Inside the remote Indonesian Dani tribe where women cut off a finger when a loved one dies – and the men show off their unique penis sheaths

 

Known as the Dani people, the tribe was unwittingly discovered by American philanthropist, Richard Archbold, after an expedition in 1938.Since the mid-20^th century the Dani tribe have become well known for their unique customs and strong sense of identity as they cling to their traditional ways.
One of their customs is the wearing of
an unusual piece of underwear worn by males. Known as a Koteka, it is commonly referred to as a penis sheath.

 The Dani people of Western New Guinea, Indonesia, are one of the most isolated peoples in the world

Photographer and IT support engineer Teh Han Lin from neighbouring Singapore snapped the tribe over a four day period.
He said: “The Dani tribe is a very unique tribe, especially their way of life and their traditional wearing of a ‘Koteka’ that I’ve heard about since I was young.

 The tribespeople have been known for their unique customs since the mid-20th century … Dani tribeswomen prepare for their annual festival in August 2016, which isn’t open to tourists

“I never know when this tribe will be extinct, this is the reason I decided to visit them this year.”
As well as their quite liberal view towards clothing, the tribe are also well known for their unique practice of self-mutilation.
he act has now been outlawed by the Indonesian government.
But signs of this archaic tradition can be found on the older women in the tribe.
The tribe also used to preserve their dead relatives by smoking the bodies to create mummies.
Despite their controversial customs, the Dani tribe have been drawing tourists to the region for decades as more and more people are eager to see their unique way of life.
During Teh Han’s latest visit, the tribespeople were celebrating an annual festival in which they take part in mock battles with other tribes in the area.

 Unusual underwear ... known as a Koteka, the penis sheath is one of the Dani's defining customs

The IT support engineer said: “The fake battles are not for tourists, but it's a festival they call ‘Baliem Valley Festival’ that is held yearly, usually in the month of August where all tribes – Dani, Yali and Lani – bring their best warriors to perform a mock battle and show their rich culture.”
Although the Dani tribe have a fearsome reputation amongst the other tribes in the area – and were noted for being some of the most formidable headhunters – they are very warm and accommodating to visitors.

 Painful tradition ... Dani tribeswoman smokes a cigarette and shows her amputated fingers

Teh Han explained: “They are very welcoming and I feel comfortable around them.
“Even though most of them don't really speak Bahasa Indonesia or English they make an effort to understand what I want to say, through body language and hand signs.
“They may look fierce but they are actually very friendly and polite as long as you behave in the same manner.”

The Dani are known as being some of the most formidable headhunters, but are quite gentle despite their fierce looks