Info For You Lot Dizi People: Ethiopia`S Omotic Highland Cultivators

The Dizi are highland cultivators as well as Omotic-speaking people residing inward southwestern Ethiopia, westward of the Omo Valley River. The town of Maji, which is nigh the pump of the Dizi area, is most 100 kilometers (62 miles) straight due south of the town of Mizan Teferi. Driving from Mizan Teferi to Maji on the route through Dima is most a 170 kilometer (106 mile) journey.

                                      Dzi tribe girl, Tum Market. Omo, Ethiopia. Eric Lafforgue

 The Dizi's closest neighbors are the Me'en people to the north, as well as those who take away hold frequently been called the Surma, to the due south as well as west. Their languages are both component of the Surmic branch of Nilo-Saharan, dissimilar Dizin, which is Omotic.

                                    Dizi marketplace inward Maji, Ethiopia

Before their forced incorporation into the Ethiopian Empire inward the 1890s, based on their ain statements as well as the evidence of numerous abandoned terraced hillsides, the Dizi are estimated to take away hold numbered betwixt 50,000 as well as 100,000. However, equally Haberland observes, the imposition of an exterior ascendancy as well as its misrule led to a massive depopulation due to the abuses of the gebbar system, slave-raiding, "famine, illness as well as a growing feel of hopelessness as well as resignation, engendered yesteryear a total absence of justice. These things non solely caused the give away of Dizi to shrink (in 1974 at that topographic point were in all probability scarcely to a greater extent than than 20,000) but shook their whole civilization to its roots.
Beautiful Dizi tribe woman, Maji Ethiopia. Johan Gerrits

Dizi mythology
"Once upon a time,heaven (= God, both described equally saagu) as well as globe were closer to each other than
now. People were living happily together, as well as at that topographic point was no expiry on earth.However, when the Amhara came, people started to deceive, steal, as well as wound each other fifty-fifty within the same community.
Dizi fellow from Omo valley Ethiopia

 Heaven as well as globe became separated far apart, as well as from then, people started to die." his myth was non known yesteryear all, as well as did non necessarily push clit the Amhara equally the crusade of the separation of sky as well as globe or the root of death.

                                              Dizi veiled girl,Omo Valley Ethiopia. Eric Lafforgue
Language Classification
Dizin is a fellow member of the Omotic linguistic communication family, which has mostly been considered a fellow member of the Afrasian (Afro-Asiatic) linguistic communication family. Omotic was known equally Western Cushitic until Fleming as well as Bender argued for a separate linguistic communication menage unit of measurement inward the belatedly 1960s as well as early on 1970s (Hayward 1990:vii-viii). The internal classifications of the Omotic languages are soundless unsettled questions. Even the inclusion of Omotic inward Afrasian is a thing of some debate. Bender has fifty-fifty speculated "about the possibility that component of Omotic is indeed
Afrasian but that possibly Aroid as well as Dizoid (AD) are not" (2003:xii). It volition live interesting to run across where the evidence leads inward the coming years.
Woman from Dizi tribe at Maji Market. Johan Gerrits

In his recent reanalysis of the Omotic information based on morphology, Bender calls "Dizi" a fellow member of Dizoid which is a fellow member of Dizoid-Aroid which is a fellow member of TNDA. That abbreviation stands for "tɑ/ne" (pronouns mutual to the TN group) as well as "Dizoid-Aroid" (2003:1-7, 299).
Girl from dizi tribe,Ethiopia with awesome hairstyle

The Dizoid languages equally good Dizin are Sheko as well as Nayi. Aklilu Yilma (2003:59) uses "Maji" instead of "Dizoid" because both Sheko as well as Nayi speakers say that their ancestors moved to their acquaint locations from the Maji area. Others take away hold also used the term "Maji languages" (Bender 1975:46, 48 as well as Hayward 1990:xi.), equally volition live done inward this thesis. Dizin's adjacent closest linguistic relatives, according to Bender, are the Aroid languages: Ari, Hamer, as well as Dimé. Some of the languages from the TN side of the TNDA grouping are
Welaitta, Basketo, Malé, Kooreté, Benchnon (Gimira), Yem (Janjero), Kaficho, as well as Shekacho (Mocha) (2003:1-7).

            Dizi tribe immature adult woman inward Toum marketplace - Omo Ethiopia. Eric Lafforgue

History
Dizi people are ane of the indigenous tribes inward Ethiopia. They take away hold ever occupied that dry ground as well as did non come upwards from anywhere. The oral tradition of the Dizi people rather suggests a connectedness to the Tigre people of  Northern Ethiopia. Harold Kurtz (2005, personal communication), who lived nigh Maji for  many years, says that the oral tradition is that Orthodox Christian missionaries from Tigre  came to the Dizi expanse several hundred years ago. They taught as well as preached for a few years, as well as when they left, they gave 3 things to the Maji Chief as well as the Adikas Chief that those chiefs considered sacred: a bluish cloth, a block of wood, as well as a wing switch. These artifacts are soundless beingness kept inward those chiefs' compounds inward small, carefully maintained buildings.
Kurtz (2005, personal communication) also says that "[the Dizi] were a very, really cast structured club fifty-fifty to the betoken that you lot needed to know yesteryear human relationship just how far upwards the hand—what knuckle—you took take away hold of when you lot shook hands with some other man."
Dizi adult woman from Maji, Ethiopia. Johan Gerrits

The traditional leaders such equally burji, kiam, as well as kiaz, maintained monastic say earlier the electrical current structures of the Ethiopian authorities came to the area. Subsistence farming was (and continues to be) the most mutual livelihood for the Dizi. Metal workers were probable invited from exterior the expanse yesteryear the Dizi leaders to refine atomic give away 26 ore as well as brand tools of high tensile steel (Kurtz 2005, personal communication)
Maji has been a southwestern outpost of every fundamental authorities of Abyssinia or Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia since the days of the Emperor Menelik inward the 1890s (Deguchi 1996:122). Mule trains moved goods from Maji to Jimma to Addis Ababa, equally good equally the opposite direction.
When viewing the mountainous Dizi territory today, a striking characteristic is numerous terraces. These were built inward the days when the Dizi population was bully plenty that the scarcity of farmland necessitated a creative solution. Because a decreased population over the yesteryear 100 years or so has no longer required increased farmland, the Dizi take away hold lost the fine art of edifice these terraces. Disease is a possible ground for the currently reduced numbers, but some other element is the slave merchandise that took many Dizi people from this expanse to other places.

                                Dizi men drinking beer

This was soundless continuing on a large scale inward the early on Twentieth Century, equally was reported yesteryear Major Henry Darley, a British explorer who traveled to Maji as well as wrote Slaves as well as Ivory: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Record of Adventure as well as Exploration with the Abyssinian Slave-Raiders (1926). Fernyhough reports, "Contemporary Ethiopian as well as European estimates propose that for Kaffa, Gemira as well as Maji the demographic carry on of slaving involved the deaths or deportation of at to the lowest degree 300,000 people betwixt the early on 1900s as well as the mid-1920s" (1994:696). Fernyhough's information propose that those estimates are in all probability high (1994:696), but he does concur that at that topographic point is evidence for important numbers of slaves beingness taken from the southwest of Ethiopia, including the Maji area, equally belatedly equally the 1920s (1994:692-8).
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 British consulate was established nigh Maji during the 1920s, later Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia became a fellow member of the League of Nations inward 1923 (Strollo 2005:1). The purpose of the consulate included monitoring as well as discouraging the slave merchandise (Kurtz 2005, personal communication).
When the Italians occupied Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia from 1935 to 1941, they built roads so that vehicles could live driven into the Dizi area. During those years a Catholic Mission became active at that topographic point as well as began at to the lowest degree ane schoolhouse (Kurtz 2005, personal communication). The American Mission was established inward 1948 nigh Maji. This Mission also made educational activity as well as medical aid to a greater extent than available to the area. It left Maji inward 1977 (James Keefer as well as Kurtz 2005, personal communication).
Relations betwixt the Dizi people as well as the Tirmaga-Chai people take away hold been complex. For example, a give away of Tirmaga-Chai men take away hold married Dizi wives, but I am non aware of whatever cases of Dizi men marrying Tirmaga-Chai wives. Market forces are sure ane factor, since the bride cost for a Dizi bride (around 5 cows) is solely one-fourth the cost required for a Tirmaga-Chai wife.
Dizi tribe immature adult woman with awesome hairstyle

Economy
The Dizi 36,380 people (or 0.05% of the population) are highland cultivators inward the well-watered portion around the town of Maji (altitude most 2800 m). As subsistence farmers they grow, corn, barley, teff, as well as other crops. They enhance cattle, sheep as well as chickens, as well as they also are beekeepers for the honey.

                                      Dizi livestock

Socio-political organization
Haberland wrote most the chiefdom: "Until they lost their independence, the Dizi were divided into over xx chiefdoms (clans), with shifting .boundaries as well as allegiances." The chiefdoms were distributed from southeast to northwest equally follows: "Kolu, Adi, Muy, Tsiski, Maji (Kyerts, Gelkamo, Kuri), Wor, Say, Mash, Gobi, Aro, Duku, Dami, Kanta, Ezkolu, Kasi, Beru, Gay, Garo, Jabba, Bay."

                                 Dizi elder

These chiefdoms, which Haberland has outlined, take away hold somewhat changed.
On the "caste system" of the Dizi, Haberland states:
 "Their social construction was characterized yesteryear a caste scheme which, fifty-fifty by
 Ethiopian standards, could live termed hypertrophic, as well as yesteryear a potent emphasis
 on the regulation of primogeniture. Society was organized hierarchically into
 five castes: nobles (karyab), freemen (nyank), bondsmen (zaku), geymi and
 hunters (kwoygi. Geymi is a special caste, closely associated with the nobility,
 with manifold functions equally craftsmen as well as inward the sacral sphere. Each caste was
 distinguished yesteryear a large give away of prerogatives, obligations, taboos and
 special `languages.' The nobility was inward plow divided into vii hereditary
 ranks, although these did not.form a hierarchy inward the political sense: they had
 more to produce with the ritual condition of the holder than with his political power."
These vii hereditary ranks were equally follows: "Kyaz, Burji, Tso'ani, Koyz, Ba as well as Keysi. " Akira Deguchi inward his enquiry on Dizi Sai people came out with the following:
 Chief (Saiktyasu), koichiezi (a hamlet headman, or the caput of an area) as well as their relatives (kaartyab), baabaishi (a ritual expert, both Sai as well as uruki as well as his relatives;
 b. uruki (a human being non originally Sai, as well as his patrilineal descendants);
 c. geima (the retainer) which corresponds to geimi of Haberland.
 .The caste that Haberland called the kwogyi cast does non be inward Sai today. The news nyank is occasionally used equally a advert of a person, or the rank of a hamlet headman. everybody is allowed to possess his ain dry ground equally he wishes, instead of having to borrow somebody else's belongings for cultivation. When newly reclaimed dry ground is cultivated, a koichiezi may occasionally perform a ritual (the particular is unknown)
kwaygi are hunters as well as from Dizi. Kwoygi lived inward Adikas, Maji, Jabba, as well as Gobi. There are some with the Surma (Tishana) called nyara. Kwaygi as well as nyara hateful the same. When geima of the adiktyasu were non present, kwoygi conducted rituals on their behalf. Geima as well as kwaygi are of different peoples. For most of the people, eating meat of cattle which take away hold died from an illness is considered a taboo, but kwoygi would swallow it.
 However, S explained that at that topographic point are no kwoygi inward the dry ground of Dizi. Instead they solely be inward the surround of the Omo River.
Uruki
The Dizi linguistic communication term zuru corresponds to "blood relationship" or "blood relatives." It refers' to the cognatic kin equally opposed to the affines, who are toozu. There is no folk term pregnant the agnatic kin or a patrilineal descent group. However, if ane continues to alive inward the dry ground where he was born, inward general, the actual cast of inheritance would live patrilineal. Marriage tends to live virilocal, as well as the brace reside on dry ground nigh the groom's father. But occasionally, people go out the chiefdom where they were born as well as motion into the chiefdom where the mother's relatives (especially the mother's brothers) live. In this case, equally Haberland pointed out, they are gratis to migrate to different lands as well as it is quite tardily for them to obtain their ain dry ground inward the novel chiefdom where they take away hold immigrated. But fifty-fifty if ane was a kaartyab inward the master copy land, he changes to uruki inward his novel land, is non recognized equally kaartyab whatever more,' as well as his patrilineal descendants rest uruki regardless of how many generations pass. In a wide sense, a spousal human relationship betwixt ii kaartyabs of the same chiefdom is avoided, unless it is clear that both the bride as well as the groom are non of the same zuru. However, inward contrast, spousal human relationship betwixt a kaartyab as well as an uruki within the same chiefdom is allowed. That is to say, spousal human relationship betwixt ii different "classes" is possible).
Geima
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 geima has to hook upwards with a geima as well as remains geima fifty-fifty if they motion into a different land. However, at that topographic point are instances a geima adult woman hook upwards with a kaariyab man. The immature adult woman of Zalaka Zer, who was geima, married Keishi Komtu, arelative ofthe Saiktyasu, to live his 3rd wife. She had no kid yet. The elders made some comments that such a spousal human relationship had been impossible inward the onetime days as well as that things are changing abruptly,. but inward fact, it may live opened upwards to farther give-and-take whether this is a recent tendency or not. It is non sure whether the geima spousal human relationship dominion had been strictly observed or not, as well as secondly, this particular spousal human relationship was non spoken of equally horrifying or scandalous.
 The roles played yesteryear the geima are mainly to assist a chief, to assist a koichiezi behavior rituals, as well as to carry or bury their bodies inward funerals. It is predetermined which main or koichiezi a geima would serve. Unlike the Hindu castes, at that topographic point is no conflict betwixt the upper cast groups of the caste over the service of the lower class. The geima elders are so good informed most events inward the yesteryear or the precise genealogy of the people who alive inward the area, as well as the names of the successive Saiklyasu, that they could live called knowledgeable seniors.
 The.geima are non allowed to usage the same containers, when they imbibe local alcoholic beverages, equally those from the other classes. The main as well as the koichiezi must also usage different containers. The gourd container, used yesteryear the chiefs as well as the koichiezi, which has 3 or 4 engravings on the grip, is called geini. The one'
without such engravings is called kofu. Baabaishi never imbibe alcohol f'rom geini.
Those who take away hold the chieftainship or headmanship tin can solely usage geini, but their relatives (kaartyab) cannot. The Kaartyab are non necessarily distinguished from other classes inward regards to geini usage. The geim. a are obliged to usage kofu, however, as well as are non allowed to usage the same koju equally other people from different classes. They cannot imbibe from geini. Thus, with regards to tableware as well as marriage, the geima are largely distinguished from other people, but their liberty to pick out a house to alive or to possess farmland is ensured.
Chief, koichiezi, as well as kaartyab
The vii hereditary ranks which Haberland outlined are non the sort of ranks inward which' all the kaartyab are divided as well as classified into vii groups, but are rather the ranks of occupations equally main or koichiezi (or a classification yesteryear type). According to Fukui, who conducted enquiry inward the same house equally Haberland had
done, the hierarchy of ranks is equally follows:
ktyazu > ktyam > buJ:zi > koizi '- nyangu > ts 'ooni > zaaku > baabu
Ktyazu is the highest rank. The people who belong to this rank swallow as well as imbibe together, as well as never dine with people from other ranks. However, the people who are of a higher condition within burai as well as ktyam are allowed to dine together with ktyazu. Koizi as well as those who are ranked lower, regardless of how high their rankings are within the group, never dine with those who belong to burzi or higher ranks . Ts 'ooni as well as zaaku are allowed to swallow as well as imbibe together. (Fukui , personal communication.) Zaku (zaaku) agency the same equally koichiezi.
The next are rank names:
1) ktyaza>burzya>k:vama>tso 'ina, burzya chiezya >koiza ・
2) ktyaza > nyanga == koiza == chiezya == buraya (inside Sai)
3) kiyasu > bucai>k pam = nyang=: tswoni-> ch iezi> koiza
4) ktyaza > buaya > kyam = tswoni= koiza > keishi
5) ktyaza > k vam > buru,a > tswoni > koiza > nyang = ch ieza = zaku > keishi
6) ktyaza > kyam > buru7a > ko iza = ch ieaya > tswoni > ayang = keishi
7) burzya>kyam
Since at that topographic point is no virile somebody monarch or paramount main who dominates the Dizi equally a whole, within each chiefdom, the
main is superior inward apy case, as well as the informants produce non look to accept much hear of other ranks.
The tasks of the chiefs, koichiezi as well as baabaishi, equally Haberland also stated, are really ceremonial. The main conducts the ritual to command rainfall yesteryear offering sacrifice, as well as "ceremonially supervises" the abundance of the harvest as well as the wellness of the people inward his entire domain. During the ritual to eliminate contagious disease, for instance, Where solely goats are sacrificed, I was told that the Saiktyasu, equally a priest, smeared himself with the blood of the victims. The koichiezi prayed for the wellness as well as prosperity of the expanse he dominated. For example, Baasu, equally a koichiezi of Gelt, invited his relatives andneighbors to his house, as well as conducted a ritual plastering of gray-green colored soil on thejr foreheads as well as correct elbows (not to allow illness larn into their body), so that people would non endure from illness, as well as that the Tama, Surmic pastoralists, would non invade their territory. The soil he used is called chiizi, as well as the ceremony of plastering it is described equally chiizi sieeri. However, since Baasu is also renowned equally a diviner, it is hard to justice whether he conducted this ceremony equally a koichiezi or equally a diviner. On the other hand, baabaishi are non allowed to behavior these
rituals equally the main does. What is frequently witnessed during these ceremonies of praying for goodness harvest as well as prosperity is that the people who unremarkably imbibe the local alcoholic imbibe during a intermission inward farmwork pour the remaining liquor inward the bottom of the gourd onto the ground, piece koichiezi as well as baabaishi utter
prayers to God (saagu). If a geima is present, it is his role to pour the liquor onto the ground. This ceremony of pouring liquor onto the basis is called choi choin.
Various obligations as well as taboos are specific to the business office of main as well as koichiezi, non to a whole cast ot a whole rank. For instance, at that topographic point are containers for their exclusive use, such equally geini, as well as the main as well as koichiezi produce non dine using the same container equally kaartyab as well as geima. Uruki are non allowed to coughing piece eating with them. There are ii types of nutrient made from ensete: udu as well as imbu. The main as well as koichiezi tin can swallow udu made with ensete, but are prohibited to swallow imbu. Besides beef, they produce non swallow whatever meat of other animals. Barley as well as tef are non to live touched yesteryear them, unless they are cooked. The Saiktyasu produce non imbibe whatever liquid, including the local alcohol, inward the town of Maji. This taboo is solely for the Saiktyasu. Cultivating yam inward the chemical compound of Saiktyasu inward the fundamental expanse of Sai is non allowed.
Dizi tribe adult woman carrying large wooden plates on her head

Ritual of Naali (friendship)
Naali is the ritual, regardless of the hierarchy or the category, to affirm friendship betwixt people of the same sex, as well as to larn unopen friends. When ii people start to similar each other as well as create upwards one's psyche to larn Naali, the ritual is conducted inward the theatre of ane of them. During this ritual they tap each other's shoulders (diyeem) with caprine animal cover 4 times; kickoff right, so left (repeated twice). First the somebody of the theatre starts tapping the other's shoulder, so vice versa. They must telephone telephone each other's advert when'tapping the shoulders.
Dizzi adult woman with an umbrella, Tum marketplace Ethiopia

When this is finished, the persons concerned are non allowed to verbalize to each other until a minute ritual inward the other person's theatre is completed. They communicate with each other through a 3rd person. After.three months to ane year, the minute ritual volition live conducted inward the other person's house. At this time, many local people get together around with some local liquor inward their hands. New kofu are prepared. There are broken into ii as well as the ii persons who are becoming naali' separately imbibe liquor with the fragments. The fragments of the broken kofu would so belong to each of them.
Then, equally was done before, they tap each other's shoulders several times with the caprine animal hide. The ane who conducted the kickoff ritual presents the other with a cow. The ane who is given the moo-cow has to enhance it for most 3 years as well as breed at to the lowest degree ane calf. This volition live given to his partner. Such is the outline of the ceremony.

                         Dizi people sharing local drink

After the naali courtesy is completed, the ii people concerned larn quasi-relatives. Therefore, the descendants of naali are non allowed to hook upwards with each other. This is because they,are recognized equally naali equally well. This ritual is possible fifty-fifty betwixt persons of different ranks. Therefore, a kaaltyab human being as well as a geima
human being tin can larn equally unopen equally relatives equally a result. This sort of human relationship must live something that contravenes the "caste" system. This ritual is completely approved inward Sai, although inward fact, it does non accept house too often.
 It may live objected that this ritual represents a sort of so called "communitus" as well as therefore.does non contravene the caste structure. Nonetheless, it should live recognized that Dizi club is non composed of a monolithic rank system.

                                            dizi kids. FO Travel
Religious Belief
Dizi people are really religious as well as religious belief forms component of their culture. In their cosmology, they worship a Supreme Being or Creator God, Saagu. Saagu is the god that created all thing inward Dizi populace as well as the god inward a higher house all other gods as well as divinities. Dizi elders pour libation as well as offering prayers to Saagu inward times of needs to come upwards to their rescue.

Folklore
The Kumu
The Kumu is said to live "the woman rear of the people (yabkoi)": he was the kickoff human beingness to obtain fire. Holding the burn inward his hand, which he started yesteryear rubbing pieces of forest together, he moved from Gemo-Gofa nigh the Omo River to a dry ground called Kwomo inward Mui. The Kumu 's descendants forthwith alive inward Mui. The somebody who takes upwards the championship of the Kumu is a male. However, the Kumu is non the main of Mui. The main of Mui is the Muikzyam, piece kumu remains inward the rank of burzya・
Dizi girl. FO Travel

An oral tradition equally follows: When Saiktyasu came from the dry ground of the Shako to Sai, Sai was already the territory of the Kumu. After the Saiktyasu conquered this land, the Saiktyasu became the follower of the Kumu. The chiefs other than the Saiktyasu, nether the Kumu, were the Daagburzi, the Wloruburai, the Muikyam (Muigay'u), the Gobittyaar, as well as the Mojikurit (Adikas, Kworu, as well as Chiski are non the ceremonial territory of the Kumu). The ranking of the Kumu is buru2a, but is higher inward rank than the Saiktyasu, as well as at that topographic point is nobody else who is higher. The founders of some baabaishi inward Sai are said'to live the children ofthe Kumu. When a baabdishi or koichiezi dies, the Kumu comes' to Sai as well as conducts the ritual. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 moo-cow is killed then, as well as given to the Kumu.
Dizi girl. FO Travel

Source:http://ir.minpaku.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/10502/789/1/SES43_006.pdf
           http://dspace.uta.edu/bitstream/handle/10106/206/umi-uta-1121.pdf?sequence=1












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