Being the southeast of Indonesia, Papua indeed has many exciting things to see. Other than the natural beauty of mother nature, this island is home to hundreds of tribes – many of them are still hidden and never have any contact with modern civilization.
West Papua, on the other hand, is part of those stories. You may have heard about history during WWII on this island. However, have you heard about unique traditions that only happen in tribes found in West Papua?
Despite traditional dances, delicious local cuisines, and tourism destinations, West Papua has several worth-learning unique traditions. One of them is Iki Palek.
What is Iki Palek anyway? And why do they keep the traditions going? You can find the answer below.
About Dani Tribe
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Dani is a tribe that has been staying in the Baliem Valley of West Papua for centuries. When they were found for the first time, they already used stone axes, knives made of bones, and lances.
The Dani Tribe has various unique traditions to show lots of emotions. For instance, “Bakar Batu” or putting some stones on fire shows their gratitude and blissfulness. They also do it to welcome newborns.
Other than rituals for the newborns, the Dani Tribe also has a special ceremony for the dead. The ritual is called Iki Palek and the meaning is very deep.
Why Does the Dani Tribe Perform Iki Palek?
Iki Palek is a local word for “cutting your fingers”. And during the ritual, the individual(s) will cut their fingers. However, this ritual is not just for any individual and there is a reason to explain this condition.
The Dani Tribe believes that fingers symbolize harmony, unity, and strength. For them, fingers describe their family or they call it “wene opakima dapulik welaikarek mekehasik”.
Fingers are always doing their job together. And if one of them is gone, it might lessen the strength. Thus, it becomes a reason why Iki Palek should be done.
So, if a family member or a close relative passed away, the Dani Tribe should cut their fingers to show how sad and mortified they were. This ritual, however, is only done by females. Meanwhile, the males should cut a tiny part of their ears to show their grief.
How Did They Do the Ritual?
Iki Palek, more than anything, sounds terrifying and horrible for others and even for you. However, the Dani Tribe takes this ritual to symbolize their loyalty towards the deceased.
The ritual also comes in a series of processes, which is quite heartbreaking. Back then, they would snap the finger until it tore apart. Today, they use axes or knives to fasten and smoothen the process.
Before the cutting process takes place, the person will numb the finger by using a twist. The ceremony is quite sad and dark, but you can feel how mournful and grief are shown.
After the finger is cut, somebody will wrap it with a leaf. A month later, the cut is expected to heal. After all, as long as the finger is cut, the ceremony is done.
The person who passed away also determines how many knuckles should be cut. If the parent passed away, it would take two knuckles to cut. The rest may only sacrifice one knuckle.
Summary
The Dani Tribe, who lives in the Baliem Valley, is still doing the Iki Palek tradition. The ceremony requires them to cut their fingers when family members pass away.
Even though it sounds dark and hurting, the ritual shows their loyalty and grief towards the deceased. The process also involves a spell while the executor cuts the finger.
While young people from the Dani Tribe rarely do this ritual anymore, you may still find some mothers with incomplete fingers. And, of course, it is part of West Papua’s richness.
