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Young Woman Biting her Thumb
Even by Ethiopian standards, the Mursi tribes are remote; even by Omo Valley standards, they are considered fierce.
If I had to choose one word to describe the Mursi people of Ethiopia’s Omo Valley, I’d have to say “proud”.
There are roughly 7,500 pastoralist Nilo-Saharan Mursi living across approximately 1900 square kilometres of semi-arid land in an isolated corner of southwestern Ethiopia, close to the border with South Sudan. A tall, good-looking people, they are linguistically and culturally related to the more-populous Suri. The Mursi are a proud group with a rather aggressive reputation. Other tribes fear them, and tourists approach them with caution. They are prepared to have their pictures made – but it will cost you!
I was indeed visiting to make pictures.
I was travelling on a Piper Mackay photographic tour under the direction of photographer Ben McRae. My six fellow-travellers and I had got into our Grand Holidays Ethiopia Tours & Travel vehicles early – very early – to drive from Jinka, across Mago National Park, and into Mursi lands, arriving at our designated village before the sun – or the villagers – were up.
The Mursi measure their riches in cattle and are considered among the wealthiest groups in the Omo Valley. Virtually every important life-event is marked by the exchange of cattle.
But, tourists – especially photographic groups – are the real cash-cow! For many years, all the Omo Valley tribes have operated a “pay-per-click” tourism business, and the Mursi are experts at it. They are also in demand because of their remarkable headdresses, and because their women are among the few groups who still wear lip-plugs. They will face the camera: fierce and magnificent. They won’t necessarily engage with the photographer. Or smile.
I’ve talked before about the dilemmas of pay-for-click tourism, and have posted some of the pictures I “bought” in this Mursi village (see: The Mursi and Mursi Men). One of the biggest problems I had was the transactional nature of the exchanges, and the fact that it encourages “model shoots” rather than fostering any real cross-cultural understanding.
But, I had only a few hours and a lot of Ethiopian birr in small notes; it was not my place to completely change the socio-cultural dynamic. When the black back-drop, the off-camera flashes, and the soft-boxes came out, I took my turn in the queue.
Even so, I tried to interact with people, instead of just seeing them as photo-subjects – or worse: objects to be photographed. I’m not entirely happy with my pictures, but I am pleased that I tried to honour the people, rather than just trying to mould them into stylised shapes for the sake of “pretty” pictures.
This post – my last from this village – includes a few of the people I met and photographed, and hopefully captures a little of their mighty attitude!
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Mursi Village Morning
Mornings in the village get off to a slow start. The fires outside the simple huts are small, the utensils are few, and the treasured water bottles are reused many times. In full face- and body-paint, women grind grain for the staple sorghum porridge or fruit for the local fermented drink.
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Baby, No Lip-Plate
I haven’t yet found a definitive explanation of lip-plate wearing, but among Mursi women it is said to be an expression of maturity. Although inserting the plate is not compulsory, women are thought to be more “graceful” if they do.
Beads, No Lip-Plate
Even women who have cut and stretched their lips and ears for plates do not wear them all the time. The skin hangs loose when the plates or rings are not in. I found this woman – with her beaded fringe and steely expression – transfixing.
Old Woman
Eye problems, dental problems, and a sagging lip: ageing is no fun anywhere, and I have to wonder about the additional difficulties faced in these remote communities with inadequate access to health services.
Woman in a Headdress
The women wear some extraordinary headdresses, constructed from some unlikely materials.
Woman in a Metal Headdress
Each headdress is more fantastic than the last! This one of metal, fruit, and horns was a winner.
Woman with a Lip Plate
The woman wearing it demonstrates how she puts her lip plate in.
Young Women
These young women were determined to show off their scarification – and to earn double pay-per-click!
Woman in a Beaded Headdress
So many people have red eyes! Probably from the smoke and dust in the environment.
Stretched Earlobes
There is a simple elegance in these faces; …
Fruit and Horn Headdress
They hardly need the elaborate headdresses to highlight their beauty!
Woman in a Doorway
The low doors to the huts are small; the lip plates are large. I can’t help but wonder how people get in and out of their houses!
Family Tableau
In and outside the village compound, people just seem to drape themselves into groups in the glaringly-bright morning light.
Youngster with Cow Horns
Fierce attitude against a searing sky – there is nothing tame about the Mursi people! The popular nilla headdress of warthog tusks joined with iron fittings to a leather and rope headpiece is worn by men and women, and even made to decorate cattle. In this instance, the look is embellished with cow horns.
The Look
The proud gaze, framed by the nilla headdress, meets the camera head-on.
Beads, Bangles, and a Baby Sister
Everywhere, you see young children in charge of their younger siblings. Even the very young know how to collect the requisite photo money: this little one has it rolled up and tucked into his arm bangles.
Mursi Scarification : Natural Light
As the light grew more harsh, I made use of it to highlight the keloid scars.
(ISO200 110 mm 1/400sec at f/11 -3EV Bright natural light)
Mursi Scarification : Natural Light
Traditionally, only girls had kitchoga on their stomach and on their backs. If the young women decide it is too painful a process, the full designs may be left unfinished.
(ISO200 200 mm 1/400sec at f/18 -3EV Bright natural light)
Mursi Man and his Weapon
I’ve posted this shot before (see: Mursi Men): it is such a prototypical portrait of a Mursi warrior with his automatic weapon.
(ISO200 63 mm 1/125sec at f/7.1 + Off-Camera Flash)
Young Mursi Mother
It is not quite noon, but the day is already unremittingly hot and bright. We run out of time to “pose” everyone in front of the black cloth – this young mum was happy to be photographed where she sat against the greenery of the surrounding bush.
Ethiopian Mountains
And so, with our last portraits made, we piled into our vehicles to drive back to Jinka, and from there, to catch a flight back to Adis Ababa.
It was ironic that only after that Mursi village visit – the last tribal visit of our whole Omo Valley trip – while we were lunching in Jinka, we found a little book that explained a little about the customs of each of the Southern Ethiopian groups: Omo Valley: a Guide to the Ethnic Groups by Minalu Adem.
Of course, nothing in that booklet, or in the reading I have done on line, gives any kind of clue as to how these remarkable and unique tribal people will travel into a future of state-sponsored development and global capitalism with their cattle and their AK47s, and with their cultural traditions and animist practices that have changed little over hundreds of years.
I wish them luck.
Pictures: 23October2018
