The Journey To Explore The Gabbra Cultural People Living In Chalbi Desert, Kenya.
Travel with us to Kenya's northeastern virgin lands and get to know the Gabbra, a nomadic tribe of 31,000 people, who live along both sides of its border with Ethiopia. They are an eastern Cushitic (Oromo) speaking people who originated from southern Ethiopia.
The Gabra migrated to Northern Kenya around the 15th century due to their pastoral nature. They settled in present-day Moyale, Marsabit, North Horr the vast Chalbi Desert, and the southern part of Ethiopia. They are closely associated with other Oromo, especially their non-nomadic neighbors, the Borana.
The Gabbra are Pastoralists with a strong attachment to camels and have developed a rich culture stemming from the harsh environment in which they live. During the two rainy seasons that the Gabra live most self-sufficiently, ritual ceremonies abound.
The Gabbra live in the Chalbi desert of northern Kenya, between Lake Turkana and Moyale and Marsabit, extending into the Bula Dera plain east of the Moyale-Marsabit road, and the Mega escarpment in southern Ethiopia. They share portions of this area with the Borana, Rendille, Samburu, Daasanech, and Turkana
The Gabbra speak the Borana language, an Oromo language in the Eastern Cushite family, having gradually lost their Rendille-related language, which was in the Somali branch of the Eastern Cushite family.
The cyclical weather pattern, in conjunction with the pasture needs of the Gabbra's herds, largely determines migrations, birthing patterns, and the timing of initiation rites.
For the Gabbra, to live in balance with a trying environment is to protect land, animals, and fellow Gabbra. Thus, they practice certain food and plant taboos, preserve full-grown trees called "korma" (bulls), and revere pregnant women and pregnant animals. As resource managers, they migrate to the highlands during the rainy season to allow the dry season pasture to replenish its water resources.
Perhaps most symbolic of Gabbra's identity is the proverb: "A poor man shames us all." Since mutual support is imperative for their survival as nomads, no Gabbra may be allowed to go hungry, go without animals, or be refused hospitality or assistance. A person who refuses to help others is labeled "al Baku," a stigma that stays affixed to the family for generations. The practice of camel lending exemplifies this support system.
The Gabbra has a mixed-livestock economy consisting of camels, cattle, sheep, and goats. It is almost entirely based on reciprocity. Most central to the way of life and economy is the camel. When a Gabbra comes into possession of a camel, it's named to ensure the Gabbra's right of ownership. The camel will be loaned or given to other Gabbra in need, and a future act of reciprocity will be expected. In this sense, camels provide great security; they also provide most of the meat and the dry season's supply of milk. They also transport goods and water from foraging areas to surrounding villages. Selling camels and their by-products to outsiders is taboo.
Villages and camps are outside foraging grounds for several reasons: camels are unpredictable, don't forage near their dung, and destroy the vegetation within nine miles. The Gabbra split their camps into two sites. The settlement - i"ola" - ranges from three to twenty-five huts. Satellite camps - "fora" - are smaller and far from the settlement. In Fora, young men watch over part of the clan's herds to prevent pastures from being consumed too quickly. Splitting the herd also protects it from thieves, disease, or other disasters.
The Gabbra culture is entwined with their care of camels. They are still primarily pastoralists. They share the Oromo clan identities with their Borana neighbors but retain older Somali-Rendille identities. This yields a complicated pattern of clans and "moieties". There is a complicated Oromo generational system called "gada" which includes all people born with successive 7-year periods. But all the sons of one man are in one generation set, and it is common for a ruling generation to actually "keep the turban" for more than 7 years.
Polygamy is accepted but rare. The family is the foundation of society. The Gabbra make round houses of bent pole frames covered with skins and grass mats. Up to 25 houses make up an olla (village) of up to 75 people. Ten to 15 families in a village is common. The packing and unpacking of the house at moving time is done by women. The men care for the animals.
One elder is appointed as abba-alla (father of the village) and is obeyed because his competence, is respected by those who democratically chose him. An assembly of elders settles disputes and makes decisions related to community life, new grazing areas, and celebrations.
Animals belong to the head of each family, but no individual can own land--it belongs to the whole tribe. All have access to water wells. The Gabbra goat is known for hardiness and tenderness, a feat in the rough areas where they live.
Their basic diet was milk and meat. But because of the decimation of their herds due to repeated droughts, they now include tea, ugali, beans, and oil. Milk is drunk fresh or curdled. The Gabbra do not mix milk with blood as do some other herding nomads. They use tobacco with soda as snuff.
Since many young Gabbra men are separated from the main camp for long periods, marriages are often postponed. 50 percent of Gabbra women are unmarried until well into their thirties. This, along with Gabbra's postpartum sex taboo, controls the population. Living in the fora also excludes young men from the political and social activities of the main camp.
Young men of herding age (19-33) qualify as "pre-adults" in men's five-stage life cycle. The stages are: - (I) children; (II) men aged 19-33; (III) male political elders, a status achieved when a man marries; (IV) spiritual elders; and (V) retired elders. These stages, ideally separated by eight years, are usually initiated with a long pilgrimage to the shrines of mythical founders.
Gabbra's life is labor-intensive, so everyone has specific tasks. Although the men decide when to migrate, women pack and unpack the campsite before and after migration. Women "own" the huts and have complete authority over them. From age 7, children work six to seven hours a day, mainly tending the animals, while grandmothers largely rear and educate the young.
Men are active in three levels of political and judicial administration. The camp is run by its headman. The district is comprised of several camps, whose council of men decides on stock, organization, raids, defense, disputes, and assistance for victims of stock epidemics and raids. The five phratries, the largest regional group, have assemblies that serve as a mobile judicial, administrative, and spiritual hub.
Women's political contributions are subtle. Although they refer to themselves as children regarding the political process, and although men demean the contributions women make, men often defer to women in certain matters.
The Gabra practice a monotheistic religion based on the traditional Oromo religion, centering on the worship of the god Waaqa, syncretized with Islamic elements. The Gabra pray to Waqa every day when they take camels to pasture. The prayers beseech Waqa to bless the camels and Gabra with peace and prosperity, especially with rains. Their lips are always drizzling with nagaya (peace) when praying. The communal prayers are often led by special men called Kallu, who are often born into Kallu clans.
The Kallu clans are made up of the descendants of the first Gabra ancestors who were said to have appeared on earth from heaven. The Kallu men have the power to both bless and curse, so they are treated with utter respect.
The senior men from this clan are High Kallu and they have very special ceremonial powers. The Gabra make pilgrimages to sacred sites, most of which are located in the mountainous terrain of what is today Borana territory.
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