Hamar Ethnography

Jonathon Mai

Anthropology 1010-503

8/4/2021
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Introduction

The world that we live in is enormous. It’s filled with people who have unique cultures

and backgrounds. We are aware of differences, but many don’t take the time to examine and

learn about other cultures. The people of Hamar are one of many communities that differ from

our own.

The Hamar are a unique community of people who live in Ethiopia, Africa. Their

livelihoods are dependent on the surrounding land around them. What makes the people of

Hamar unique is their ceremonies, tradition, and rituals. Certain ceremonies can be categorized

as the most significant events in their lives. The Hamar’s ceremonies and traditions are

distinctive to their own culture. Marriage and political structures are wildly different from the

American culture. The way Hamar people view gender also contrasts from American

perspectives. Overall, the people of Hamar have a culture that they can call their own.

My expectations for the ethnographies were different from my initial experience. From

what it was, I expected these ethnographies to be shorter and less intensive. I wasn’t mentally

prepared to have taken in-depth notes about Hamar culture and examined almost every aspect of

their living. The number of research that needed to be completed at first was way more than what

I’m used to. As I completed more ethnographies about Hamar, the more I adjusted and became

more comfortable. Before conducting the field notes, I had a general idea of Hamar culture from

literature research. At the beginning of watching the films, I was intrigued and experienced a

different connection compared to reading an article. It was interesting and felt like I got a grasp

of what Hamar culture is.

During the beginning stages of the project, I experienced culture shock due to the

differences in Hamar’s way of life. One of the first aspects of Hamar culture that disoriented me
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was how they were dressed. Due to living conditions, many people were seen to have little to no

clothing. While I’m well aware that people who live off hunting and agriculture have similar

attire, I’m not accustomed to seeing others in clothing that isn’t westernized. Many aspects such

as marriage and social stratification triggered the culture shock. While we all know that other

cultures exist in the world, we aren’t aware of what makes a culture different compared to ours.

Literature Search

The ethnographic group this literature research will be exploring the tribe, Hamar. The

research will be covering various topics such as history, lifestyle, and traditions. By the end of

the examination, we will have a general idea about Hamar and how they are living in the modern

world.

The first source provides a general overview of the origins of Hamar, agriculture,

livestock, and ritual characteristics. The tribe resides in the Omo Valley located in Ethiopia,

Africa. The Hamar lived off the land and livestock to support their community of people. The

community grows crops such as beans and sorghum as a source of food. The Hamar primarily

raises cattle, sheep, and goats to provide other sources of food and resources. Due to the terrain

where the tribe resides, their agriculture heavily relies on rain and floods during the rainy

seasons. The terrain was well suited for herding goats in particular due to the high survivability

in harsh conditions. One of the ritual characteristics that the Hamar practices are when a male

child is transitioning into adulthood. The young man must kill a wild animal to be considered an

adult and to validate that he can marry a woman. To summarize, the Hamar tribe lives off rough

lands of Ethiopia with the agriculture and livestock to support their community. The Hamar also

practices unique traditions and rituals that distinguish them from other tribes (Mursi, 2021).
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The second source provides more detailed information about the Hamar’s ceremonies and

social status. There are approximately 46,000 people in the total population of the Hamar. In the

past few years, the tribe has gained traction with tourists due to its unique culture and customs.

One unique tradition that distinguishes the tribe from others in the region is the bull jumping

ceremony called Ukili Bula which translates man and bull. During the ceremony, young men are

expected to jump over a row of cows four times without failure. When a young man is

considered to be mature enough, they must partake in this ritual. Completion of the ritual gives

rights to marry, have children, and own cattle. Jewelry is used to represent social status in the

tribe. Women who are married or engaged would have two heavy iron ring necklaces called

Esente. They also would have various materials such as shells, glass, and metal covering the

upper body. Women also show their social status by having iron rings on their arms and legs.

They can only be purchased by trading cattle. Once a woman passes away, the husband keeps the

rings and is passed on to the next wife. These unique ceremonies and traditions are what make

the Hamar unique and attract tourists from around the world (The Hamar Tribe, 2019).

The third source goes in-depth on a ritual that takes place before the bull jumping

ceremony. Once the young man is ready to participate in the ceremony, his relatives will demand

to be whipped. This represents the emotional connection between the man and women and shows

the love and support of the initiation. Women are able to flea or make any screams during the

beatings. Instead, they are expected to beg the men to inflict physical pain throughout the

ceremony. These beatings are also normalized after the ceremony takes place. Men are allowed

to be physical with their women until they give birth to two children. The scars from these

beatings are used as a symbol of beauty in the tribe. This particular tradition is often seen as

brutal and extreme (Taylor, 2018).

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Methods

For my fieldwork, I watched three films from the Hamar Trilogy series provided by the

library’s Alexander Street Collection. The films are titled: The Women Who Smile, Two Girls

Go Hunting, and Our Way of Loving. For each video, I’ve taken three pages of notes that

provided detailed descriptions and observations. Each video duration was about an hour long.

My method of these notes was gathering information about the Hamar and their way of living. I

wrote down answers provided by people in the community during the one-on-one interview

throughout the film. I also took note of the activities and notable items that were shown in the

films. Some of them included small sketches of items that serve a purpose in Hamar culture. In

summary, I’ve spent over three hours observing and taking field notes while watching the films.

Body

Gender Chapter

The Hamar culture follows a binary model of gender. Throughout observations from my

field notes, there were only references to males and females. There is limited availability of

gender roles that are expected from both genders. This makes up for the foundation of how they

function in their community.

For men, they are expected to be the leaders of the community. They have the role of

making the decisions of the household. Women are almost forced to do what the men want in

Hamar culture. It seems that men use beatings as a way to have women submit to their needs.

Many times, men don’t communicate why they beat women specifically. They use this as a fear

mechanism that the women did something wrong. After some time, women will realize and

adjust to what made their husbands upset. Men are presented to have the physical ability to hunt
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and raise animals. This includes many days away from home. They all follow the same role of

being the provider for the family. As for appearance, men present themselves minimally. They all

have the same short hairstyle, not even an inch in length. Differences in how each dress is also

minimal. They’re usually seen with cloth around their waist. The community markets offer

western clothing for purchase to those who want to stylize more. This usually includes a

button-up shirt and sunglasses.

Women in Hamar culture fill the role as the caregiver for the household. They’re

expected to be at home looking after the children. They’re also expected to grow crops and make

food for the family. One of the main goals for a married woman is to have as many children to

help spread the workload when they become older. The appearance of women differs slightly in

Hamar communities. Women are seen to have braided hair that is different lengths from one

another. Some prefer to have short hair, similar to men. There is no use of make-up for everyday

appearance. Jewelry is often used to differentiate women from one another in society. Some rings

are placed around their wrist and neck to show off wealth and status. When a woman gets

married a necklace is made to show their status of marriage. Women act differently before

marriage compared to after. They’re able to do things they enjoy and spend time with their

friends. After marriage, they’re away from family and friends, leaving little things to enjoy other

than raising and caring for her own family.

The way both genders communicate differ. In a marriage, men typically have the only say

in how things function. Women are viewed to be submissive and comply with their husbands.

Throughout my observations, there was more focus on how women live in Hamar culture

compared to men. There is more pressure when it comes to honoring her family and shame. A
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woman’s family expects wealth and a happy husband. There is a transitional difference when

growing up compared to men and women.

Comparing Hamar culture to my own, there are distinct differences. In America, we’ve

strayed away from these gender roles that the Hamar follow. Instead of men being the leaders

and women are expected to be the followers, there is more freedom for women to become

leaders. Women can provide for a family and earn a living, without the reliance on a man to do

the job. Another difference is women can communicate without restrictions. Unlike in Hamar

culture where men beat women for them to comply, women can speak their minds and do what

they please. In recent times, our culture is transitioning to a non-binary state where people cross

the lines of what is considered masculine and feminine in American culture. People have a

plethora of ways of presenting themselves in American culture. From hairstyles, make-up,

clothing, and jewelry the list is almost endless. This differs from Hamar culture where

appearance isn’t as important.

Marriage Chapter

The marriage practices of the Hamar are unique compared to western societies. The

ceremonies that take place within the Hamar culture differ from the rest of the world. Marriage is

considered to be one if not the most important event in their lives. Marriage signifies a transition

into another stage of living with some drastic changes.

For a male to be considered ready for marriage, they must participate in a ceremony

where young men jump over cattle. If the male completes the ceremony without failure, he is

now considered an adult and can marry. It is common for men to choose who to marry. On very
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rare occasions, women would have the opportunity of having the choice. Sex for both genders is

forbidden until marriage. Having children before marriage is considered taboo.

Similar to western societies, the Hamar commonly have conjugal families. This is where

families are established through marriage. Marriage bands are used as a symbol of marriage for

women which is usually placed around the neck. Bouquets of bushes of leaves are given

throughout the marriage ceremony as a symbol of the work she will be doing. Some bouquets are

composed of sweet-smelling herbs that symbolize giving birth.

After the marriage takes place, the men are expected to pay the bride's wealth. This

consists of livestock such as goats and cattle or guns that are given to the bride’s family. If the

groom is unable to pay, the relatives are expected to assist. The Hamar practice polygamy where

men have the power to marry as many women as they like. However, it is viewed as bothersome

for men to balance between women and keep all of them happy. The man is only allowed to look

at his wife with no physical contact for three or four months. Afterward, they are allowed to be

alone with the woman.

After marriage, women have numerous responsibilities. As a tradition, women would

have their hair shaved off. Women of the household are in charge of taking care of crops as their

source of food. They are also responsible for cooking and caring for their young. It is viewed as

beneficial to have many children in a household. Once children grow up, they help their mother

with daily tasks such as maintaining the crops. Once a woman becomes married, they are unable

to marry again. This plays a role in how Hamar views divorce. Due to women unable to marry

again, it is uncommon for a divorce to take place. Once a woman's oldest son marries, she gains

the title of an elder which is the highest status for a woman.

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Expectations for men once married are to be the providers for the family. They are

responsible for caring for livestock and bringing back food and money. Young men and boys

would spend days or months away from home looking after the animals that are kept far away.

They occasionally come back home for one or two days and go back to care for the livestock.

Examining the marriage culture of the Hamar to the American culture has similarities and

differences. Both cultures have a symbol of marriage which includes some sort of jewelry.

Another similarity includes a ceremony where initiation takes place. What differs is certain

traditions that take place during these ceremonies. In western societies, both men and women can

choose their spouses which differs in Hamar culture.

Subsistence Chapter

The people of Hamar are a unique and interesting group of people compared to the

culture we have in the United States. The traditions and lifestyles between the two are drastic.

Gender roles, gardening, and food security are also some other aspects of living that make

Hamar’s culture distinctive.

Social status in Hamar’s community can be simply shown by the assets a person

possesses. Jewelry plays a part in how a person shows their wealth. Women in particular have

rings around their neck, arms, and legs. These rings are purchased through the markets. Some

rings are placed around the neck to signify their status of marriage, similar to how North

Americans show their status of marriage by having a ring around a finger. Having a large amount

of livestock plays a role in social status. The livestock is gathered and raised by the men which

can be sold to others. Cattle are also a source of food for families.
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Older men spend the majority of their time caring for the livestock. The women are left at

home to care for the kids and the crops. Families have a farm that provides food for themselves

and their children. While families use livestock as a source of food, the main sources are from

the farms. The Hamar people are dependent on agriculture. Bigger families are viewed as

beneficial and lead to a wealthy lifestyle. Having a large number of children provides labor for

the farms and animals. The ideal number of children in the Hamar culture would be at least four

to six in total.

Before a woman can have children, they must get married. Marriage for females in

Hamar culture is one of the most significant events in their lives. Marriages are arranged and it

takes months or years to eventually get married. It is usually the men’s choice for who to get

married. Once decided, a ceremony takes place where many people gather chanting and clapping

surrounding the soon-to-be wife along with female relatives to be whipped to signify their love

for the man who will be getting married. This can be extreme to the marriage ceremonies you

would see in American culture where no people are harmed.

The transition from a young man to an adult is also viewed as one of the most important

events in a man's life in Hamar. For a man to be considered an adult, a ceremony takes place

where the man jumps over several cattle. The man must jump over all the cattle without failing to

deem the ceremony as successful. Compared to the American culture, this is very unique.

Reaching adulthood in America only comes with reaching a certain age. While some families

might throw a large party, a ceremony that resembles what the Hamar partake in is very different.
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Economics Chapter

The people of Hamar possess a smaller economic system that's compared to our own. The

number of goods and services available is limited to the resources around them. Due to the

limited availability of certain resources and markets, traveling is needed to access these things.

While the Hamar economic system is more simplistic compared to our own, benefits and

drawbacks exist that differ in their culture.

The generalized reciprocity when it comes to families is their expectations from each

member. The man of the household is expected to bring in the source of income for the family in

exchange for the wife and children to keep things clean and cook food for when he comes home.

There is also an expectation for the wife and children at home to start their garden as a source of

food for the family. From my fieldwork, it seems that wage work doesn’t exist in Hamar’s

economy. Instead, the workmen and women do during the day are exchanged for currency which

is then used to purchase goods.

A certain moment during one of the films resembled negative reciprocity. A group of

people, perhaps related to the husband of the family, demanded livestock or a woman for

marriage as a form of payment. The people from the other lands were armed with guns and the

husband of the family was forced to give up some livestock to pay for the debt. There wasn’t a

clear indication of how much was enough. This differs from our economy when a person is in

debt. In our economy, there is a clear amount of what a person owes. When collecting these

amounts, people aren’t physically threatened with guns which are extreme compared to this

Hamar experience.

Ceremonies play an important role in Hamar’s culture. Events leading up to marriage, the

women are in charge of making food for these ceremonies. These women who work long hours
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throughout the day grinding up grains are rewarded with food for their work. The Hamar people

have access to markets where they can purchase items that aren’t available nearby. These

markets have western influences such as clothing that Hamar purchases as a symbol of style. The

markets don’t have a set price, in many cases, you can barter for a better price. This is similar to

what we can find in smaller markets in America. However, the majority of what you can find in

the city are franchised stores where you are unable to barter the price or trade. Payment in the

Hamar culture when it comes to services such as harvesting food or preparing for an event

usually involves food as a form of payment in exchange for such services. In contrast, during

market exchanges is where you see the use of currency to purchase goods such as clothing or

weapons.

Social Stratification

In modern times, humans have categorized themselves based on gender, age, and race.

Social stratification is made up of these factors along with differences in wealth. While many are

hereditary such as gender and age, factors such as wealth can fluctuate depending on the

resources available.

The tribe of Hamar tends to not have a large social stratification as to modern nations.

Due to exclusivity and remote habitation, the differences in the race are almost non-existent. The

people of the Hamar all have a dark skin color. There are little to no differences between each

other. While the judgment of skin color used to classify a certain race may be inaccurate, lighter

skin tones are viewed to be a foreign thing to the Hamar. Dark skin serves the purpose of

blocking the harmful rays of the sun. Due to the lifestyle of the Hamar, they do the majority of
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their work under the sun with little to no protection. Differences in skin color may conceive that

a person isn’t equipped to the lifestyle that the Hamar are accustomed to.

There are no differences in the race when examining the Hamar social structure. Due to

the social traditions and lifestyle, the concept of immigrants incorporating Hamar culture doesn’t

exist. The Hamar follow a “racial purity” system where traditions and lifestyles are kept within a

small community of people. This results in little economic differences between the people of

Hamar. The differences in wealth and power are shown to be non-extravagant. To display wealth

in Hamar usually consist of tangible assets such as jewelry, crops, and livestock. Due to the

social structure, there is no clear advantage of being wealthy. One of the only advantages of

having a large number of assets is the improvement of quality in certain lifestyles. This results in

a less stressful and happy life.

Hierarchy in Hamar is linked to age and achievements throughout life. When it comes to

age, the older a person is, the higher a person’s prestige. People of Hamar categorize these

people as an elder, which is high status in their society. However, this person must be married to

achieve this status. Reaching prestige status comes with age and experience. As people grow

older, they learn skills to eventually live on their own and start a family. The social mobility of

Hamar revolves around these ceremonies such as cattle jumping to ascend into the next part of

their life. Social mobility also involves marriage where people can be on their own and make

their own decisions. These factors cause people to move up in the hierarchy. A factor that causes

people to move down is linked to death. If a husband dies, the woman is unable to marry again

which negatively impacts their mobility.

The social stratification of the Hamar differs greatly from the United States. There is a

notable difference in wealth and power. Due to the number of resources and opportunities
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available, a person’s social mobility is linked to wealth. For example, a person who is a

millionaire has social leverage compared to a person who makes $20,000 a year. Differences in

race exist that differ from the Hamar culture. Due to immigration, there are a variety of races that

can be found throughout the United States. The differences in race, religion, and sexuality

ultimately contribute to a social stratification in which the Hamar doesn’t experience.

Political Anthropology

The political organizations and structures of Hamar are simplistic compared to what can

be found in first-world countries. The Hamar follow the hunting and gathering lifestyle which

falls under a band-level political organization. With this political organization, there is typically

no formal leadership. These small communities of families see each other as equals regarding

leadership and power. Within these groups, certain expectations need to be met. When a dispute

occurs, it is resolved informally. There is no existing system where other people judge a person’s

actions and produce an ultimatum.

Through the examination of Hamar’s political structure, there is little to no substance of

control over the people in the tribe. There seems to be no specific pattern of dominance in the

small communities other than an appointed leader. This leader holds power only in the family

circle. The leader of the family circle would make the rules and enforce them by family

disownment or physical abuse. Decisions that are made within a family circle are usually made

by the men of the household. With the involvement of special events such as marriage, this

includes the leader and the older men to come to a consensus.

The political structure of the United States can be seen as complex compared to the

Hamar. Unlike the Hamar, our society functions with official leaders. We have local state leaders
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along with a national leader who is titled the President. Government officials are considered to

possess the expertise and authority over the country. There is also law enforcement for those who

break the rules in a local area. This differs from the Hamar, where things are settled informally

without major repercussions. The United States has a state-level of a political organization over

physical force. Decisions that stem from acts of war depend on our centralized government to

make the ultimate decision. Overall decisions usually depend on Congress with an overall

consensus from both the House of Representatives and the Senate. In this case, it is then passed

to the president to have the last confirmation. Ultimately, this is a complex process that is far

from how Hamar makes their political decisions.

Conclusion

My experience with ethnocentrism was insightful and informative. I’m aware that many

cultures exist in today’s world. However, when evaluating other cultures in detail about

conceptions and standards they have in place was mind-changing, to say the least. This process

made me realize that I have certain biases and views that are influenced by how I grew up

compared to someone else across the world. One’s custom might be viewed differently due to

what is considered “normal” in one's culture. These feelings towards another culture are

subjective to what is available around them. I was able to understand how and why people

function differently compared to my culture. Watching these films and taking notes on

catechetics gave me a better perspective on culture rather than reading an online article. The

films provided great insight into the emotions and activities a person goes through.

Not only did the films provide great insight, but contributed to cultural relativity as a

whole. While I consider myself open-minded, doing the fieldwork made me understand how
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culture is influenced by a person’s beliefs and standards. This differs due to certain traditions and

expectations a community might have. This is especially true when examining a community or a

group of people who live in a different region and have access to different resources. I learned

that the norms and values we have in western society are much different from the people in

Hamar and how they live. As a result, we shouldn’t evaluate another culture by using our basis of

understanding through the norms and values we already have in place.

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References

“Hamar.” Mursi Online, July 22, 2020. https://www.mursi.org/neighbours/hamar

Taylor, Mildred. “Hamar: Women of This Ethiopian Tribe Beg Men to Beat Them as Part of

Custom.” Face2Face Africa, September 23, 2018.

https://face2faceafrica.com/article/hamar-women-of-this-ethiopian-tribe-beg-men-to-beat

-them-as-part-of-custom.

“The Hamar Tribe.” Tribes, May 29, 2021. https://www.tribes.world/hamar.