Trevor Cole

Pastoral Peoples and Practices

People are inextricably connected to their livestock and beasts of burden.

The peoples of the Ilemi triangle (the Omo valley of Ethiopia, Central and Eastern Equatoria and Northern Kenya) are all pastoralists. Their bond with their livestock is inextricably connected to their environment and their subsistence farming systems have a small ecological footprint. This area is very vulnerable to climate change and the impacts of drought have desiccated their environments. Cattle, sheep and goats are their livelihoods and all their wealth is dependent upon them.

The animals are used in barter for guns, dowry’s for wives, blood for nutrition, milk as part of their daily diet and occasionally they slaughter cattle for meat. The Mundari of Central Equatoria and the Kara of the Omo have many traits and traditions in common. They often practice transhumance, moving their herds in response to rains and fresh grazing.