Mother earth is a vast place. Till today, there are many places that have not been heard of or explored. These places are very different and strange in many ways from the rest of the world.
Today we are going to tell you about a similar place which is very different and strange. Deep in the highlands of Western New Guinea, Indonesia, lives one of the world’s most isolated tribes.
Men of this tribe wear an unusual piece of underwear – the Koteka – which is commonly referred to as a protective covering for male reproductive organ and women in the tribe have been known to cut off the end of their own fingers to mark the loss of a family member.
The tribals here are known for their unique practice of self-mutilation. After the passing away of a loved one, relatives are expected to cut off the top part of their fingers as a sign of respect and grieving.
The practice is meant to symbolize the pain one feels after losing a loved one with many people in the tribe often amputating multiple fingers during their lifetime.
Normally people mourn by crying, not talking to anyone or remain in shock. But, these tribal women cut off a part of their fingers when a member of the family dies. According to them, it is a typical mourning practice.
The practice has been going on for generations and hasn’t still gone out of style even after it was declared illegal. Finger cutting is part of their culture, so they say live and let live, or cut and let cut, as the case may be.
The reason is to keep restless spirits at bay, they offer their amputated finger chunks as a form of sacrifice.
After a finger is cut off, it is set on fire. The ashes are sometimes saved and sometimes buried, but they are usually stored in the amputee’s home.
They believe physical pain is an important part of expressing emotional pain of grief. Although their wound will eventually heal, they will always bear the consequences of their loss.