Various tribes in Indonesia have their own way of mourning, as well as the Dani tribe in Papua. The Dani tribe has quite an extreme tradition in mourning, Nasu Palek. The following is a discussion of the Nasu Palek tradition of the Dani tribe:
Getting to know Nasu Palek
Everyone has their way of expressing their grief, as well as the Dani people. However, the way the Dani tribe expresses their sadness when their loved one dies is quite extreme and sadistic.
Nasu Palek is a tradition of cutting off the ears by the Dani tribe when a family member dies. In the Nasu Palek rite, the Dani tribe will cut a tiny part of the earlobe to convey their sorrow for the loss of their family member.
For members of the Dani tribe, the pain they feel when cutting their earlobe is a symbol. The pain they felt during the Nasu Palek rite reflected their heartache when their loved ones left them.
The bamboo they had sliced thin became the tool they used in Nasu Palek. In the Nasu Palek procession, the Dani use bamboo, which they shape in such a way as to cut the earlobe.
This Nasu Palek tradition applies to both men and women in the Dani tribe. However, there is a different treatment for women and men for this Nasu Palek.
Before undergoing the Nasu Palek tradition, Dani women must first go through Iki Palek. As for Dani men, they can immediately carry out the Nasu Palek tradition when they lose a family member.
Iki Palek Tradition
As explained above, the Dani tribe’s women must first go through the Iki Palek tradition before undergoing the Nasu Palek tradition. What is this Iki Palek tradition?
The Iki Palek rite is a finger cutting tradition, one finger joint, for Dani women. Just like Nasu Palek, the Iki Palek tradition is a tradition to express sorrow when a family member dies.
The Dani tribe uses a traditional ax or knife to cut their fingers. However, some of them bite their fingers off. One precious finger joint shows their respect for fathers, mothers, children, and relatives who have passed away.
Although quite painful, this Iki Palek tradition has a deep philosophy about the existence and loss of relatives. The Dani believes that these wounds will eventually heal over time. When the Dani women have no finger left to cut, they can go through the Nasu Palek tradition.
- Current Condition of the Nasu Palek Tradition
The Dani tribe no longer performs these extreme traditions of Nasu Palek and Iki Palek. Over time, people began to leave these sadistic traditions. They no longer cut off their ears or fingers to express their sadness over the death of a family member.
Another Unique Tradition of the Dani Tribe
Besides Nasu Palek and Iki Palek, this tribe also has another unique tradition related to death: mummification. In ancient times, the Dani performed mummification in honor of the deceased. The person they mummified was a figure who had a big role when they were still alive.
The Dani tribe mummified corpses by drying them on a fireplace until they dried, hardened, and turned black. The main characteristic of a mummy from the Dani tribe is its sitting position with hands holding knees with head up. One of the oldest mummies in the Dani tribe is 300 years old, named Win Motok Mabel.
Extreme Tradition of Dani Tribe
In conclusion, the Dani tribe is a tribe that has extreme traditions such as Nasu Palek, Iki Palek, and mummification. As time went by and spiritual development in Papua, they slowly began to leave these Dani tribe traditions.
