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Hamar people
The Hamar (also spell as Hamer) are rural-agropastoral community located in the mountainous and lowland areas of the Lower Omo Valley in Southern Ethiopia. They speak Hamar language, a South Omotic language. However, it is not taught in schools and not used in government institutions. They primarily engaged in livestock herding but also farming.
The Hamar people are one of the largest groups in South Omo Zone of the South Ethiopia Regional State. The total population of the Hamar district is 64,925 with 32,600 male and 32,325 female. Of the total population, 61,227 of them live in rural area whereas 3,698 of them live in the town. The South Ethiopia Regional Statistical Report also shows that the population density of the Woreda is 11 person per km2 .
The Hamar people live on the eastern side of the Omo River in Hamar Woreda, located in the South Omo Zone with its administrative center at Dimeka. The woreda covers a total land area of 5,989.8 km2. The annual temperature of the Woreda range from 17.6 °C to 27.5 °C, with an annual rainfall between 400 mm and 1,600 mm. The elevation varies from below 500 meters to as high as 2,000 meters above sea level. Their territory stretches from the Weito River in the east to the plains and hills of the lower Omo Valley in the west and to the north and northwest, it borders the lands of the Banna and Bashada, the other community living Hamar Woreda.
In terms of their relative location, the Hamar are bordered by the Arbore and Tsamai to the east, the Banna to the north, the Dasanech to the south, Lake Stephanie (Chew Bahir) to the southeast, and the Kara, Nyangatom, and the Omo River to the west.
Hamar Woreda has 11 primary schools and one secondary school. The woreda's healthcare infrastructure includes three health centers and 20 health posts, providing essential medical services to the community. Additionally, a paved road runs through the woreda, connecting Hamar with neighboring communities.
The Hamar people are predominantly pastoralist and engage in livestock keeping. Their livestock includes cattle, goat and sheep. More recently, they have also begun keeping camels, which they have acquired through government and non-governmental organizations. Their livestock management depends on herd size and the proximity of grazing areas to the homestead. In families with many animals, older boys and men take care of the cattle in faraway camps. Smaller herds stay closer to the village, where older children look after the goats and sheep. Younger children, especially girls, usually care for the goats and sheep near home. In addition to herding, the Hamar who live in the mountainous area also engage in cultivation. So, their economy combines the rearing of animals (goats, sheep, cattle), farming (sorghum, maize, varieties of beans), beekeeping, and hunting and gathering.
There are shortage of written sources on the origin and history of the Hamar prior to the conquest by Emperor Menelik II towards the end of 19th century. The only important paper about their origin myth based on their oral history was written by Ivo Strecker and characterized that the Hamar identity and history was shaped by migration and the complex intergroup relationship with the other group that they encountered during their migration. Based on this work and literature on the neighboring communities, I provide the overview of the Origin myth and History of the Hamar before their incorporation into Ethiopian state.
The Hamar people trace their origins to migration into the Lower Omo Valley, where interactions with neighboring groups played a crucial role in shaping their cultural identity and history. The Hamar acknowledge the presence of the mythical Boa people, believed to be cattle herders who inhabited the area before them. Upon their arrival, they also encountered the Borana, who were herding cattle in the Weito Valley but did not practice cultivation. Oral tradition recounts that a Hamar ritual leader used magical powers to drive the Borana eastward, clearing the way for Hamar settlement. Additionally, the Hamar came into contact with the Arbore, an already well-established group in the region known for their strong ritual leadership and agro-pastoral economy.
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Hamar people
The Hamar (also spell as Hamer) are rural-agropastoral community located in the mountainous and lowland areas of the Lower Omo Valley in Southern Ethiopia. They speak Hamar language, a South Omotic language. However, it is not taught in schools and not used in government institutions. They primarily engaged in livestock herding but also farming.
The Hamar people are one of the largest groups in South Omo Zone of the South Ethiopia Regional State. The total population of the Hamar district is 64,925 with 32,600 male and 32,325 female. Of the total population, 61,227 of them live in rural area whereas 3,698 of them live in the town. The South Ethiopia Regional Statistical Report also shows that the population density of the Woreda is 11 person per km2 .
The Hamar people live on the eastern side of the Omo River in Hamar Woreda, located in the South Omo Zone with its administrative center at Dimeka. The woreda covers a total land area of 5,989.8 km2. The annual temperature of the Woreda range from 17.6 °C to 27.5 °C, with an annual rainfall between 400 mm and 1,600 mm. The elevation varies from below 500 meters to as high as 2,000 meters above sea level. Their territory stretches from the Weito River in the east to the plains and hills of the lower Omo Valley in the west and to the north and northwest, it borders the lands of the Banna and Bashada, the other community living Hamar Woreda.
In terms of their relative location, the Hamar are bordered by the Arbore and Tsamai to the east, the Banna to the north, the Dasanech to the south, Lake Stephanie (Chew Bahir) to the southeast, and the Kara, Nyangatom, and the Omo River to the west.
Hamar Woreda has 11 primary schools and one secondary school. The woreda's healthcare infrastructure includes three health centers and 20 health posts, providing essential medical services to the community. Additionally, a paved road runs through the woreda, connecting Hamar with neighboring communities.
The Hamar people are predominantly pastoralist and engage in livestock keeping. Their livestock includes cattle, goat and sheep. More recently, they have also begun keeping camels, which they have acquired through government and non-governmental organizations. Their livestock management depends on herd size and the proximity of grazing areas to the homestead. In families with many animals, older boys and men take care of the cattle in faraway camps. Smaller herds stay closer to the village, where older children look after the goats and sheep. Younger children, especially girls, usually care for the goats and sheep near home. In addition to herding, the Hamar who live in the mountainous area also engage in cultivation. So, their economy combines the rearing of animals (goats, sheep, cattle), farming (sorghum, maize, varieties of beans), beekeeping, and hunting and gathering.
There are shortage of written sources on the origin and history of the Hamar prior to the conquest by Emperor Menelik II towards the end of 19th century. The only important paper about their origin myth based on their oral history was written by Ivo Strecker and characterized that the Hamar identity and history was shaped by migration and the complex intergroup relationship with the other group that they encountered during their migration. Based on this work and literature on the neighboring communities, I provide the overview of the Origin myth and History of the Hamar before their incorporation into Ethiopian state.
The Hamar people trace their origins to migration into the Lower Omo Valley, where interactions with neighboring groups played a crucial role in shaping their cultural identity and history. The Hamar acknowledge the presence of the mythical Boa people, believed to be cattle herders who inhabited the area before them. Upon their arrival, they also encountered the Borana, who were herding cattle in the Weito Valley but did not practice cultivation. Oral tradition recounts that a Hamar ritual leader used magical powers to drive the Borana eastward, clearing the way for Hamar settlement. Additionally, the Hamar came into contact with the Arbore, an already well-established group in the region known for their strong ritual leadership and agro-pastoral economy.