sorrow for a dead family member. For Dani Tribe, the finger represents cooperation and the power of family, since all of our fingers work together. To symbolize this, Dani Tribe conducts the finger-cutting tradition. As an example, the two knuckles must be severed for their parents while one knuckle will be severed for a dead relative.

          This finger-cutting tradition is primarily practiced by female family members. They bite off their fingers or use axes/knives to do it. To prevent blood loss, they will tie a thread around the finger prior to cutting it off until the blood flow ceases and it goes numb. After the finger is severed, Iki Palek has been effectively carried out. To heal it, the cut finger wound will be covered in leaves, and it will generally recover within a month. For male family members, cutting the earlobe or Nasu Palek replaces the practice of cutting fingers. They use a sharp bamboo blade to chop the earlobe. Both Iki Palek and Nasu Palek require a spell to be cast.

          The attitude of obedience and reverence for their ancestors, as well as a sense of love and unity towards the Dani Tribe’s closest members, made them willing to endure severe agony during the tradition. They hope that by severing their finger, they would soon be able to forget their grief. Nowadays, Dani Tribe rarely conducts the Iki Palek procession. In addition, the Dani Tribe also enjoys mud baths to symbolize the return of all living creatures to the land. If we travel to Papua, we will meet many elderly ladies who have lost their fingers.

Sources:

Hindun.(2021).Iki Palek: Symbol of Loyalty.Retrieved from https://imajiugm.com/iki-palek- symbol-of-loyalty/

Iman, Mustafa.(2020).Iki Palek, Tradisi Potong Jari Suku Dani. Retrieved from https://www.goodnewsfromindonesia.id/infographic/iki-palek-tradisi-potong-jari-suku-dani