The Jewel of Harshest Areas in Africa

The Turkana tribe is a nomadic pastoralist those that inhabit Turkanaland in northwest Kenya – an enormous tract of land encompassing largely thorn scrub and semi desert, representing one of many harshest areas of Africa. They’re distinguished for being nice survivors dwelling in harsh and inhospitable terrain. It’s the second largest pastoralist neighborhood in Kenya after the Maasai totaling at about 350,000 folks in inhabitants. They converse the turkana language. They initially got here from the Karamojong area of North Jap Uganda at round 400 years in the past. The Turkana, just like the Samburu and Maasai, nonetheless preserve their undiluted conventional lifestyle. Like all of the pastoralist tribes Livestock are the middle of Turkana economics, representing each a meals provide and wealth. Camels, cows and goats are the favoured animals, together with some donkeys and sheep and now days they have interaction in small scale agriculture and fishing in Lake Turkana. Just like the Maasai and Samburu, the Turkana persons are very colourful; they adorn themselves with colourful necklace and bracelets embellished in crimson, yellow and brown coloured beads.

The primary garment for the Turkana folks is a woolen blanket. The marital standing was decided by the kind of apparel worn by a girl. Turkana males cowl their head with mud, which is then painted blue and embellished with ostrich and different feathers. Physique tattooing was historically used to point achievement in the neighborhood. Males or warriors who killed enemies had been tattooed to point what they’ve performed for the neighborhood. Not like most different tribes, there isn’t any circumcision among the many Turkana. Initiation into maturity is a considerably subdued affair with minor rituals marking the occasion for boys each 4 years. Women are thought of adults as soon as they’re married. Turkana males can take as many wives as they’ve cattle to purchase them with. A wedding is simply thought of to be finalized after the primary youngster has begun to stroll; often round three years after the preliminary ceremony. Most of turkana nonetheless maintain their conventional beliefs not like most of Kenya’s native individuals who have had their non secular pushed apart by Christianity. Their god is named Akuj, who’s prayed to instantly or by the spirits of ancestors. Animal sacrifices are frequent throughout drought durations, to please Akuj.