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58-462: Anuak may refer to: Anuak people , East Africa Anuak language , spoken primarily in the Western part of Ethiopia Anuak Zone , Ethiopian region of Gambela Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Anuak . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change

116-910: A Nilotic ethnic group concentrated in the Greater Upper Nile region of South Sudan . They also live in the Ethiopian region of Gambella . The Nuer speak the Nuer language , which belongs to the Nilotic language family . They are the second-largest ethnic group in South Sudan and the largest ethnic group in Gambella, Ethiopia. The Nuer people are pastoralists who herd cattle for a living. Their cattle serve as companions and define their lifestyle. The Nuer call themselves " Naath ". The Nuer people have historically been undercounted because of

174-461: A subsistence economy , with rivers serving an important role. The Anuak people are largely agricultural , and animal husbandry is common. Sorghum is a common crop for the Anuak, and common livestock include cattle , sheep , and goats . They grow their crops among the riverbanks which in turn provides them a stable and efficient supply of food. When the dry season occurs, the Anuak people hunt

232-730: A dispute between the Anuak and the Nuer "over access to pasture, water and fertile land in the Gambella region". When the Derg regime enacted a mobilization of all Ethiopian males in March 1983, many Anuak opposed conscription on a cultural basis. The government carried out a systemic enforcement of this conscription, which resulted many young service-age Anuak to flee to Sudan or remote regions within Ethiopia to avoid conscription. In response to an escalation in violence in western Ethiopia during

290-461: A higher prestige. If one might have more than enough to provide for themselves then they also provide that to other kin that are in need, as it is a part of their role in kinship. Conflict over pastures and cattle raids have been happening between Nuer and Dinka as they battle for grazing ground for their animals. According to Jared Diamond , "...the Nuer observe few restrictions in their treatment of neighboring Dinka tribes: they regularly raid

348-555: A prominent non-governmental organization , the Anuak people were the predominant ethnic group in Ethiopia's western Gambela Region , until the 1980s. However, beginning in 1984, the Derg regime embarked on a resettlement program, whereby 60,000 people from the central Ethiopian Highlands were relocated to Anuak lands in the Gambela Region. Simultaneously, the Second Sudanese Civil War broke out to

406-418: A reflection, and departs together with the ox sacrificed, to the place of the ghosts.". In the 1940s, missionaries began to attempt to evangelize the Nuer. The book of Genesis was translated and published in 1954, with the whole New Testament following in 1968. By the 1970s, there were nearly 200 Nuer congregations established. However, reporting indicates that only around 1% of Nuer identify as Christian. In

464-406: A surplus, it is shared with neighbors. Amassing wealth is not an aim. Although a man who owns a large herd of cattle may be envied, his possession of numerous animals does not garner him any special privilege or treatment". In this tribe there is no special treatment for how one is treated because of their abundance in cattle. Just because one might have more cattle than another doesn't mean they have

522-419: Is a balance between the mother and father's side that is acknowledged through particular formal occasions such as marriage. Nuer girls usually marry at 17 or 18. If a young girl gets engaged at an early age, the wedding and consummation ceremonies are essentially delayed. Women generally give birth to their first children when they are mature enough to bear them. As long as a girl marries a man with cattle, she

580-405: Is able to freely choose her husband, however her parents may choose a spouse for her. Kinship among the Nuer is very important to them, they refer to their blood relatives as "gol". Kinship within the Nuer is formed off of one's neighbors or their entire culture. During E. E. Evans-Pritchard 's ethnographic observation, he described the role of kinship as: "Kinship obligations include caring for

638-472: Is eaten". Many times it may not even just be cattle that they consume, it could be any animal they have scavenged upon that has died because of natural causes. There are a few other food sources that are available for the Nuer to consume. The Nuer diet primarily consists of fish and millet. "Their staple crop is millet." Millet is formally consumed as porridge or beer. The Nuer turn to this staple product in seasons of rainfall when they move their cattle up to

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696-547: Is further exemplified in personal names." They form their children's names from the biological features of the cattle. Evans-Pritchard wrote, "I have already indicated that this obsession—for such it seems to an outsider is due not only to the great economic value of cattle but also to the fact that they are links in numerous social relationships." All their raw materials come from cattle, including drums, rugs, clothing, spears, shields, containers, and leather goods. Even daily essentials like toothpaste and mouthwash are created from

754-484: Is low-lying, and is hot and tropical with rich, fertile, well-watered soil coming from the rivers. Much is carried down from the mountains of the highlands, which has a cooler, drier climate. This is in stark contrast to much of Ethiopia, which is geographically dominated by the Ethiopian Highlands . Following the resettlement program implemented by the Ethiopian government in the 1980s, many people from

812-466: Is the spirit of the sky or the spirit who is in the sky" Kuoth Nhial" (God in Heaven) the creator, but Nuer believe in the coming of God through rain, lightning and thunder, and that the rainbow is the necklace of God. The sun and the moon as well as other material entities are also manifestation or sign of God, who after all is a spirit. The spirits of the air above are believed to be the most powerful of

870-505: Is to other cultures because the Anuak people do not have as much livestock as most as they focus more on agriculture. The Anuaks engage in agriculture, hunting, fishing, pastoralism and gathering to meet their economic needs. The Anuak predominantly live in tight-knit communities which are largely self-contained, and often have little communication with the outside world. The Gambela Region , where many Anuak people within Ethiopia live

928-680: The Gezira south into a barren dry land that they called "Kwer Kwong", which was in southern Kordofan . Centuries of isolation and influence from Luo peoples caused them to be a distinct ethnic group from the Naath. The arrival of the Baggara and their subsequent slave raids in the late 1700s caused the Nuer to migrate from southern Kordofan into what is now Bentiu . In around 1850, further slave raids as well as flooding and overpopulation caused them to migrate even further out of Bentiu and eastwards all

986-663: The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination concluded that the Ethiopian government's response to violent massacres in 2003 was in violation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination . A 2005 report by Human Rights Watch also found that the Ethiopian militia "has committed widespread murder, rape and torture" against Anuak cilivians. The report amounted

1044-462: The 1990s, Sharon Hutchinson returned to Nuerland to update E.E. Evans-Pritchard's account. She found that the Nuer had placed strict limits on the convertibility of money and cattle in order to preserve the special status of cattle as objects of bride wealth exchange and as mediators to the divine. She also found that as a result of endemic warfare with the Sudanese state , guns had acquired much of

1102-545: The 2000s, a group of Anuaks living in the United States and Canada formed the Anuak Justice Council, an organization to promote the human rights of Anuaks. The group has collaborated with other non-governmental organizations to document instances of violence, and to lobby various countries to condemn the practices of the Ethiopian government. Nuer people The Nuer people are

1160-640: The Anuak and others who live in the lowlands of the Gambela Region has affected the Anuaks' access to water, food, education, health care, and other basic services, as well as limiting opportunities for development of the area. The Ethiopian government has denied that its military was involved in attacks on Anuaks, and instead attributed violence in the region to local ethnic militias. Others have alleged that Anuak militias have committed human rights abuses against other groups, such as killing Nuer civilians. A 2006 article by BBC News characterized local violence as

1218-732: The Anuak originally lived on land near the Pibor River and the Sobat River , in present-day eastern South Sudan near Ethiopia . Due to displacement from other groups, most Anuak now live along the Baro River and the Akobo River . The Anuak are a Nilotic people . They have lived in the area of the Upper Nile for hundreds of years and consider their land to be their tribal land. Unlike other Nilotic peoples in

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1276-570: The Dinka, steal Dinka livestock, kill Dinka men, and take home some Dinka women and children as captives while killing the others. But Nuer hostilities against other Nuer tribes consist only of sporadic cattle raids, killing of just a few men, and no killing or kidnapping of women and children." E. E. Evans-Pritchard studied the Nuer and made very detailed accounts of his interactions. He also describes Nuer cosmology and religion in his books. Nuer Online indicates that, "Nuer (Nuäär) believes that God

1334-750: The Ethiopian Highlands were resettled into predominantly Anuak areas. These migrants, which include Tigrayans , Oromo , Kambaata , Amhara peoples, are collectively referred to as "highlanders" by many Anuak people. Inter-ethnic violence between the Anuak and these so-called "highlanders" was commonplace during the 1990s and the 2000s. The mostly insular social structure of the Anuak, combined with historical and modern inter-ethnic conflicts, have led to outside observers, such as Cultural Survival , to describe them as "very suspicious of outsiders". Anuak villages are run by people called Headmen, whose power can easily be removed if deemed unsatisfactory by

1392-562: The Ethiopian government and allied militias of perpetuating genocide. In 2004, Gregory Stanton , the President of Genocide Watch, compared the situation to "Rwanda in 1993, when all the early warning signs were evident but no one paid attention", and put the violence on their emergency list of ongoing genocides in the world. A 2007 report by The International Human Rights Law Clinic at the Washington College of Law submitted to

1450-551: The Ethiopian government, a sizeable Anuak diaspora began to form during the 1990s and 2000s. Many settled in Minnesota , in the United States . The Anuak people predominantly reside in western Ethiopia and South Sudan . Many live along the Baro River and the Akobo River , and within the Gambela Region of Ethiopia. The Anuak of Sudan live in a grassy region that is flat and virtually treeless. During

1508-511: The Gambela Region. Many Anuak openly resented the migration of non-Anuak residents into their historic lands, and perceived their ethnic territory to be shrinking. From 1991 onwards to the mid-2000s, ethnic clashes which have killed hundreds and displaced thousands have taken place between the Anuak and other peoples in the Gambela Region. During the 2000s, the Ethiopian military began conducting operations to neutralized armed Anuak groups in

1566-539: The Nuer and Dinka are actually similar. He argues that hundreds of years of population growth created expansion, which eventually led to raids and wars. In 2006 the Nuer and Murle were the tribes that resisted disarmament most strongly ; members of the Nuer White Army , a group of armed youths often autonomous from tribal elders' authority, refused to lay down their weapons, which led SPLA soldiers to confiscate Nuer cattle, destroying their economy. The White Army

1624-569: The Nuer move around to ensure that their livelihood is safe. They tend to travel when heavy seasons of rainfall come to protect the cattle from hoof disease, and when resources for the cattle are scarce. British anthropologist E. E. Evans-Pritchard wrote, "They depend on the herds for their very existence...Cattle are the thread that runs through Nuer institutions , language , rites of passage , politics , economy , and allegiances ." The Nuer are able to structure their entire culture around cattle and still have what they need. Before development,

1682-623: The Nuer tribe include beef, goat, cow's milk, mangos , and sorghum in one of three forms: "ko̱p" finely ground, handled until balled and boiled, "walwal" ground, lightly balled and boiled to a solid porridge, and injera / Yɔtyɔt , a large, pancake-like yeast -risen flatbread . In the early 1990s about 25,000 African refugees were resettled in the United States throughout different locations such as South Dakota, Tennessee and Minnesota. In particular, 4,288 refugees from Sudan were resettled among 36 different states between 1990 and 1997 with

1740-560: The Nuer used every single piece of cattle to their advantage. According to Evans-Pritchard, cattle helped evolve the Nuer culture into what it is today. They shaped the Nuer's daily duties, as they dedicate themselves to protecting the cattle. For example, each month they blow air into their cattle's rectums to relieve or prevent constipation. Cattle are no good to the Nuer if constipated because they are restricted from producing primary resources that families need to survive. Evans-Pritchard wrote, "The importance of cattle in Nuer life and thought

1798-669: The Sudan and Ethiopia in Uganda , Kenya , Tanzania and the Congo. Their language(s) and dialects belong to the broader cluster of Nilo-Saharan languages . During the Abyssnian Empire , many Anuak people were taken as slaves , often by wealthy and imperial households. Slavery in predominantly Anuak regions was abolished in the early 20th century, but was briefly restored following World War II . According to Human Rights Watch ,

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1856-678: The United States. Furthermore, Nuer in the United States observe family obligations by sending money for those still in Africa. Some important Nuer politicians were, Böth Diew who was the first Nuer, and South Sudan Politician from 1947 followed by Gai Tut. In the Military is Bol Nyawan who fought against the Khartoum government in Bentiu ; he was killed in 1985 by the current president of Sudan. Commander Ruai and Liah Diu Deng were responsible for

1914-676: The Upper Nile, whose economies are based on raising cattle, the Anuak are herdsmen and farmers. They are believed to have a common origin with their northern neighbors, the Luo and Shilluk . Also, they share a similar language with their neighbors to the south, the Acholi . The Luo peoples are scattered all over Eastern Africa, including Sudan and Ethiopia; they identify as a people who have preserved their cultural heritage wherever they reside. The Luo-speaking people of Eastern Africa are found beyond

1972-414: The actions of the Ethiopian military to crimes against humanity . The former governor of the Gambela Region , Okello Akuaye , has also accused the government of aiding local militias in attacking Anuak civilians. According to Anuak militants, Anuak men (and some women) continue to be subject to arbitrary arrest , beatings, detentions and extrajudicial killings in Ethiopia. Human rights issues faced by

2030-431: The animals that are in search of the waterways. Many Anuak also partake in fishing , especially outside of the dry season, and will set up temporary villages in good fishing areas. Many also hunt wild birds as part of their diet. The Anuaks also choose when to migrate their cattle based on which season is occurring (migrate in dry the dry season). The migration of domesticated animals is not as important to them as it

2088-417: The attack that forced Chevron to suspend activities in the oil field around 1982. Most Nuer people are nicknamed after their cattle. The boys usually chose the name of their favorite cattle based on the form and color of the ox. The girls are named after the cows that they milk. Sometimes the cow names are passed down. Oil exploration and drilling began in 1975 and 1976 by companies such as Chevron. In 1979

2146-505: The cattle that are up in age or dying because of sickness. But even if they do so, they all gather together to perform rituals, dances, or songs before and after they slaughter the cattle. Never do they just kill cattle for the fun of it. "Never do Nuer slaughter animals solely because of the desire to eat meat. There is the danger of the ox’s spirit visiting a curse on any individual who would slaughter it without ritual intent, aiming only to use it for food. Any animal that dies of natural causes

2204-415: The cattle's dung and urine. The dung is chopped into pieces and left out to harden, then used for containers, toothpaste, or even to protect the cattle themselves by burning it to produce more smoke, keeping insects away to prevent disease. The Nuer people never eat cattle just because they want to. Cattle are very sacred to them, therefore when they do eat cattle they honor its ghost. They typically just eat

2262-415: The children of one’s kin and neighbors. He also observed that, "The network of kinship ties which links members of local communities is brought about by the operation of exogamous rules, often stated in terms of cattle." This is never thought to be the sole responsibility of the child's parents." Cattle are judged by how much milk they can produce which is a necessity in their culture. If possible they create

2320-425: The country, as well as from the Ethiopian government itself. During the 2000s, when such violence escalated, a report by Genocide Watch and Survivors' Rights International collected testimonies of Anuak people, which painted a picture of widespread raping and killing of Anuak civilians, as well as the destruction of their property by the Ethiopian government and allied militias. The groups' 32-page report accused

2378-438: The excess of milk into cheese. But if a family’s herd cannot produce the amount of milk a family needs then they turn to others around them to give them what they need. It’s seen as their responsibility to step in and help the family since it’s not really their fault on how much their cattle can produce. The entire Nuer society is basically watching after each other, for example, as Evans-Pritchard noted that, "When one household has

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2436-478: The first oil production took place in the southern regions of Darfur. In the early 1980s when the north–south war was happening, Chevron was interested in the reserves in the south. In 1984 guerrillas of SPLA (Sudan People's Liberation Army) attacked the drilling site of the north at Bentiu. In return, Chevron cleared Nuer and Dinka people in the oil fields area to ensure security for their operations. The Nuer-Dinka struggle in oil fields continued in late 1990s into

2494-471: The forehead with a razor, often with a dip in the lines above the nose. Dotted patterns are also common (especially among the Bul Nuer and among females). Some Nuer have begun practicing circumcision after being assimilated or partially assimilated in other ethnic groups. The Nuer are not historically known to circumcise, but sometimes circumcise people who have engaged in incest. Typical foods eaten by

2552-598: The government throughout the 1990s and 2000s, resulting in large-scale displacements of Anuak people. As a result, many Anuak people emigrated to the United States , specifically, Minnesota . Some received relocation assistance from the International Organization for Migration . Many Anuak people which have migrated to Minnesota are employed in the meatpacking industry , working for companies such as Hormel Foods and Smithfield Foods . The Anuak people of Ethiopia and Sudan largely reside in

2610-425: The higher ground. They might also turn to millet when the cattle are performing well enough to support their family. To a Nuer individual, his parents and siblings are not considered mar (blood relatives) kin. He doesn't refer to them as kin. To him they are considered gol which is far more intimate and significant. There are kinship categories in the Nuer society. Those categories depend on the payment to them. There

2668-520: The highest number in Texas at 17 percent of the refugee population from Sudan. The Nuer refugees in the United States and those in Africa continue to observe their social obligations to one another. They use different means ranging from letters to new technologically advanced communication methods in order to stay connected to their families in Africa. Nuer in the United States provide assistance for family members' paperwork to help their migration process to

2726-407: The lesser spirits, while there are also spirits associated with clan-spears names such as WiW, a spirit of war, associated with thunder. Nuer believe that when a man or a woman dies, the flesh, the life and the soul separate. The flesh is committed to the earth, while the breath or life goes back to God (Kuoth). The soul that signifies the human individuality and personality remains alive as a shadow or

2784-425: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anuak&oldid=932691366 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Anuak people According to American non-profit organization Cultural Survival ,

2842-589: The people. Anuak philosophy dictates there are no "God-men", and Headmen can be removed for behaving in a way perceived as dictatorial. Nowadays, many Anuak people are evangelical Christians . Traditional Anuak religion placed a particular emphasis on trees, with some villages having "holy" trees. Traditional Anuak religion placed a belief in an almighty spirit known as Jwøk. Anuak activists have claimed that ethnic Anuaks in Ethiopia have suffered from torture, indiscriminate killings, looting, and discrimination from various other minority militias operating in

2900-454: The rainy season, this area floods, so that much of it becomes swampland with various channels of deep water running through it. Following the collapse of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in 1991, large-scale inter-ethnic violence broke out between the Anuak people and other ethnic groups in Ethiopia. Anuak people in Ethiopia faced inter-ethnic violence and alleged persecution from

2958-413: The region. These groups, which are not unified under any single organization or political cause, include groups which target other ethnic groups and Ethiopian soldiers. The Ethiopian government has taken an increased interest in providing stability in the Gambela Region due to the recent discovery of petroleum and gold in the area. As a result of inter-ethnic violence, and alleged discrimination from

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3016-481: The semi-nomadic lifestyle. They also have a culture of counting only older members of the family. For example, the Nuer believe that counting the number of cattle one has could result in misfortune and prefer to report fewer children than they have. Their South Sudan counterparts are the Horn peninsula's westernmost Horners. The Nuer people are said to have originally been a section of the Dinka people that migrated out of

3074-501: The symbolic and ritual importance previously held by cattle. The people speak the Nuer language / Thoknath which belongs to the Nilo-Saharan language phylum . The Nuer receive facial markings (called gaar ) as part of their initiation into adulthood. The pattern of Nuer scarification varies within specific subgroups. The most common initiation pattern among males consists of six parallel horizontal lines which are cut across

3132-512: The way into the western fringes of Ethiopia , displacing and absorbing many Dinka, Anyuak and Burun in the process. British colonial expansion in the region during the 19th century greatly halted the Nuers' aggressive territorial expansion against the Dinka and Anyuak. There are different accounts of the origin of the conflict between the Nuer and the Dinka, South Sudan's two largest ethnic groups. Anthropologist Peter J. Newcomer suggests that

3190-439: The west of the Gambela Region, resulting in a large amount of refugees fleeing into the same area. These changes were further compounded by a gradual migration of the Nuer people eastward into the region, which had been taking place throughout the 20th century. Following the collapse of the self-proclaimed socialist People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in 1991, ethnic tensions and episodes of ethnic violence broke out in

3248-625: The wife's patrilineage enable the male children of that patrilineage to marry and thereby ensure the continuity of her patrilineage. An infertile woman can even take a wife of her own, whose children, biologically fathered by men from other unions, then become members of her patrilineage, and she is legally and culturally their father, allowing her to metaphorically participate in reproduction. Nuer life revolves around cattle , which has made them pastoralist , but they are known to sometimes resort to horticulture as well, especially when their cattle are threatened by disease. Due to seasonal harsh weather,

3306-493: Was continually underplayed." Cattle are particularly important in their role as bride wealth, where they are given by a husband's lineage to his wife's lineage. This exchange of cattle ensures that the children will be considered to belong to the husband's lineage. The classical Nuer institution of ghost marriage, in which a man can "father" children after his death, is based on this definition of relations of kinship and descent by cattle exchange. In their turn, cattle given over to

3364-466: Was finally put down in mid-2006, though a successor organization self-styling itself as a White Army formed in 2011 to fight the Murle tribe (see 2011–2012 South Sudan tribal clashes ), as well as the Dinka and UNMISS . Cattle have historically been of the highest symbolic, religious and economic value to the Nuer. Sharon Hutchinson writes that "among Nuer people the difference between people and cattle

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