Bintou Samake, Blacksmith cutter
Bintou Samake, a traditional practitioner of female genital cutting, said she would wait for the proper position of the stars before performing the cutting of young girls. Bintou’s relatives taught her to use the sky as a compass to guide her endeavors as a cutter born into the Bambara Blacksmith caste. Boo, short for Bintou, believes it is potentially harmful to cut if the stars are not properly aligned.
“The stars split as if they are open,” she said, most likely describing the Milky Way. “It’s a sign. If the stars haven’t burst, if you cut children, it can cause illness or death.”
