Public Group
African is colourful with different and interesting cultures. This group features the different African culture and their significance to the African society.
.Mundari is a small ethnic group of Nilotic origin that consists of 70,000 to 100,000 people. Tribal lands are located East of the White Nile, about a hundred kilometers North of Juba, capital of South Sudan and are concentrated in the city of Terekeka in Central Equatoria State.
They are locally known for their tribal body and local scarifications, internationally, they are known for their nomadic cattle camp.
They have a seasonal camp; during the dry seasons, they are located along the banks of the White Nile, when there is heavy rain, they set up their camps next to the new road from Juba, Terekeka.
In the Mundari tribe, there is a perfect communion between the cattles and the people. The Mundaris live by and for their cattles. This is more than just a way of life for them, the relationship with their livestock transcends into the spiritual. Cows represent many of the great values of their day to day lives such as love, commitment, tradition, sustenance, food and stability.
From their cows they get milk and blood which is one of their main foods. They rarely slaughter the head of a cow for its meat. The cow’s urine serves as an antiseptic and they wash their head with it; the ammonia present in the urine makes their hair reddish or orange. The feces of the cows are used to make smoking fires that are used to ward off insects.
They understand cattles as the connection to their gods. It is used as a form of payment in celebration of unions; the husband pays dowry to the wife’s family in heads of cattle. The Ankole Watusi is considered a sacred cow. They are used for milk but rarely used for meat.
Every individual in the Mundari cattle camp tribe knows every animal perfectly and they are even cared for more than a person. They dedicate most of their lives to the care and attention of their cattles. They barely kill them because their status is represented by how many living cows they own. When the evening falls, they return their herds from day grazing, they massage their herds with ash; they do so with affection and care. The powder alleviates the insect bites. They also mix urine with ashes and polish the magnificent horns of the cattle
s.
A person’s position is established through the ownership of cattles, livestock are a symbol of wealth and power. The size and shape of the horns are the most important feature.
The aesthetic of this place is made obvious when the sun comes down slowly, this is when the backlights create an impressively dense atmosphere, making Mundari cattle camp a magical and visually stunning place.
They have a mixture of Christian and animalistic belief. For many people, the culture is orally transmitted through songs, dance, poems and other core values.
Scarification is an important part of their culture. The men undergo an initiation process. The initiates live together in nature, spending time with a village elder, away from the community. Once this rite of passage is completed, they make a ritual scarification onto their forehead. This scar is made in the form of a v mark.
These people are usually friendly and peaceful people. However, they possess weapons for the protection of themselves and their livestock.
