Si vous voulez lire en francais CLICK ICI
The Mursi
The Mursi are survivors as if from a forgotten age whose isolated location in the South Omo valley, combined with the challenges of famine, war, migration, and diseases has shaped their identity. Their home is two days drive from the nearest asphalt road. The nearest main town is 2 days walk from their villlage. While the Mursi are isolated from the rest of the world, many of them carry AK-47s.Cattle raiding and warring between bordering ethnic groups is seen simply as a means of survival.
When a young Mursi girl reaches the age of 15 or 16, her lower lip is slit, she places a leaf on the wound to ease the pain and her front teeth are broken, . The lip is progressively stretched, the larger the lip plate she can tolerate, the more cattle will bring for her father at her marriage. Why do they deface these beautiful women so? There are many theories.
Some say it is to make their women unattractive to warring tribes. Whatever the reason, it is less defacing than the lengths some of our western women go to in the search for beauty.
Local townspeople people warned us that the Mursi tribe were aggressive. They were wrong. Treat them with respect and smiles break out quickly. They were curious, invasive of our space, because they did not understand the protocols of our world. But we did not understand theirs. Without language we reached out, made friends enjoyed the common language of shared time and laughter.
The Mursi are survivors as if from a forgotten age whose isolated location in the South Omo valley, combined with the challenges of famine, war, migration, and diseases has shaped their identity. Their home is two days drive from the nearest asphalt road. The nearest main town is 2 days walk from their villlage. While the Mursi are isolated from the rest of the world, many of them carry AK-47s.Cattle raiding and warring between bordering ethnic groups is seen simply as a means of survival.
When a young Mursi girl reaches the age of 15 or 16, her lower lip is slit, she places a leaf on the wound to ease the pain and her front teeth are broken, . The lip is progressively stretched, the larger the lip plate she can tolerate, the more cattle will bring for her father at her marriage. Why do they deface these beautiful women so? There are many theories.
Some say it is to make their women unattractive to warring tribes. Whatever the reason, it is less defacing than the lengths some of our western women go to in the search for beauty.
Local townspeople people warned us that the Mursi tribe were aggressive. They were wrong. Treat them with respect and smiles break out quickly. They were curious, invasive of our space, because they did not understand the protocols of our world. But we did not understand theirs. Without language we reached out, made friends enjoyed the common language of shared time and laughter.
The Mursi
The Mursi are survivors as if from a forgotten age whose isolated location in the South Omo valley, combined with the challenges of famine, war, migration, and diseases has shaped their identity. Their home is two days drive from the nearest asphalt road. The nearest main town is 2 days walk from their villlage. While the Mursi are isolated from the rest of the world, many of them carry AK-47s.Cattle raiding and warring between bordering ethnic groups is seen simply as a means of survival.
When a young Mursi girl reaches the age of 15 or 16, her lower lip is slit, she places a leaf on the wound to ease the pain and her front teeth are broken, . The lip is progressively stretched, the larger the lip plate she can tolerate, the more cattle will bring for her father at her marriage. Why do they deface these beautiful women so? There are many theories.
Some say it is to make their women unattractive to warring tribes. Whatever the reason, it is less defacing than the lengths some of our western women go to in the search for beauty.
Local townspeople people warned us that the Mursi tribe were aggressive. They were wrong. Treat them with respect and smiles break out quickly. They were curious, invasive of our space, because they did not understand the protocols of our world. But we did not understand theirs. Without language we reached out, made friends enjoyed the common language of shared time and laughter.
The Mursi are survivors as if from a forgotten age whose isolated location in the South Omo valley, combined with the challenges of famine, war, migration, and diseases has shaped their identity. Their home is two days drive from the nearest asphalt road. The nearest main town is 2 days walk from their villlage. While the Mursi are isolated from the rest of the world, many of them carry AK-47s.Cattle raiding and warring between bordering ethnic groups is seen simply as a means of survival.
When a young Mursi girl reaches the age of 15 or 16, her lower lip is slit, she places a leaf on the wound to ease the pain and her front teeth are broken, . The lip is progressively stretched, the larger the lip plate she can tolerate, the more cattle will bring for her father at her marriage. Why do they deface these beautiful women so? There are many theories.
Some say it is to make their women unattractive to warring tribes. Whatever the reason, it is less defacing than the lengths some of our western women go to in the search for beauty.
Local townspeople people warned us that the Mursi tribe were aggressive. They were wrong. Treat them with respect and smiles break out quickly. They were curious, invasive of our space, because they did not understand the protocols of our world. But we did not understand theirs. Without language we reached out, made friends enjoyed the common language of shared time and laughter.
