The Guardian mentioned that fingers for the Dani tribe represent unity and strength. They Compared the fingers to a close family units. Just as the finger work together irrespective of their lengths, so is a close family Unit
According to The Sun, whenever a loved one dies, the custom required that the closest relative(s) cut off thier grief while mourning, However, the Custom was primarily followed by women, Sometimes older men also participate.
The Sun also stated that the practice was carried down to female babies who had their fingers servered off by their mothers in similar ritual.
According to The Sun, the main reason why the top joint of a woman's finger was amputated during mourning of a deceased love one is because, the Dani people believed that finger cutting was a way to appease and ward off the spirits of the ancestral ghosts that still lingered around the village, hence, the fingers were cut off as a form of Sacrifice
Although, reports have it that this unusual custom has been banned and declared illegal in New Guinea, Evidence that it once existed could be seen on elderly women in the community due to their severed fingertips