PORTRAIT OF HUMANITY
PORTRAIT OF HUMANITY
PORTRAIT OF HUMANITY
Ethiopia
Country in East Africa
Mursi people
The Mursi homeland, encircled by mountains and situated between the Mago River and the Omo River, is one of the most remote parts of the nation.
The Mursi people of Ethiopia are pastoralists who call themselves Mursu or Mun. In the South Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Regional State (SNNPRS), near the border with South Sudan, sits their roughly 2,000 km2 area, roughly between the Rivers Omo (Warr) and Mago (Mako). The national census 2007 found 7,500 Mursi, with 448 residing in urban areas. One of the most remote parts of the nation is the Mursi homeland, encircled by mountains and between the Omo and Mago rivers. They relocate twice yearly, in the winter and summer, to escape the harsh weather. Along the Omo River's banks, they raise livestock and cultivate crops.
Young Mursi Girl
The Mursi people face constant hardship and even danger in their daily lives. But they've figured out how to live comfortably, so there's plenty of time for socialising, listening to music, and catching up on gossip. They have a long history of spreading stories, ideas, and philosophy through word of mouth. For the Mursi, there is a close relationship between religion and health. Through interactions with the physical and social environments, humans gain insight into the nature of disease and the divine. People seek priests and members of other lower ritual groups to cure diseases, drought, and crop pests, and priests provide the background for a healthy community. Additionally, the Mursi have a medical tradition that centres on the abilities of female healers. Although the Serving in Mission Station in the northeastern part of Mursiland provides schooling and essential medical treatment, the Mursi people practise animism as their religion.
Mursi girls typically get their lower lips pierced when they are around 15 or 16 years old, allowing them to wear lip plates. If she can bear a wider lip plate, her father will receive more livestock as a wedding price. Their distinctive facial "ornament" is unlike anything anyone has seen before, not even among untamed populations. The problem is that young girls in this tribe get their lower lips clipped. They insert the wood billets into the lip, gradually increasing the diameter with each passing round.
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