Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
necklaces. The ensente (iron torques) worn around the necks of married and engaged women indicate the wealth
and prestige of their husband. Unmarried girls wear a metal plate in their hair that looks a bit like a platypus bill.
The iron bracelets and armlets are an indication of the wealth and social standing of the young girl's family.
When she gets married, she must remove the jewellery; it's the first gift she makes to her new family.
Hamer territory is concentrated around Turmi and Dimeka.
The Karo
With a population of about 1500 people, the Karo are one of the Omo Valley's smallest groups. Inhabiting the
Omo's eastern bank northwest of Turmi, some of these traditional pastoralists turned to agriculture (growing
sorghum and maize) after disease wiped out their cattle.
In appearance, language and tradition, they somewhat resemble the Hamer, to whom they're related. The Karo
are considered masters of body painting, using white and sometimes coloured chalk to create bold patterns.
The Mursi
The 7500 or so Mursi are mainly pastoralists who have been relocated out of Mago National Park to the drier hills
west of it. Traditionally the Mursi would move during the wet and dry seasons and practise flood retreat cultiva-
tion along the Omo River, though raising cattle is the most important part of their life.
The most famous Mursi traditions include the fierce stick-fighting between the men (now illegal and so never
done for tourists), and the lip-plates worn by the women. Made of clay and up to 12cm in diameter, the plates are
inserted into a slit separating their lower lip and jaw. Due to the obvious discomfort, women only wear the lip-
plates occasionally, leaving their distended lips swaying below their jaw. The hole is cut around age 15 and
stretched over many months. At this time the women also have their four lower front teeth pulled out, while men
remove only the lower two. The origin of the practice is no longer known, but it probably began as a purely aes-
thetic practice done to mark entry into adulthood. Women's large ear holes are cut at about age five.
The Nyangatom
Inhabiting the land west of the Omo River all the way to South Sudan (but sometimes bringing their cows to the
Omo's east bank to graze) are around 25,000 Nyangatom. Related to the Turkana in Kenya, the Nyangatom are
agropastoralists, growing sorghum and maize as well as rearing cattle and goats. They also hunt, and those along
the river smoke bees out of their hives for honey. Known as great warmongers, they used to be the enemies of just
about everybody, but today only have significant cattle-raid conflicts with the Daasanach.
Nyangatom women are best known for their distinctly thick pile of necklaces. In the past the beads were made
of ostrich egg (still used to decorate their goat-skin skirts) but these days they mould round beads from melted
scraps of plastic such as broken jerry cans.
Sights
Konso Museum
(admission Birr20, per group tour agency fee Birr50; 8am-noon & 1-5pm) High above
the town, across from Kanta Lodge, this new centre provides a very brief introduction to
Konso culture, but it's the excellent collection of totemistic waga that makes it a must-see.
MUSEUM
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