Red-spotted Ox. A Pokot Life.

395 Pages·2011·6.14 MB·English

RED—SPOTTED OX
a Pokot Life
As collected, translated and edited by
Pat Robbins
IWGIA Document 124
Copenhagen 2010
RED-SPOTTED OX
A Pokot Life
Author: Pat Robbins
Copyright: The author and IWGIA — 2010 — All Rights Reserved
Editorial Production: Marianne Wiben Jensen
Cover and layout: Jorge Monrás
Proofreading: Diana Vinding
Prepress and Print: Eks-Skolens Trykkeri, Copenhagen, Denmark
ISBN: 978-87-91563-70-6
ISSN: 0105-4503
HURIDOCS CIP DATA
Title: Red-Spotted Ox — A Pokot Life
Editor: Robbins, Pat
Corporate editor: IWGIA
Place of publication: Copenhagen, Denmark
Publisher: IWGIA
Distributors:
Europe: IWGIA, Classensgade 11E, DK Copenhagen 2100—www.iwgia.org
North America: Transaction Publishers, 390 Campus Drive, Somerset,
New Jersey 08873—www.transactionpub.com
Date of Publication: 2010
Pages: 396 p. — ill. — map
Reference to series: IWGIA Document Series, no. 124
Note: Autobiography of a Pokot pastoralist
ISBN: 978-87-91563-70-6
ISSN: 0105-4503
Language: English
Bibliography: Yes
Index terms: Indigenous peoples/Pastoralists/Pokot/traditions/changes
Geographical area: East Africa (Kenya and Uganda)
Geographical code: 5200
INTERNATIONAL WORK GROUP
FOR INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS
Classensgade 11 E, DK 2100 - Copenhagen, Denmark
Tel: [phone] - Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected] - Web: www.iwgia.org
In memory of my beloved mother, Martha, who believed in me.
For Larry, my cherished companion in Africa and in life.
CONTENTS
FOREWORD by Robert K. Hitchcock ...................................................................xiv
PREFACE by Pat Robbins .......................................................................................xxii
Domonguria — About the Pokot —
A Brief Pokot History — From Tapes to Book
PROLOGUE by Domonguria .....................................................................................2
CHILDHOOD
When the Sun Died .....................................................................................................6
Prayer of Healing — The Sun Has Died — Sex Scandal —
Eating Like Sakwar — First Weapons — A Stoning
Thunder God ..............................................................................................................12
Moving — Ilat and the Flood — My Uncle’s Escape
The Year the Earth Shook .........................................................................................19
Childhood mischief — More Trouble — Herding with Kilowan —
Flash flood — The Curse on Kangaramoi’s Wife
Making a Homestead ................................................................................................28
Building Our Homes — Ostrich Attack —
Farming, Honey and Tobacco
Life in Lossom ............................................................................................................34
My Lip Plug — Craftsmen — The White Cannibal
Turkana and the Year of the Locusts .......................................................................41
Learning Respect for a Dwarf — Bow and Arrows —
Locusts — The Disappearance of Kokwa
YOUTH
Sorcery and the Family Herds .................................................................................50
Cattle Exchange — The Cattle Scandal —
The Curse of the Cow — A Spell Breaks Father’s Leg
Wandering Years .........................................................................................................61
Government Trouble — Pulling our Donkey Teeth —
Stealing Sex — Lokeris Wins His Bride — My Spear
Dance, Songs and Stories .........................................................................................66
Dressing for the Dance — Animal Songs —
Song of a Wife’s Tears — Songs of the Widows —
Songs of Warriors
Clans .............................................................................................................................75
Origin of the Lion Clan — The Buffalo Clan — The Sun Clan —
The Baboon Clan — Clan Customs
Call Me Red-Spotted Ox ...........................................................................................79
Let the Children Play — Ox of Ropes —
Working for the Government — The Evil Eye —
First Lion — Blindness
Love, Lions and Elephants .......................................................................................87
Homestead of Youths — Elephants — Stalked by a Lion
Bad Luck and Work....................................................................................................92
Test for the Knife — Karamojong Trouble —
Pasture on Fire — Seized for Work
COMING OF AGE
Independence ............................................................................................................102
My Sweetheart Apeyo — Pasture Police
Becoming a Man .......................................................................................................109
My Sapana Celebration — The First Pokot Sapana —
The Stolen Child
New Developments .................................................................................................117
Thunderstorms — The Draft — Unusual Wells —
Abducting a Wife — My First Raid
Chelima: Becoming a Woman ................................................................................129
Getting Father’s Consent — The Karemba Ritual —
The Laleyo Dance — Circumcision — The Lupol Ceremony —
Feast: Removal of the Grasses — The Mysterious Chemerin —
Lapan — My Sister’s Sorrow
CATTLE AND ROMANCE
Deception and Love .................................................................................................142
Cattle Arguments — Meeting Cheparai — Tororut’s Denial —
My Case against Munyan
A Son ..........................................................................................................................153
Chepochesondu’s Good News — Curse on Munyan —
The Birth of My Son — Circumcision — Fighting for Custody
Chepusepa .................................................................................................................164
The Baringo Incident — A Suitable Bride —
Negotiating the Bride Price — My Wedding
LIVING THE POKOT LIFE
After the Wedding ....................................................................................................182
Sex — The Beehive and the Leopard — White Man’s Dance —
New Songs — Hunting — The Evil Eye
Trading .......................................................................................................................190
A Ban on Ostriches — Becoming a Trader — The Death of Lorika —
Pregnancy and Birth — The Case of the Spear — Purifying our Son
Witchcraft, Magic and Divining ............................................................................203
Witch Hunts — Curses, Cunning and Revenge —
Powerful Families — Casting Spells — Animal Magic — Divining
Celebrations ............................................................................................................213
Songs of the Bards — Parapara for Pregnancy
Family Changes ........................................................................................................223
Misfortune — My Bride Chepto — Chepusepa and the Spirits of Kadam
— A Practical Decision — Leopard and Lion — How I lost my finger
ENCOUNTERS WITH GOD AND ENEMIES
Ilat, the Thunder God ..............................................................................................236
Ilat’s Chosen Neighbor — Punishment for Profanity
Sub-Chief ..................................................................................................................240
A Stranger’s Calf — “It’s Nothing—the Gun” — Spell on a Car —
A Blessing Completed
Comets and Disasters ..............................................................................................245
The Comet of 1965 — In Turkana — Raiding and Revenge —
Losing our Cattle — Attack on Lopedur — Helping — Purification
Fighting for the Herds .............................................................................................257
Our Karamojong Cattle — Turkana Raids — Peace —
Elephant Hunt — Simba
DESTRUCTION AND HOPE IN A CHANGING WORLD
Returning Home .......................................................................................................270
Tororut’s Will — My Sister’s Death — A Curse
Idi Amin .....................................................................................................................276
Evil — My Children — Uganda — Chiefs —
A Famous Turkana Bandit — Witchdoctor
1976 .............................................................................................................................286
Raids and Murders — Mourning My Parents —
Karamojong Attack
Plans for the Future .................................................................................................295
EPILOGUE by Pat Robbins .....................................................................................300
NOTES ........................................................................................................................306
BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………330
Commentary — List of References
PHOTO ESSAY……………………………………………………………………. 339

DIAGRAMS, MAPS, CHARTS
Map of Story Area ..................................................................................................xxxiii
Family Tree ..........................................................................................................xxxiv
Chronology ...........................................................................................................xxxv
A Pokot Homestead ....................................................................................................29
Cattle Brands of the Baboon Clan .............................................................................78
How to Read Intestines .............................................................................................211
SONGS
Languages: Pokot (P), Karamojong (K), Turkana (T), Swahili (S)
The context and use of each song is indicated.
Circle of Houses—prayer (P) ........................................................................................6
Wild Bee Hive—prayer (P)............................................................................................7
Chepukopukwa, Eclipse—prayer (P) ..........................................................................8
Loweta—story (P) ........................................................................................................12
Semna Kengeiwa—story, dance (P) ............................................................................38
The Lizard Cries—story (P) ........................................................................................58
Traveler—story (P) .......................................................................................................61
Giraffe 1—dance (K, P) ................................................................................................67
Giraffe 2—dance (K, P) ................................................................................................67
Cattle—dance, fighting song (K) ..................................................................................68
Song of Tears—story, dance (P) ...................................................................................68
Chesupit Plays Alone—woman’s ox song (T) ............................................................70
Satisfied Ox—woman’s ox song (P) .............................................................................71
Detour—story, dance (P) ..............................................................................................72
Lowalan—story, dance (P) ...........................................................................................73
The Poor Man Cries—story, dance (P) .......................................................................74
I Met My Brothers—story, dance (P) ..........................................................................74
Domonguria—ox song (P, K) ......................................................................................83
Lorengaruk—ox song (P, K) ........................................................................................83
Motorcar—story, dance (P) ..........................................................................................97
Elephant—sapana, circumcision (P) ...........................................................................111
Setim the Warrior—story, sapana (P) ........................................................................112
Eating Donkeys—story, dance (P) .............................................................................119
Dikdik—story, fighting song (P, K) ...........................................................................128
Female Genitals—birth, circumcision (P) .................................................................130
Palm Tree—female circumcision (P) ..........................................................................131
Hot Vagina—female circumcision (P) ........................................................................131
Chesongol’s Desire—story, dance (P) ......................................................................133
Paretia—story, dance (P) ............................................................................................133
Big Occasion—birth, circumcision (P) ......................................................................158
Circumcision Children—birth, circumcision (P) .....................................................159
Kupeiyeng—circumcision (P) ...................................................................................160
Baringo—story, dance (P, S) .......................................................................................165
Help us, Chemichen—story, dance (P) ....................................................................186
Rukono—story, dance (P) ..........................................................................................186
Chemutarim—story, dance (P) ..................................................................................187
Ostrich—dance (K) .....................................................................................................191
Lorika, Who Told You to Come—story (P) ............................................................194
Cherotich—story, (P) .................................................................................................196
Riwoi 1—ritual, (P) ....................................................................................................201
Riwoi 2—ritual (P) .....................................................................................................202
Where Are the Soldiers—story, dance (P) ...............................................................204
Apula, Sorcerer—story, dance (P) .............................................................................205
The Baby Goat—story, dance (P) ..............................................................................214
Maiden in the Wilderness—story, dance (P) ...........................................................217
Greetings—parapara ritual (P) ..................................................................................220
Eko—parapara ritual (P) ............................................................................................220
The Gun—fighting song (T) ......................................................................................242
Son of Mole—story, dance (P) ...................................................................................248
Hyena and Vulture—song after killing (K) ..............................................................249
The Cattle Low—fighting song (P, K) ......................................................................253
Don’t Go to Turkana—fighting song (K) .................................................................253
Appealing Brother—story, dance (P) .......................................................................265