Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
lifestyle that the whole Konso Cultural Landscape was declared a Unesco World Heritage
Site.
PEOPLES OF THE LOWER OMO VALLEY
The Lower Omo Valley is unique in that it's home to so many peoples in such a small area. And despite the close
confines, many of the 16 ethnic groups are dramatically different from their neighbours. Historians believe that
this region served for millennia as a kind of cultural crossroads, where Cushitic, Nilotic, Omotic and Semitic
peoples met as they migrated from the north, west, south and east.
Described here are some of the Lower Omo Valley's most notable peoples.
The Ari
By far South Omo's largest tribe, almost 290,000 Ari live around Jinka. Most are farmers (sorghum and coffee)
but cattle-raising remains important and all villages have full-time blacksmiths and potters. They also produce
large amounts of honey from beehives made with bark and dung, often for trade. The women wear skirts made
from the
enset
('false-banana' tree), but now only on special occasions.
The Banna
Numbering around 27,000, the Banna inhabit the higher ground around Key Afar. Most practise agriculture,
though their diet is supplemented by hunting. Culturally, they're closely related to the Hamer, and they dress quite
similarly. The easiest way to tell them apart (though this isn't foolproof) is that the Banna wear beads that include
the colour blue, while the Hamer don't. After killing a buffalo, they decorate themselves with clay for a special
celebration and feast for the whole village.
The Daasanach
Roughly 48,000 Daasanach people live along both sides of the Omo River between Omorate and Lake Turkana.
They're closely related to the Arbore and the languages are mutually intelligible. Originally purely pastoralists,
the villages now all raise maize, sorghum and tobacco, and some have adopted fishing, though cows are still the
mainstay of life. They are one of the poorest peoples of the valley.
Like their enemies, the Nyangatom, women make beads from scraps of plastic, but Daasanach women wear
fewer necklaces.
The Hamer
The Hamer, who number around 46,500, are subsistence agropastoralists. They cultivate sorghum, vegetables,
millet, tobacco and cotton, as well as rear cattle and goats. Honey is also an important part of their diet.
The people are particularly known for their remarkable hairstyles. The women mix together ochre, water and a
binding resin before rubbing it into their hair. They then twist strands again and again to create coppery-coloured
tresses known as
goscha
. These are a sign of health and welfare.
Traditionally if they've recently killed an enemy or dangerous animal, men are permitted to don clay hair buns
that sometimes support magnificent ostrich feathers. With the help of
borkotos
(special headrests) for sleeping, the
buns last from three to six months, and can be 'redone' for up to one year. These days they're done for decoration.
The Hamer are also considered masters of body decoration, much of it improvised: nails, mobile phone cards
and wristwatch bands are all incorporated into jewellery. The women wear iron coils around their arms, and bead
