Cultural Encounter with Pokot People At Lake Baring, Safari Tour Tribes To Tribes Northern Kenya
The Pokot people live in West Pokot County and Baringo County in Kenya and the Pokot District of the eastern Karamoja region in Uganda. The Pokot are part of the Kalenjin community and are highland Nilotes originating from southern Ethiopia. They migrated southward into Kenya as early as 2,000 years ago. The Pokot are economically divided into two groups: pastoral Pokot and agricultural Pokot.
The Pokot speak the Pökoot language, which is. broadly similar to the related Marakwet, Nandi, and Tugen. and other members of the Kalenjin language group. The Pokot community has one of the unique, richest cultures in Kenya if not the world; the most authentic and unexploited. Cultural activities include Sapana (men's rite of passage to adulthood), Kidong'a (a traditional dance by all ages set every evening), and circumcision ceremonies.
About one-quarter of Pokot peoples are cultivators ("corn people"), while the remaining are pastoralists ("cow people"). Among both groups, however, wealth is measured by the number of cows one owns. Cows are used for barter, exchange, and most significantly as a form of bride wealth. A man is permitted to marry more than one woman, as long as he has a sufficient number of cows to offer to her family in exchange. This is the primary way for wealth and resources to change hands in Pokot society. Cows are rarely slaughtered for meat because they are much more valuable alive. They provide milk, butter, and cheese, which provide an important component of Pokot dietary needs.
In the past, these groups often clashed with the Turkana, Samburu, and the Karamojong of Uganda, due to frequent cattle raids as well as trespassing in search of water and new pasturelands. Cattle play a central role in the social training of young people. Following the initiation ceremony to enter society, which in the case of men is conducted when they are 15 to 20 years old, each Pokot takes the name of his favorite ox.
The position of women in Pokot society is weak. A woman has no voice in any public forums and no authority within her homestead. She is considered "foolish", like the cows for which she is traded. Illness and death are greatly feared among the Pokot. Much of their religious ritual is involved in warding off illness or in effecting cures. The majority of the Pokots still follow their traditional religion. Some of Pokot are Christians but the majority are traditionalists. Even among Christians, the traditional religious worldview is still dominant.
Verbal art is very important among the Pokot. Proverbs are used with versatility both to teach and to make a point. At a gathering of elders, a person may use proverbs to show what a good speaker he is. They are also used to teach younger people the consequences of straying from the moral path.
Pokot society is governed through a series of age-grades. Group membership is determined by the age at which one undergoes initiation. For young men, this occurs between ages fifteen and twenty, while for young women it usually occurs around age twelve at the onset of menarche. After initiation, young people are allowed to marry and are permitted to begin participating in local economic activities. Young men and women form close bonds with other members of their initiation groups, and these bonds serve for future political ties. When a man or woman reaches old age among Pokot, he or she is accorded a certain degree of status and respect. Responsibilities of elders include presiding over important community decisions, festivals, and religious ceremonies.
A popular tale, that of the Louwialan clan, is told to warn against pride. Another common tale is that of the blind girl who returns from death. Riddles(Tyangoi) are mostly used as a way of sharpening children's wits and capturing their attention during story-telling time.
Tororot is considered the supreme deity among Pokot. Prayers and offerings are made to him during communal gatherings, including feasts and dances. Such ceremonies are usually presided over by a community elder. Diviners and medicine men also play a significant role in maintaining spiritual balance within the community. Pokot believes in sorcery and uses various forms of protection to escape the ill will of sorcerers. Pokot also revere a series of other deities, including sun and moon deities and a spirit who is believed to be connected with death. Dances and feasts are held to thank the god for the generosity and abundance, which he bestows upon Pokot communities.
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