(Travel Story)
Culture is the element that portrays the identity of human beings exceedingly. It encapsulates the identity of a person and his or her viewpoint and character in general. Ethiopia, the mother of thousands of cultural identities, is characterized by its wholeness in the issue. Among the interesting and unique cultural features, Gamo Zone had peculiar beauty and merit in its culture and identity. The Ethiopian Herald was there to witness this fact.
We arrived at Arba Minch from Addis on the evening of Meskerem 15. The next day we got up early and headed to the office of the Culture and Tourism Department of Gamo Zone. After we introduced ourselves and our objectives to the officers, we were welcomed by the department head, and we got the communication expert to come with us to help us in advance facilitate things. Together with Dr. Seid Mohammed, who is the research director of the Chamo Campus of Arba Minch University, we started our journey to Dorzie at 9:00 am.
We got in Dorzie at around 1:20 p.m. Dorzie is a small district. But that day it was forced to accommodate things beyond its capacity. Lots of guests, tourists, journalists, musicians, and demonstrators of the culture were thronging the marketplace of the district. Everybody was too fascinated with the unfolding event. I was taken by surprise by the strange happening. Everything I was seeing was peculiar and very attractive. New things began to happen without allowing the first to cease. Awe-inspiring events were taking place here and there. First I was calling the cameraman to take pictures, but then I preferred just to understand things as much as I could.
At that marketplace, over 2000 oxen were slain. Lumps of raw and fresh meat were laid on green leaf carpets here and there. Some were smoking cultural pipes. Cultural dances and singing instantly took place. Older ladies sat apart at the other edge of the market, gulping cultural liquor called Korefe. People continued uttering Yo Maskela Yo Yo with an eye-catching jump. Out of a sudden, Dr Seid alerted me to start our journey to Kogota, where the following cultural event took place.
We arrived at the place at around 4:00 pm. Before reaching at the meeting cultural place called Dubusha, our coordinator let us alight out of the car to see an event. The action was so fast that the cameraman and I were almost running to catch up. We saw a crowd of baby boys in the age bracket 7 and 9. They had put on culturally made trousers like Dinguza. They added the leather of a tiger on their shoulder. One criterion for these boys was their being uncircumcised. . They were barefooted. These boys were walking fast through the cereal food plants that did not have pathways. They were simply walking. My mind was about to bust out. Many whys…. I finally got up with the Halka or chief of that area and other guests who were very familiar with the culture.
They all told me that those boys were the ones who received the leadership position called Kalona. This shows their appointment by the leaders of the community or that Derie chief. These boys were highly recognized and respected by the people. Whatever they say the command was respected and translated into action with alacrity by the community. Their basic responsibility was preserving the field of Dubusha. The field is seen as a sacred one that the grazing of cattle and other human activities are prohibited in the field. Particularly when Meskel holiday draws close, the field is reserved. To show this these boys warned the people and the chiefs stemmed the areal plant called Kerkeha. If this plant is cut and poled in the field, it means that it is forbidden to let the cattle graze it. Thus, their power transition which is made per year or two is made at Damera or eve of Meskel.
The other fascinating culture that took place at the same day was Sophie. In Gamo culture when a woman gets married, she is taken to the family of her husband. The host family take care of the bride by feeding her delicious and relevant foods. Besides this, the woman is not expected to take care of household chores. It is the mother and sister of her husband who prepares food and takes over the routines of the house. Before she got out to Sophie at Dubusha on the mentioned date, she should not be seen by the community. It is a taboo to watch a woman at any place before she gets out at Sophie.
Though the marriage is made legally or culturally, the marriage is going to be approved if the couples are seen at Sophie. At that day, the woman especially is expected to be decorated well. She wears a very respected and adored costume dress made from cotton in the area. She puts Buluko on it. She also put on various attractive jewelry and bracelets. On top of her dressing, she put on the garment made from leather. More than such decorations the most attractive thing was the amount of butter she had carried on her head.
The butter is layered smeared) higher on her hair to show how respected and well of the family of her husband economically and genetically is. Atop the butter, a leaf of ostrich is seen. Here again, the amount of the leaf, as the interviewed elders said, is a sign to mark how her tribe is great and generous in the society. Thus, the couples get up on a hilltop at Dubusha that the crowd can see them easily and identify who is going to be the one that fit the beauty and comfort competition. Thus, beyond getting recognition from the gathering, the people also made labeling on who is beautiful and whose body is kept well. Then the one that won this criterion is going to be the cause for the uplifting of the family and the tribe too.
After this cultural exhibition, there was another cultural program to take place at Dubusha. A power transition session was organized. Since this zone has been administered by a cultural system, leaders at different levels and chiefs are going to be alternated as per their tenure. The dressing and the protocols of the chosen chiefs used to be very different and the expected personal traits were quite different from the usual ordinary one.
The chief or Huduga of the given Derie that means the culturally parted region, wears a cultural garment to be stylistically tied at his waist. He is not allowed to have any shorts inside. The implication as the interviewed elders said is to show how he frees his people. That is his sexual organ is supposed to stay free signifying he never oppresses the people he is leading. He is also expected to put on the respected garment called Gabi with the design of Dinguza at its edge. Dinguza is the artistic pattern that is made by interweaving black, yellow, and red threads which are used to mark the mean of Gamo people. The edge of this garment is supposed to be ended up in the right side of the person’s shoulder. As the chief of Dita told to Herald, the meaning of making it to stay at this side is to imply that the chief is humble, optimistic, cautious, and always ready to serve his people. The chief added that the chiefs of a given Derie are supposed to hold a half metal made stick called Hurusa.
Though the ceremony was taking place at Damera at that Dubusha was proceeding apace,, time constraint was not allowing us to stay anymore. We had to get back to Arba Minch. We got into our car. Suddenly a resident of the locality asked us for a company. We invited him to join us. I asked him if he had any clue about the cultural proceeding that was taking place on the field. He was the right person. He briefed us on each activity that was taking place that day. I then categorized the issues to be addressed in different themes. Thus, major cultural portrayals seen during the day will be covered in the coming articles.
BY MEKDES TAYE (PhD)
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 20 OCTOBER 2024
