What race are the Nuer people?
Nuer people. The Nuer people are a Nilotic ethnic group primarily inhabiting the Nile Valley. They are concentrated in South Sudan, with some also found in southwestern Ethiopia. They speak the Nuer language, which belongs to the Nilo-Saharan family. As one of the largest ethnic groups in southern Sudan,...
Where do the Nuer live?
They also live in the Ethiopian region of Gambella. The Nuer speak the Nuer language, which belongs to the Nilotic language family. They are the second largest ethnic group in South Sudan.
What is the culture of the Nuer?
The Nuer people are pastoralists who herd cattle for a living. Their cattle serve as companions and define their lifestyle. The Nuer call themselves "Naath". The Nuer people have historically been undercounted because of the semi-nomadic lifestyle. They also have a culture of counting only older members of the family.
Why is the Nuer tribe so famous?
Thus the fame of the Nuer stems from their early notoriety as one of the most courageous and steadfast peoples of Africa in their resistance to colonial conquest and imperial domination.
What is the Nuer tribe culture?
The Nuer have a traditional religious worldview usually called "animistic." But they worship a supreme being called Kwoth (Kuoth) who has various manifestations with which some claim to have personal relationships. The Nuer pray for health and well-being, offering sacrifices to Kwoth so he will answer their petitions.
What does the Nuer tribe believe in?
The Nuer hold a conception of Kwoth, a generalized Spirit or God-essence, reminiscent of the Polynesian mana; and the various named gods and totemic spirits are manifestations of the spiritual essence and not Kwoth themselves.
What is the Nuer tribe religion?
The Nuer religion is animistic in many respects, but they also worship a creator named "Kowth." All life is believed to both come from and return to Kowth. The Nuer pray and offer sacrifices of cattle to Kowth, hoping for health and well-being, to ward off danger or evil, and as part of ceremonies such as marriage.
What do the Nuer celebrate?
The Nuer honor both the high god and the spirits (or lesser divinities) through observance of moral rules (including observation of kinship duties and other social obligations) and sacrifices.
What does Nuer stand for?
[ noo-er ] SHOW IPA. / ˈnu ər / PHONETIC RESPELLING. noun, plural Nu·ers, (especially collectively) Nu·er·er for 1. a member of a tribal people who live along the Nile in southern Sudan and subsist chiefly by raising cattle.
What is Nuer marriage?
Nuer women do not marry deceased men only to continue the man's bloodline. In accordance to Nuer tradition, any wealth owned by the woman becomes property of the man after the marriage. This wealth that is transferred is in the form of cattle, being exchanged from the father's lineage to the mother's lineage.
How do you pronounce Nuer?
0:051:00How To Say Nuer - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipLugar lowe lugar luego andar luego más luego más.MoreLugar lowe lugar luego andar luego más luego más.
How many Nuer tribes are there?
The Nuer, as a whole people, are divided into eight or nine large tribes. The lineages are a major structural factor for political order; however, there is no overall political authority in the tribal structure.
Is Nuer a written language?
The language is written with a Latin-based alphabet. There are several dialects of Nuer, although all share one written standard.
What language did the Nuer speak?
Nuer, people who live in the marsh and savanna country on both banks of the Nile River in South Sudan. They speak an Eastern Sudanic language of the Nilo-Saharan language family.
Are Dinka and Nuer the same?
Both Nuer and Dinka are cattle herders on the vast savannas of the region. The Nuer are fully transhumant; the Dinka less so as their environment is less harsh and better watered, consisting of orchard savanna rather than the treeless plains of Nuerland.
Are the Dinka and Nuer still fighting?
Since the conference there have been no reports of fighting between the two groups. However, it is unlikely that the conflict will be completely resolved in the near future, as several thousands of Nuer continue to look for shelter in UN camps in fear of being killed by Dinka troops once they leave the camps.
What language did the Nuer tribe speak?
Nuer, people who live in the marsh and savanna country on both banks of the Nile River in South Sudan. They speak an Eastern Sudanic language of the Nilo-Saharan language family.
Why are the Dinka and Nuer fighting?
The Dinka and Nuer, two rival pastoralist groups, have competed over grazing land and water for their cattle in the past. These clashes have usually taken place in a local context without causing massive amounts of fatalities.
What religion does the Dinka tribe practice?
Women make pots and weave baskets and some men are blacksmiths, producing various implements for the community. Dinka traditional religion holds that the spirits of the departed become part of the spiritual sphere of earthly life. They believe in a universal God called Nhialac who is the creator and source of life.
How many Nuer tribes are there?
The Nuer, as a whole people, are divided into eight or nine large tribes. The lineages are a major structural factor for political order; however, there is no overall political authority in the tribal structure.
Where are the Nuer people from?
The Nuer people are a Nilotic ethnic group concentrated from Bentui to the far east near Baro River going into Ethiopia in Gambela Region} The Nuer speak the Nuer language Thok Naath, which belongs to the Nilotic language family. They are the largest ethnic group in South Sudan. The Nuer people are pastoralists who herd cattle for a living. Their cattle serve as companions and define their lifestyle. The Nuer call themselves “Naath”.
What did the Nuer tribe eat?
Typical foods eaten by the Nuer tribe include beef, goat, cow’s milk, mangos, and sorghum in one of three forms: “ko̱p” finely ground, handled until balled and boiled, “walwal” ground, lightly balled and boiled to a solid porridge, and injera / Yɔtyɔt, a large, pancake-like yeast-risen flatbread.
What language do the Nuer people speak?
The people speak the Nuer language / Thoknath which belongs to the Nilo-Saharan language phylum.
Why do Nuer people eat cattle?
The Nuer people never eat cattle just because they want to. Cattle are very sacred to them, therefore when they do eat cattle they honour its ghost. They typically just eat the cattle that are up in age or dying because of sickness. But even if they do so, they all gather together performing rituals, dances or songs before and after they slaughter the cattle. Never do they just kill cattle for the fun of it. “Never do Nuer slaughter animals solely because of the desire to eat meat. There is the danger of the ox’s spirit visiting a curse on any individual who would slaughter it without ritual intent, aiming only to use it for food. Any animal that dies of natural causes is eaten”. Many times it may not even just be cattle that they consume, it could be any animal they have scavenged upon that has died because of natural causes. There are a few other food sources that are available for the Nuer to consume. The Nuer diet primarily consists of fish and millet. “Their staple crop is millet.” Millet is formally consumed as porridge or beer. The Nuer turn to this staple product in seasons of rainfall when they move their cattle up to the higher ground. They might also turn to millet when the cattle are performing well enough to support their family.
How did the Nuer culture evolve?
Before development, the Nuer used every single piece of cattle to their advantage. According to Evans-Pritchard, cattle helped evolve the Nuer culture into what it is today. They shaped the Nuer’s daily duties, as they dedicate themselves to protecting the cattle. For example, each month they blow air into their cattle’s rectums to relieve or prevent constipation. Cattle are no good to the Nuer if constipated because they are restricted from producing primary resources that families need to survive. Evans-Pritchard wrote, “The importance of cattle in Nuer life and thought is further exemplified in personal names.” They form their children’s names from the biological features of the cattle.
Why did Sharon Hutchinson return to Nuerland?
In the 1990s, Sharon Hutchinson returned to Nuerland to update E.E. Evans-Pritchard’s account. She found that the Nuer had placed strict limits on the convertibility of money and cattle to preserve the special status of cattle as objects of bridewealth exchange and as mediators to the divine. She also found that as a result of endemic warfare with the Sudanese state, guns had acquired much of the symbolic and ritual importance previously held by cattle.
Why are the Nuer people undercounted?
The Nuer people have historically been undercounted because of the semi-nomadic lifestyle. They also have a culture of counting only older members of the family. For example, the Nuer believe that counting the number of cattle one has could result in misfortune and prefer to report fewer children than they have. Their Ethiopian counterparts are the Horn peninsula’s westernmost Horners.
Where are the Nuer people from?
The Nuer people are a Nilotic ethnic group concentrated in the Greater Upper Nile region of South Sudan and are from Ethiopia's Gambela Region. They speak the Nuer language, which belongs to the Nilotic language family. They are the second largest ethnic group in south Sudan and the second major ethnic group in Gambella. The Nuer people are pastoralists who herd cattle for a living. Their cattle serve as companions and define their lifestyle. The Nuer call themselves "Naath".
How did the Nuer culture evolve?
The Nuer are able to structure their entire culture around cattle and still have what they need. Before development the Nuer used every single piece of cattle to their advantage. According to Evans-Pritchard, cattle helped evolve the Nuer culture into what it is today. They shaped the Nuer's daily duties, as they dedicate themselves to protecting the cattle. For example, each month they blow air into their cattle's rectums to relieve or prevent constipation. Cattle are no good to the Nuer if constipated because they are restricted from producing primary resources that families need to survive. Evans-Pritchard wrote, "The importance of cattle in Nuer life and thought is further exemplified in personal names." They form their children's names from biological features of the cattle.
Why do Nuer people eat cattle?
The Nuer people never eat cattle just because they want to. Cattle are very sacred to them, therefore when they do eat cattle they honor its ghost. They typically just eat the cattle that is up in age or dying because of sickness. But even if they do so, they all gather together performing rituals, dances or songs before and after they slaughter the cattle. Never do they just kill cattle for the fun of it. “Never do Nuer slaughter animals solely because the desire to eat meat. There is the danger of the ox’s spirit visiting a curse on any individual who would slaughter it without ritual intent, aiming only to use it for food. Any animal that dies of natural causes is eaten.” Many times it may not even just be cattle that they consume, it could be any animal they have scavenged upon that has died because of natural causes. There are a few other food sources that are available for the Nuer to consume. The Nuer diet primarily consists of fish and millet. “Their staple crop is millet." Millet is formally consumed as porridge or beer. The Nuer turn to this staple product in seasons of rainfall when they move their cattle up to higher ground. They might also turn to millet when the cattle are performing well enough to support their family.
What halted the Nuers aggressive territorial expansion against the Dinka and Anyuak?
The intrusion of the British in the 19th century greatly halted the Nuers aggressive territorial expansion against the Dinka and Anyuak.
Why are cattle important to the Nuer people?
Sharon Hutchinson writes that "among Nuer people the difference between people and cattle was continually underplayed." Cattle are particularly important in their role as bride wealth, where they are given by a husband's lineage to his wife's lineage. This exchange of cattle ensures that the children will be considered to belong to the husband's lineage. The classical Nuer institution of ghost marriage, in which a man can "father" children after his death, is based on this definition of relations of kinship and descent by cattle exchange. In their turn, cattle given over to the wife's patrilineage enable the male children of that patrilineage to marry and thereby ensure the continuity of her patrilineage. An infertile woman can even take a wife of her own, whose children, biologically fathered by men from other unions, then become members of her patrilineage, and she is legally and culturally their father, allowing her to metaphorically participate in reproduction.
How do Nuer refugees work in the United States?
They use different means ranging from letters to new technologically advanced communication methods in order to stay connected to their families in Africa. Nuer in the United States provide assistance for family members’ paperwork to help their migration process to the Unit ed States. Furthermore, Nuer in the United States observe family obligations by sending money for those still in Africa.
Why are Nuer people undercounted?
he Nuer people have historically been undercounted because of the semi-nomadic lifestyle. They also have a culture of counting only older members of the family. For example, the Nuer believe that counting the number of children one has could result in misfortune and prefer to report fewer children than they have. Their Ethiopian counterparts are the Horn peninsula's westernmost Horners.
What ethnic group is Nuer?
The Nuer are a prominent and second most populous ethnic group in South Sudan, contributing to 16 percent, or two million people, of the total population. Given this status, the Nuer have stood at the center of the civil Sudanese conflict for decades.
Where do the Nuer live?
The Nuer live in South Sudan in rural swamps and open savannas on both sides of the Nile River. They are located approximately 500 miles south of Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. Due to the civil conflict, the Nuer also inhabit United Nations refugee camps in the South Sudanese capital city of Juba.Nuer also seek refuge in neighboring countries like Uganda, which hosts over a million refugees. Approximately 2.5 million South Sudanese are seeking refuge or asylum protections. The majority of these refugees are women and children.
Why was the Nuer leader dismissed?
In 2013, Vice President Riek Machar, a Nuer, was dismissed by the South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, a Dinka, over accusations of a coup attempt against the president. In addition to past support for the North by the Nuer, this sparked massive violence;
What is the Nuer clan?
The Nuer of South Sudan form a cluster of autonomous sections and clans. The North had long sought state control of Nuer land, but neglect of social and political developments provoked two civil wars. This eventually led to South Sudan gaining independence from the North after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005 and the Independence Referendum in 2011.There is no structured political system for the Nuer, generating significant conflict. However, dominant clans often hold more significance and elders often make decisions.
What is the NIRA?
International nonprofit and government agencies like the Nuer International Relief Agency (NIRA), The Red Cross, UNICEF and the U.N. provide humanitarian relief, health and education for war-affected and displaced Nuer.
How many people are seeking refuge in South Sudan?
Approximately 2.5 million South Sudanese are seeking refuge or asylum protections. The majority of these refugees are women and children. The Nuer of South Sudan are cattle raising pastoralists. Horticulture is also commonly practiced, but less desirable. With more than 80 percent of the populace living in rural areas, ...
What is the significance of cattle in South Sudan?
With more than 80 percent of the populace living in rural areas, cattle have historically been both a cultural and religious symbol, signifying wealth as well as an economic livelihood for the Nuer. Cattle are particularly important as a part of bridewealth exchanges. Since independence, the official language of South Sudan is English, ...
What is the Nuer tribe?
The Nuer, a tall and very dark people, are related to the Dinka, who live to their west, and their culture is very similar. The Nuer call themselves Naath, meaning "human beings." The Nuer, Dinka and Atwot (Atuot) are sometimes considered one ethnic group.
Where do the Nuer live?
The Nuer live mostly in Southern Sudan, in the east Upper Nile Province around the junction of the Nile River with the Bahr el Ghazal and Sobat Rivers, and extending up the Sobat across the Ethiopian border. The Center of the Nuer area is around Lake No.
What is the Nuer culture?
A cultural profile of the Nuer. The Nuer are a Nilotic group in South Sudan, living a mixed pastoral and agricultural lifestyle. The Nuer People of South Sudan — A Cultural Profile. Profiles Menu.
How does the Nuer life change?
The Nuer living pattern changes according to the seasons of the year. As the rivers flood, the people have to move farther lack onto higher ground, where the women cultivate millet and maize while the men herd the cattle nearby. In the dry season, the younger men take the cattle herds closer to the receding rivers. Cooperative extended family groups live around communal cattle camps.
What is the Nuer man's dearest possession?
Like many of his pastoral neighbors, a Nuer man's dearest possession is his cattle. Life depends on cattle and a Nuer will risk his life to defend them or to raid his neighbor's cattle. The Nuer worldview is built around the herds and prestige is measured by the quantity and quality of the cattle a man owns.
When did the Nuer move east?
Archeologists indicate that the introduction of cattle in this area is related to the development of the distinct peoples the Nuer are descended from. Oral traditions indicate that the Nuer have moved east of the Nile River only during the last 200 years. They began an especially active migration about the mid 1800s.
Why are cows important to Nuer?
Cattle play an important part in Nuer religion and ritual. Cows are dedicated to the spirits of the owner's lineages and any personal spirits that may have possessed them at any time. The Nuer believe they establish contact with these ancestor spirits by rubbing ashes along the backs of oxen or cows dedicated to them, through the sacrifice of cattle. No important Nuer ceremony of any kind is complete without such a sacrifice.
How did the Nuer live?
They occupied the swampy flood plain known as the Sudd region along the White Nile. These farmer-herders lived by raising cattle and cultivating crops, moving away from their permanent settlements in the dry season after the rains had tapered off and the floods had receded in order to take advantage of grazing in low-lying areas near rivers and streams. Fishing, hunting, and the gathering of wild fruits rounded out their diet.
What does the Nuer language mean?
The Nuer language is a Nilotic language closely related to the speech of the Dinka and Atwot. The language is uniform with no definable dialects.
Why are cattle important to Nuer life?
Because cattle represent the Nuer's social, cultural, and economic security, they are a constant source of conflict . The grazing plains of the upper Nile have been a major cause of conflict between the Nuer and the Dinka and among the different subgroups of Nuer. Cattle have also dictated the way the Nuer have reacted to state authorities. The successive governments in Khartoum have mandated that cattle in all Nilotic areas be incorporated into the state economy. Taxation was one method for achieving that aim. Requiring the Nuer to pay taxes in cash in a cashless economy where paid labor did not exist ensured that the Nuer would have to sell their cattle. The effort by the north to commercialize Nuer cattle has historically caused the Nuer to challenge the government, including their participation in the current war. Among the Nuer, the government's efforts to commercialize their cattle has been seen as an assault on their identity. There are regional variations between different Nuer subgroups, and these differences have been used by the government to weaken Nuer resistance. Nuer cattle have become monetized and commercialized, and the sizes of their herds have dwindled drastically, causing large numbers of Nuer to seek refuge in disaster relief centers across the country or in Dinka villages to the west.
Why do Nuer sacrifice animals?
Frequently an offering is presented or an animal is sacrificed in order to appease or drive away the evil spirit. The Nuer pray for health and well-being, offering sacrifices to Kuoth so he will answer their petitions. There is no organized religious hierarchy or system, but many individuals serve as diviners and healers.
What are some examples of names for Nuer women?
For example, most common names for Nuer women and girls begin with the latter sound: Nyayoi, Nyawec (the c at the end is pronounced ch ). Because of these unusual sounds, the written form of the language developed by missionaries in the 1930s and 1940s includes several letters not used in writing European languages.
How much rain does Nuer get?
The region receives heavy rains—about 50 to 100 cm (20 to 40 in) per year —which falls almost entirely from May through October, with average daily maximum temperatures about 30° to 32°c (86° to 90°f). Dry winds blow from the north from November until April, bringing clear, sunny skies, with March and April being very hot months with high temperatures in the range of 38°c (100°f). The Nuer homeland is very flat, causing slow drainage and widespread flooding during the rainy season. Those same lands offer lush grazing for cattle during the dry season. The landscape also includes a few trees, such as small groves of thorny acacias and lalob trees, a very large shade tree, and a few palm trees.
Why is the Nuer so famous?
Thus the fame of the Nuer stems from their early notoriety as one of the most courageous and steadfast peoples of Africa in their resistance to colonial conquest and imperial domination.
Summary
The Nuer people are a Nilotic ethnic group concentrated in the Greater Upper Nile region of South Sudan. They also live in the Ethiopian region of Gambella. The Nuer speak the Nuer language, which belongs to the Nilotic language family. They are the second largest ethnic group in South Sudan. The Nuer people are pastoralists who herd cattle for a living. Their cattle serve as companions and …
Overview
The Nuer people have historically been undercounted because of the semi-nomadic lifestyle. They also have a culture of counting only older members of the family. For example, the Nuer believe that counting the number of cattle one has could result in misfortune and prefer to report fewer children than they have. Their Southsudan counterparts are the Horn peninsula's westernmost Horners.
History
The Anuak people are said to have originally been a section of the Naath people that migrated out of the Gezira but south into a barren dry land that they called "Kwer Kwong"", which was in southern Kordofan. Centuries of isolation and influence from Luo peoples caused them to be a distinct ethnic group from the Naath. The Arrival of Baggara Arabs and their subsequent slave raids in the late 1700s caused the Nuer to migrate en masse from southern Kordofan into what is now Bentiu. …
Culture
Cattle have historically been of the highest symbolic, religious and economic value to the Nuer. Sharon Hutchinson writes that "among Nuer people the difference between people and cattle was continually underplayed." Cattle are particularly important in their role as bride wealth, where they are given by a husband's lineage to his wife's lineage. This exchange of cattle ensures that the children will be considered to belong to the husband's lineage. The classical Nuer institution of g…
Nuer military and political leaders
Some important Nuer politicians were, Both Diu who was the first Nuer and South Sudan Politician from 1947 followed by Gai Tut. In Military is Bol Nyawan who fought against the Khartoum government in Bentiu; he was killed in 1985 by the current president of Sudan. Commander Ruai and Liah Diu Deng were responsible for the attack that forced Chevron to suspend activities in the oil field around 1982.
Naming conventions
• (Nya) Nyada meaning "daughter all females begin with (Nya) of", is the standard prefix used for female names. Gat, meaning "son of", is a common prefix for male names.
• Children are commonly given names to mark historical events ("Dɔmaac" meaning "bullet", or Mac meaning "fire or gun" given to a child born during times of war or from another man in the name of the deceased father who legally married the mother ).
Oil
Oil exploration and drilling began in 1975 and 1976 by companies such as Chevron. In 1979 the first oil production took place in the southern regions of Darfur. In the early 1980s when the north–south war was happening, Chevron was interested in the reserves in the south. In 1984 guerrillas of SPLA (Sudan People's Liberation Army) attacked the drilling site of the north at Bentiu. In return, Chevron cleared Nuer and Dinka people in the oil fields area to ensure security f…
See also
• Lost Boys of Sudan
• Dinka tribe
• Anuak people
• Nuer White Army
• Sudanese nomadic conflicts