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Goatherds at Sundown
Every day, Kara boys and men bring the goats back into the Dus Village compound for the night. The older males carry their AK-47s to protect the precious herds against wild animals and marauding rival tribes.
Life in for the semi-nomadic Kara (Karo) people in Ethiopia’s Omo Valley is simple – simple, but not easy.
There is no electricity and no running water. The people live in dark, circular huts made from sticks and grass. Tradition dictates one’s place and ritual determines one’s behaviour. Every day, the women grind sorghum on large stones to make meal for the staple diet of porridge. And, every day, the boys and men look after the precious goats.
Tsetse flies, which spread African Trypanosomiasis – or ‘sleeping sickness’, are prevalent in the region. So, the Kara focus on goats and sheep, which are less vulnerable to the illness than larger livestock. They do keep a few cattle, but that meat is reserved for special occasions.
The Kara are a small group who maintain friendly, symbiotic relations with the neighbouring and loosely-related Hamar, Banna, Dassanetch, and Arbore tribes. However, they cultivate ongoing animosities with the Mursi and Nyangatom: the Nyangatom live across the Omo River, occupying territory the Kara believe is theirs, and bloody skirmishes are not uncommon.
For this reason, and for the protection of the herds, every young man must own an AK-47 before he is allowed to marry. He is expected to demonstrate his ability to protect his village, his family, and the herd that represents his wealth.
Like the other Omo Valley ethnic tribes, the Kara are happy to earn money from tourists who come to photograph their creative body- and face-paint, and to learn about their daily practices and customs. But, the three little Kara villages are hard to get to, even by Ethiopian standards. Grand Holidays Ethiopia organised and set up a mobile campsite, complete with generators and portable showers, so that our group – travelling with photographer Ben McRae on a Piper Mackay tour – could stay several days in the heart of Kara territory in comfort.
This proximity had allowed us to visit the largest Kara settlement, Dus Village, a number of times. Sadly, it was our last full day there. After a morning of portraiture (see: Tribal Portraits), I was off to make a second attempt at capturing the daily activity of bringing the goats home at sundown (see: Men and Goats and Dust).
Join me in the dust of the plateau above the beautiful Omo River:
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A Gun and a Baby Goat
The gentle way in which this man is carrying a baby kid belies his status as a proven warrior: his feathered clay cap tells us he has been responsible for a kill of an enemy or dangerous animal in recent times.
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Kara Warrior with a Kid
I don’t know why this kid is being so tenderly carried, when the rest of the herd walks.
Kara Goatherd
A young lad in body paint uses a switch …
Herding Goats
… to keep the precious herd moving.
Kara Goatherd in Stripes
Barefoot and bare chested, the young goatherds in their body paint and wrap skirts …
Young Kara Goatherd
… keep the goat herd together and compact.
Warrior with Goats and an AK-47
In spite of the prevalence of Kalashnikovs – and warriors who have demonstrated their deadliness – I never felt remotely at risk with these people.
Goatherd with a Kalashnikov
Silhouetted Goatherd
As the afternoon sun drops in the sky, …
Goatherd at Sundown
… the goats and the goatherd are silhouetted in the last light.
Goatherd and Goats
The late afternoon sun creates interesting lighting effects.
Goats in the Dust
The animals are quite large, and many have beautiful markings.
Goatherd with his a Stool
The men in the Omo Valley all carry their small stools carved from acacia wood; these are also used as headrests when the men are out with the flocks.
Goats on the Plateau
Looking back away from the sun, the herd is bathed in afternoon light.
Goats at Sunset
Goats like Scherenschnitten
As a child, I was fascinated by scherenschnitten: German scissor-cut outlines in black paper. As I lay in the dust, watching the herd silhouetted against the evening sky, I was reminded of that traditional art.
Guns and Goats
The evening sun sends its last rays over the horizon.
Twilight in the Dust
A stool and gun – what more could a warrior want?
Goat Herders on the Plateau
The last light angles over the herd on the plateau above the village, …
Water Tower
… setting a red glow behind the village water tower.
I was sad to farewell these beautiful people and to pack up my wonderful tent in the dappled jungle clearing …
But, while we were off on another adventure tomorrow, the Kara men and boys would – once again – be looking after their goats and sheep.
Until next time …
[…] Thought to number about 30,000 people across South Sudan and Ethiopia, the Nyangatom have a reputation for being aggressive, and conflicts between themselves and neighbouring tribes are not uncommon. The village I visited on the west bank of the Omo River was on contested lands that was reputedly taken from the Kara people in bloody battle (see: Goats and Guns at Sunset). […]