K

ewerike Logo, a woman from the Dani ethnic group in Wosilimo village, Usilimo district in Wamena, Papua, was busily piling citrus fruits onto a plastic sheet on the ground. The maimed fingers of both her hands made it difficult for her to hold and grip the fruits she was selling.

When she was born 65 years ago, Kewerike Logo had no physical defects. However, owing to the finger-cutting tradition practiced by the Dani people, a practice they call ikipalin, her left and right fingers (index, middle, ring and little) were amputated one by one at different stages of adulthood, leaving only her thumbs. Kewerike’s self-imposed deformities have left their mark on her.

Kewerike’s disfigured hands mark a long history of loss. The loss of her fingers represents her loved ones who have died, leaving Kewerike alone. “I cut my fingers when my parents passed on. I did the same when my husband, three children and other close relatives departed this life,” Kewerike revealed.

Why do they have to sever their fingers to manifest mourning? It’s a similar tradition to that practiced by the Yakuza, a mafia organization in Japan, whose members are subjected to finger mutilation if they fail to carry out a mission.

The removal of a finger serves as an expression of regret on the part of the Yakuza member.

The Dani community believes that fingers play a vital role in life. They cooperate to build strength so that their hands can function perfectly. The loss of even a single finger joint can cause one’s hands to perform less optimally.

The Dani also believe that fingers symbolize harmony, unity and force within an individual and a family. Despite the different sizes of our fingers, they can be unified to relieve our burden of work. The same is true of a family, which makes Dani people believe that by cutting off a finger, any misfortune in a family due to the death of one of its members can be eliminated.

Ikipalin is only one sign of mourning. According to Dani custom, there are several ways of displaying grief. The other way is to cut off an ear.

However, unlike finger cutting, this is practiced by only a handful of people.

There is yet another way of expressing grief among Dani people: smearing the body and face with river sludge and remaining soiled for several weeks without bathing.

According to several sources, ikipalin is carried out with or without tools. Some do it by biting their finger joints until they’re severed; others by tying up the joints with string to stop the flow of blood and leave the living tissue to die; still others by means of knives and axes.

“Amputated fingers that bleed are dressed with leaves treated with traditional herbs,” said Kewerike. The concoctions help to relieve pain and prevent infection.

Papuans have different ways of showing their sorrow when their relatives die, mostly by shedding tears. However, the Dani, particularly its women including Kewerike, who live in the central highland area of Wamena, observe the ikipalin tradition as an indication of their grief due to their loss.

With the passage of time and the arrival of religion, introduced by missionaries, the Dani people are now gradually abandoning ikipalin.

The adherents that are still found today are those who are practicing an ancient tradition from a time
before religious missions entered their community.

— Photos JP/P.J. Leo