CULTURE OF THE MURSI TRIBE

Mursi, or Mursu or Mun as they refer to themselves, are a Nilotic pastoralist ethnic group in Ethiopia. Their territory of around 2,000 km2 lies in the South Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Regional State (SNNPRS), roughly between the Rivers Omo (Warr) and Mago (Mako), close to the border with South Sudan.

- Biljana Jurukovski

According to the 2007 national census, there are 7,500 Mursi, 448 of whom live in urban areas. Surrounded by mountains between the Omo River and its tributary, the Mago, the home of the Mursi, is one of the country's most isolated regions. Due to the climate, they move twice a year between the winter and summer. They herd cattle and grow crops along the banks of the Omo River.

The Mursi is considered to be one of the most feared tribes that still exist today. Living in an isolated area of the Lower Omo Valley in Ethiopia has equated to this community remaining inaccessible until a few y years ago. The unconventional journey to get to their current location reinforced their seclusion from the contemporary world. Centuries of isolation have enabled the Mursi tribe to reach the present day with almost completely unchanged traditions and rituals, in which I had the privilege of being immersed. One enduring ritual has been the adornment of numerous jewels and accessories that serve as both an aesthetic ornament and delineate an individual's social contacts.