Mursi.html |
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| Mursi |
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| Total population |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Ethiopia |
| Languages |
| Me'en people, Suri people |
| Religion |
| Animist |
| Related ethnic groups |
| none |
The Mursi (or Murzu) are a nomadic cattle herder ethnic group located in the Debub Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region in Ethiopia, close to the Sudanese border. The estimated population of the Mursi is 6-10,000.1
Surrounded by mountains between the Omo River and its tributary the Mago, the home of the Mursi is one of the most isolated regions of the country. Their neighbors include the Aari, the Banna, the Bodi, the Kara, the Kwegu, the Me'en the Nyangatom and the Suri. They are grouped together with the Me'en and Suri by the Ethiopian government under the name Surma.
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Language, religion and culture
The Mursi have their own language, also called Mursi. Few are familiar with Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia, and their literacy level is very lowcitation needed. Mursi is a Surmic language and is therefore closely related (over 80% cognate) to Me'en and Suri, as well as Kwegu and other nearby languages.
The religion of the Mursi people is classified as Animism, although about 15% are Christians.1
The Mursi women are famous for wearing plates in their lower lips. These lip discs are made of clay. Girls are pierced at the age of 15 or 16. Similar body ornaments are worn by the Suyá people, a Brazilian tribe.
Omo National Park
The African Parks Foundation and government park officials are accused of coercing Mursi into giving up their land within the boundaries of the Omo National Park without compensation. The documents are being used to legalize the boundaries of the park, which African Parks has taken over.
A group called "Native Solutions to Conservation Refugees" says that the documents will make the Mursi 'illegal squatters' on their own land and that a similar fate is befalling the Suri Cruz, Dizi, Me'en, and Nyangatom, who also live within the park.2 After the African Parks Foundation took over Nechisar National Park, the Mursi were evicted and 463 houses were burned down on November 25, 2005.1
External links
- Mursi Online
- People of Africa
- The Mursi Language
- National Geographic Photo Gallery
- Mursi in danger of denial of access or displacement
- An anthropologist's comments on the Mursi and the Omo Park situation (also available as a Word file)
- African Parks Foundation
- Mursi Online page on the Mursi ‘Surmic’ language (tugo)
REFERENCES
- (2000) Pancorbo, Luis: "Los labios del río Omo" en "Tiempo de África". Pp. 176-190. Laertes. Barcelona. ISBN 84-7584-438-3
Works cited
- ^ a b c ""People of Africa"". "African Holocaust Society".
- ^ ""Land Issue"". "conservationrefugees".