PAPUAAROUND – Papua is the largest province in Indonesia. Abundant natural resources, a culture that is still sustainable, and diverse and distinctive ethnic groups make the Land of Papua a very interesting story material.
One of them is in terms of culture, people from various tribes in Papua have many traditions related to beliefs, rituals and traditional Papua ceremonies which are still carried out today.
In terms of customs, the uniqueness of Papua makes it a characteristic of the local community. There are many unique traditions that characterize Papua, one of which is the Iki Palek Tradition or the Finger Cutting Tradition.
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The Iki Palek Tradition
Have you ever imagined if your finger was accidentally cut? Or imagine if your finger sliced by a knife? It must hurt, right? Well, especially if the finger is accidentally cut, the pain must be many times over. In Papua, there is a tradition that can be said to be extreme which is usually called Iki Palek or the tradition of cutting fingers.
Iki Palek is a mourning tradition for the Dani people who live in the Baliem Valley region, Papua. The tradition is to cut one finger to express deep sorrow for the loss of a family member who has passed away. In addition, this tradition must also be carried out to prevent the disaster that causes death in the family.
For every family member who dies, one finger must be cut off as a form of love. This tradition is usually only done by women, although some men sometimes do it as a form of sadness.
Another way that is also commonly done is to bite the knuckles until they break off, tie them with a rope so that the blood flow stops and the knuckles die and then cut them off.
They usually use traditional axes or knives to cut off their fingers, and it is not uncommon for them to even bite their fingers off.
Even though it sounds scary to most people, this tradition has a deep meaning and philosophy for the Dani people. For the Dani tribe, cutting a finger like this is a symbol of extreme pain. Crying alone is not enough to express the sadness of losing a loved one.
In addition, fingers are a symbol of harmony, unity and strength. This part is also a symbol of living together as one family, one house, one clan, one tribe, one ancestor, one history, one language and one origin.
When combined, the fingers have the ability, unity, and strength to lighten every burden in the work. Each finger will work together so that it can function perfectly. However, if one of them is missing, then togetherness and strength will also not be perfect.
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