OMO Valley Tour PackageKonso Cultural Heritage
Konso, named after the Konso people, is known for its religious
traditions, waka sculptures, and nearby fossil beds (the latter an
archaeological site of early hominids).Konso Cultural HeritageKonso
Cultural Heritage was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on
September 30, 1997 due to its purported universal cultural
significance of terracing agricultural practice.The Konso live in
an isolated region of the basalt hills. The area is made up of hard
rocky slopes. A Konso village maybe fortified by a stone wall used
as a defensive measure, their village is located on hilltops and is
split up into communities, with each community having a main hut.
In order to enter a Konso village, you must pass through a gate and
a series of alleys. These paths are part of its security system,
keeping the village difficult to access.They are mixed
agriculturists using their dry and infertile lands to grow crops.
Animal dung is used to fertilize the grounds and their most
important crop is the sorghum. Sorghum is used as flour and to make
local beer. Grains, beans, cotton, corn and coffee are also grown
by the Konso people.The erection of stones and poles is part of the
Konso tradition. A generation pole is raised every 18 years,
marking the start of a new generation. The age of a village can be
determined by how many poles are standing. Carved wooden statues
are also used to mark the grave of a famous Konso tribal member.
The marker, called a Waga is placed above the grave and smaller
statues are then placed around the larger one representing his
wives and conquered enemies.Although the Konso people have many
customs dating back hundreds of years, it is not uncommon for them
to be seen wearing western clothing. As newer generations grow,
their traditional attire has gradually changed to modern societies.
The Konso is a very interesting tribe to visit on your trip to the
lower Omo Valley.
Dassanech
Dassanech in north of Kenyas Lake TurkanaDasenech tribe lives
just north of Kenyas Lake Turkana. Their neighboring tribe is the
Turkana people. The Daasanech are pastralists (cattle herders), but
due to the harsh territory, they have moved south to grow crops and
fish. Cattle are used by the tribesman for meat, milk and clothing.
Often their cattle die from disease and drought. Of all the tribes
in the Omo Valley, the Daasanech are the poorest.Because the
Daasanech people come from multiple ethnic groups, both men and
women must agree to be circumcised. There are eight clans that make
up the Daasanech tribe, each having its own name. They are the
Elele, Inkabelo, Inkoria, Koro, Naritch, Oro, Randal and the Riele.
Each clan is defined by its territory with the Inkabelo being the
wealthiest.During a ceremony, the Dassanech men dance with large
sticks and the women hold wooden batons. A Daasanech man blesses
his daughters fertility and future marriage by celebrating the
Dimi. During the Dimi 10 to 30 cattle are slaughtered. Both men and
women wear fur capes while they feast and dance. A Dimi ceremony
will most likely take place in the dry season.Karo
Karo peoples on the east banks of the Omo RiverThe Karo (or
Kara), with a population of about 1000 1500 live on the east banks
of the Omo River in south Ethiopia.Their neighbors are the
Hamar,Bana,Bashada,the famous Mursi and Nyangatom (on the other
side of Omo river, who are their enemies ) . They speak a south
Omotic language.The Karo grow sorghum ,maize and beans .Karo use to
paint body and decorate their face. They use white (chalk), black
(charcoal), yellow, ochre, and red earth.. Karo women scarify their
chests to beautify themselves .The scarification of a mans chest
shows that he has killed an enemy or a dangerous animal. The scars
are done with a knife or razor blade and ash is rubbed into.The
wearing of a grey and ochre clay hair bun alsoindicates the killing
of an enemy or a dangerous animal. Hamar do the same.The women have
a very distinctive hairdress: they put red clay mixed with butter
in their hair, so that the hair looks like a bunch of coffee beans.
Ladies still use leather clothing made from animal skins.The men
all use a wood headrest to protect their hair bun, and they use it
too to sit.They love to rest under the men house, the chifo. At the
end of the harvest and at times of initiation and marriage, the
Karo come together to enjoy dances with a lot of local beer. These
happy times often lead to marriage after the young man has
successfully accompling the bull jumping. A Karo man may take as
many wives as he can afford, but usually he marries two or three.
National Parks in Omo ValleyThere are many national parks located
in Ethiopia. Many of them being home to an abundance of wild life.
However there are two major National Parks located in Omo Valley.
One of the most remote National Parks in the world is Omo National
Park. Mago National Park is east of Omo and is separated by the Omo
River.Omo National Park:
Omo is Ethiopia's largest most remote park and is not easily
accessible. The park does have a head quarters and a new airstrip
but has little support for travellers. It is located on the west
bank of the Omo River and was established as a national park in
1966. The park has approximately 2,527 square miles of vegetation
and wildlife.Omo National Park is home to some of Ethiopia's native
tribes which are the Dizi, Me'en, Mursi, Nyangatom and Suri can be
found there. It is also home to many unique animals to include
Buffalo, Cheetah, Eland, Elephants, Giraffes, Leopard's, Lions and
Zebras to name a few.There are over 306 species of birds that can
be found in the Omo National Park.Mago National Park:Mago is found
on the east bank of the Omo River. It is approximately 1,343 square
miles and its highest point is Mount Mago. The park was established
in 1979 and is Ethiopia's newest National Park. The Mago National
Park is divided by the Mago river which is a tributary of the Omo
river. Located within the boundaries of the park is Lake Dipa. The
west side of the park is the Tama Wildlife Reserve and to the south
is the Murle controlled hunting area. There is a park office and
all roads to and from it are dirt.The park mainly consist of
grasslands with some forest areas located around the rivers. Many
animals can be found in the Mago National Park. Some of the common
ones are the buffalo, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, hartebeest,
leopard, lion and zebra. Bird species are also prevalent in Mago,
with the rare Turdoides tenebrosus (Dusky Babbler) being found at
Lake Dipa. Along the river in the lower Omo Valley there is a
diverse ground of ethnic tribes that live in the park. The Mursi
people are amongst the most common to visit.Mursi
Mursi and their lip platesThe Mursi or Muri people are the most
popular in Ethiopias Omo Valley. They are well known for their
unique lip plates. They are settled around the Omo River and in the
Mago National Park. Due to the climate, they move twice a year
between the winter and summer months. They herd cattle and grow
crops along the banks of the Omo River.The Mursi women paint their
bodies and face in white. They also are the ones who wear the lip
plates. Women of the Mursi tribe may have their lips cut at the age
of 15 or 16. A small clay plate is then inserted into the lip.
Through the years, larger plates are inserted into the lip causing
it to stretch. The larger the clay plate, the more the woman is
worth before she gets married. It is said that the clay plates were
originally used to prevent capture by slave traders. Although very
unique and part of their tradition, the Mursi women only wear the
plates for a short time because they are so heavy and
uncomfortable.Men of the Mursi also use white paint for their
bodies and faces. Just like any other ethinic tribe in the lower
valley, the men must pass a test before they can get married. A
Mursi man is given a stick called a Donga and must face one
opponent. The men then battle it out, beating Man of the Mursi
Tribe with body scarseach other with the sticks.The first fighter
to submit loses and the winner is taken by a group of women to
determine who he will marry. Men of the tribe also practice
scarification. Like other tribes, this is the marking of an enemy
killed by him.The Mursi are more than happy to allow you to take
pictures of them. However, they keep count of every picture taken
and will charge you for each one.
The Hamer in southwestern EthiopiaThe Hamer (also spelled Hamar)
are a tribal people in southwestern Ethiopia. They live in Hamer
Bena woreda (or district), a fertile part of the Omo River valley,
in the Debub Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and
Peoples Region (SNNPR). They are largely pastoralists, so their
culture places a high value on cattle.The Hamar live among the bush
covered hills on the eastern side of the Omo Valley in southern
Ethiopia. They are a tribe with unique rituals such as a
cattle-leaping ceremony that men go through in order to reach
adulthood, whereupon young Hamar women get whipped to prove their
love for their kinsmen.
The 15,000 to 20,000 members of the Hamar make their living as
successful cattle herders and farmers. Once they hunted, but the
wild pigs and small antelope have almost disappeared from the lands
in which they live; and until 20 years ago, all ploughing was done
by hand with digging sticks.The land isnt owned by individuals; its
free for cultivation and grazing, just as fruit and berries are
free for whoever collects them. The Hamar move on when the land is
exhausted or overwhelmed by weeds.Often families will pool their
livestock and labour to herd their cattle together. In the dry
season, whole families go to live in grazing camps with their
herds, where they survive on milk and blood from the cattle. Just
as for the other tribes in the valley, cattle and goats are at the
heart of Hamar life. They provide the cornerstone of a households
livelihood; its only with cattle and goats to pay as bride wealth
that a man can marry.There is a division of labour in terms of sex
and age. The women and girls grow crops (the staple is sorghum,
alongside beans, maize and pumpkins). Theyre also responsible for
collecting water, doing the cooking and looking after the children
who start helping the family by herding the goats from around the
age of eight. The young men of the village work the crops, defend
the herds or go off raiding for livestock from other tribes, while
adult men herd the cattle, plough with oxen and raise beehives in
acacia trees.Sometimes, for a task like raising a new roof or
getting the harvest in, a woman will invite her neighbours to join
her in a work party in return for beer or a meal of goat, specially
slaughtered to feed them.
Nyagatom
Nyangatom PeoplesNyangatom live south of Omo National park and
occasionally migrate in to the lower regions of the park when water
or grazing is scarce. Numbering around 6,000-7,000 in population,
the Bumi are agro pastoralists, relying on cattle herding and
floor- retreat agriculture (consisting mainly of sorghum harvesting
on the Omo and kibish Rivers). The Nyangatom tend to indulge in
honey and frequently smoke out beehives in the park to get the
honey inside the nests. The Bumi are known to be great warriors and
quite frequently, active warmongers. Small group of Nyangatom
living along the Omo are specialized crocodile hunters using
harpoons from a dugout canoe. The elders of both sexes wear a lower
lip plug, the mens being made from ivory and womens made from
copper filigree.Bena PeopleBena TribeBanna, Bana, and Benna are
other spellings for the Bena people. They are neighbors with the
Hamer tribe and it is believed that the Bena actually originated
from them centuries ago. The markets in Key Afer and Jinka are
often visited by them.Just like most of the indigenous tribes in
the lower Omo Valley, the Bena practice ritual dancing and singing.
The men often have their hair dressed up with a colorful clay cap
that is decorated with feathers. Both the men and women wear long
garments and paint their bodies with white chalk. Women of the
tribe wear beads in their hair that is held together with
butter.The Bena look very similar to the Hamer and are often called
the Hamer-Bena. Common rituals and traditions of other tribes are
shared by the Bena. The boys in the tribe participate in bull
jumping. When it is time for the boy to become a man, he must jump
over a number of bulls naked without falling. If he is able to
complete this task, he will become a man and be able to marry a
woman.
