Grief has many faces, but for the Dani women of Papua, Indonesia, it once left a permanent mark. In an old mourning ritual, they amputated their fingers to honor a close family especially a parent, child, or spouse. Women and sacredly men were expected to amputate part of a finger as a visible sign of mourning.
The tribes’ belief in ritualistically finger cutting is thought to keep the agitated spirit of the deceased at bay and to symbolize the sorrow of bereavement.
The practice, which involved using sharp tools like knives or machetes, string, stone blades or even biting off the finger, was considered a necessary ritual to appease the spirits of the deceased and ward off future calamities.
While it may seem extreme to outsiders, the Dani believed that the pain of the physical act was the only way to truly represent the deep sorrow that a grieving heart feels.
Some female babies are not spared this practice, as some mothers bite their children’s fingers in the belief that it constricts their ways of life. Such perceptions also include that if a mother bit their child’s fingers, it would extend their lifespan.
Following the removal of the finger, the open wound is cauterized to halt bleeding, and the detached portion is either burned or interred in a significant place.
Despite the physical suffering, women bore it with pride, as a testament to loyalty and love. The
Today, the Indonesian government has strongly discouraged and banned the practice, citing health risks and human rights concerns. Younger generations rarely undergo finger amputation, though some elderly women still bear its visible marks making their hands powerful testaments of cultural history.