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Arbore Woman in her Doorway
With her shaved head and layers of beads, this young Arbore woman was an arresting sight as she peered out from her family hut.
Another year has rolled around…
I normally head for the fresh air of the Alpine slopes this time of year, but we spent this New Year’s Eve at home blanketed in smoke, with out-of-control fires raging on three sides. The roads to the mountains were unsafe, and there is no fresh air to be had there either as fires blaze through bushland, taking animal habitats and historic villages with them.
It has been a trying time here in Eastern Australia, with loss of life and inordinate loss of property. My country is in the midst of a firestorm and people are in shock.
But, we are still lucky.
The volunteer fire-fighters have worked around the clock – some for months now – to mitigate the damage. Communities are pulling together to shelter and comfort those who have lost everything, and local businesses are delivering hot food to evacuees camped out in safer areas. Spirits remain strong.
And, we are lucky that – whether through insurance, government support, or the generosity of neighbours and strangers alike – families and communities will rebuild.
This makes me reflect on communities I’ve visited where people have (and are mostly happy with) so much less!
A couple of years ago, I spent a morning in an Arbore village in the Omo Valley. The people there – part of the Cushitic peoples and language group – seemed happy and wise; kind and welcoming. Of course, this hard to say for certain with no common language! In direct contrast to many of the other ethnic groups in the region who have fearsome and aggressive reputations, the Arbore are considered a peaceful and cooperative people.
What I can say from observation is that outside of a few cooking pots, the odd shawl, skirt, and blanket, and copious beads and bangles, these people have almost nothing in the way of personal possessions. They value their cattle, sheep, and goats and live on these and modest agriculture.
Come explore:
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Arbore Village
The grass-and-stick houses and compounds might be simple, but they are brushed clean and tidy.
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Animal Pen
Livestock is critical to a good livelihood, and is kept protected in a thorn-bush corral.
Animal Pen
It is seven in the morning, and the surrounds are soon lit in a warm glow.
Old Arbore Woman
Once women are married, they stop shaving their heads: their customary hairstyle consists of tightly woven braids.
Arbore Women
The temperature has not yet started to climb, and the women are wrapped against the morning chill.
Arbore Man
The men sport colourful beads and closely-cropped hair.
Young Arbore Shepherd
Men commonly wrap a white cloth around their heads. This young shepherd was delightfully engaging; one can only wonder what he would do with his life if his horizons were broader!
Arbore Family
There is a feeling of space here, with the mountains stretching into the distance. Traditionally, Arbore have practiced slash and burn agriculture – moving to new lands as needed.
Man with his Headrest
Most men carry a wooden headrest which doubles as a stool.
Man with a Stick
These people have an unselfconscious grace about them; …
Arbore Man
… they seem so comfortable in front of the camera!
Old Man
What stories lie behind these weathered faces?
Mother and Child
It’s a simple life – but not an easy one.
Arbore Woman
Wise Woman
So much time and wisdom in these old faces.
“Bloom Where You are Planted”
Like the rest of her village, eight year old Gniro seemed perfectly at home, living a life I can barely imagine.
Young Gniro was the perfect dilemma: a girl who has almost nothing in the way of possessions but who seems happy, and who seems bright enough to master any environment, but who was limited to the one she was raised in. Of course, if she was initiated into our world, she might no longer fit into hers, and she would learn to value ‘things’.
Looking at her face is a useful reminder to me, as I face the possible loss of my ‘things’ in the approaching firestorm.
I wish you and yours a less confronting New Year!
[…] These questions were too big for my short visit! I was with photographer Ben McRae, as part of a small-group Piper Mackay Photo-Tour, and we were all doing our best to have a meaningful engagement – without the benefit of a common language – with these delightful people. I’ve shared some of the pictures I took previously (see: Portraits in an Arbore Village). […]
[…] Portraits; and Morning Portraits), Daasanach (see: A Visit to the Daasanach) and Arbore (e.g.: Portraits in an Arbore Village; and Arbore Village Portraits) […]