Surma People
The Surma people are considered to be “nomads” by other Ethiopians. But in true sense the surma are no longer nomads. They were nomads when people have been fewer in number and competing for grazing. Now days they are living settled life depending on cultivated grains (Sorghum and maize) for the greater part of their subsistence.
Karo People
The karo tribes are considered to be the master of body painting. They decorate their body with different colors when they are going to engage in dance, feast or celeberation.The karo tribe are residing along the borders of the lower Omo River incorporates rich cultural symbolism in to their rituals by using ornate body arts, intricate head dresses, and body scarification to express beauty and significance within their community. The Karo frequently perform the Pilla ritual, which signifies the coming of adolescence for the young men. The initiation must demonstrate that he is ready to “become a man” by leaping over rows of cattle six times consecutively without falling. If he is successful, the boy will become eligible for marriage (as long as his older brothers are already married) and he will be allowed to prepare publicly with elders in sacred areas.
Hamer People
The Hamer occupy mountainous region in the eastern part of the lower Omo valley. The Hamar have integrated with many of their neighbors. Currently they make up the biggest Omotic language group in the Lower Omo region.
The Hamar women are some of the most elaborately dressed women of the region.
Mursi
This group of tribe is related to the Nilo –Sharan linguistic family. They depend on rearing cattle. Their distinctive feature is that the labial and lobular plates worn by the women. A small wooden or ceramic disc is inserted into the incision and gradually replaced by larger ones until the full sized disc can be worn. This is done to explain social status.
The woman removes their plates on ceain occasions but never when Mursi men are around. The plates are made from mud (reddish or black) or wood. There are different sizes and shapes (circular and trapezoidal). And they may be decorated with cuts or incisions on the wood or mud. Some times the center is hollow, forming a large labial ring.
Konso Tribe
The Konso, who are from Cushitic speaking language family, live in an isolated, dry and ruggedly mountains region? The area is made up of hard rocky slopes. The very special thing of this people is their fortified villages by a stone wall used as a defensive measure. Their village is located on hilltops and is split up into communities, with each community having a main hut or ward division called as kanta. The other spectacular feature of Konso walled Towns is the presence of public gathering place called Moora,which serves as a gathering place for young people after dinner and they also serve as Guest houses for travelers..In order to enter a Konso village, you must pass through a gate and a series of alleys. These paths are part of its security system, keeping the village difficult to access.
Arbore Tribe
The Arbore tribe is a small tribe that lives in the southwest region of the Omo Valley. They have ancestral and cultural links to the Konso people and perform many ritual dances while singing. Arbore people are pastoralists (livestock farmers). They believe that their singing and dancing eliminates negative energy and with the negative energy gone, the tribe wills prosper. The women of the tribe cover their heads with a black cloth and are known to wear very colorful necklaces and earrings. Young children will wear a shell type hat that protects their heads from the sun. Body painting is done by the Arbore using natural colors made from soild and stone. Traditional dancing is practiced by the tribe and wealth is measured by the number of cattle a tribesman owns.
Dorze Tribe
They are famous for their cotton woven cloths, different handcrafts, beehive & huts. The Dorze people are found in the southern Ethiopia in Gamo Gofa Zone in Chencha Town 47kms from Arbaminch. They cultivate their own food and prevent erosion by terracing along the mountainside. In their farmlands, the Dorze will grow highland cereals. They also grow spices, vegetables, fruits and tobacco within their compound. The Dorzes are very much Touristic tribe for their spectacular Vernacular house called KETTA.The KETTA is made up of hard wood poles, woven bamboo, Enset and other natural materials.
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