Ogiek, also spelt as Okiek, are an indigenous hunting and gathering community who live in the several forests in Kenya. A few who are also marginalized live in North Tingeret Forest in Uasin Gishu District. They are nicknamed Dorobo which means poor people who cannot afford cattle. The nickname is derived from a Maasai (one of the communities bordering Ogiek. They adore livestock) name il torobo, which means a poor person who has no cattle and has to live on hunting and gathering. The Ogieks speak Kalenjin dialect but do not consider themselves to be Tugen, Nandi or Kipsigis (These are other tribes speaking the same dialect) by virtue of speaking the language.
This community has not had organized formal institutions for many years. They resisted a formal administration being imposed on them by the colonial administration.
The introduction by the colonial government of game and forest laws saw the criminalization of Ogiek survival tactics and legally deprived them of a home. The Forest Act and the Wildlife Conservation Act had multiple effects on the Ogiek. They were evicted from the forest on the grounds that the colonial government wanted to “conserve” the forests. The second injustice that followed was the replacement of their natural forests with Conifer plantations that are, to the Ogiek, “totally sterile, unproductive, and useless for either bees or wild animals”. These trees couldn’t be used as medication unlike the indigenous ones. These laws played a great part in harassing this minority community.
The destruction of Ogiek forests saw them turn to small-scale arable farming and stock raring in the forests. Kiberenge arap Koech, an Ogiek in North Tinderet Forest told us that they were taught farming by the Kikuyus in 1957 and the Maasais taught them livestock raring some years later. The community found later that the only land they could call home was Forestry Department land and they were being granted short-term tenure on sufferance in return for clearing and cultivating the soil for the planting of exotic trees. After every few years they were moved on to clear other areas thus irreversibly destroying their natural habitat. Whether this was by design remains a matter of speculation. But we do believe it was a colonial design to exploit the habitation of the Ogieks.
We managed to hear from an Ogiek elder, Mzee arap Mutai. He confirmed the above issues. When asked if the Ogieks are Kalenjins or in any way related to them, he said that even though they speak almost the same dialect with the Nandis, Kalenjins and the Turgens, they were not of the same tribe. Mutai insisted that the language they speak should not be referred as Kalenjin but Ogiek language. These communities speak almost the same dialect but Mzee Mutai explained that there are various inner words that when they speak the Kalenjins cannot understand. He also informed us that the Ogieks living in North Tinderet forest came from the Mau and Mt. Elgon forests. In the North Tinderet Forest, they were and are still neighboured by the Maasais, Kikuyus, Turgens and the Nandis.
Inter marriages came about with most Ogiek marrying and being married to the Maasais. This enhanced the dilution of their culture and tradition. They gave livestock as dowry. These livestock were bought from the Maasai. The number of livestock paid as dowry depended on clan category. These categories are determined by the name of the animal, which represents the clans. Some clans are called Elephant, antelope, lion, pig and the like. Mzee arap Mutai told our team that the swara (antelope) clan could be paid at least three cows and one bull for dowry. The pig clan could receive the minimal amount because they are deemed to be of a lower class. We managed to visit a family from the pig clan. This family has at least some learned people. This was a proof to the fact that the clan system does not in any way determine the human potential. Marriage used to be very much honoured. There were very rare cases of polygamy. In these rare cases, the man would stay with both of his wives in the same house but different rooms.
We also managed to talk to another Mzee (Swahili term for Old Man), Kipsang arap Mutei, whose facts were marrying those of Mzee Mutai. He said that before any marriage ceremony could be done, there had to be a confirmation that both the man and woman had passed through the most important initiation circumcision. No uncircumcised person would marry or be married to an Ogiek. A specialist, as narrated by Mzee Mutai, was the only one to confirm this. When asked why the circumcision was important, Mutai explain that this is when the young men would be taught issues like sex, responsibility and many others. The young men were declared adults who could be responsible for their own behaviour. It is then that they could have there own singira (houses) and subsequently marry at their own pleasure. Early marriage among ladies was very common since the initiation paved a great way for that.
Formal education was not there in the early days of the Ogieks. Nevertheless it is slowly creeping into their system with very few families taking their children to school. The only blockade on their way, other than ignorance, is lack of funds to support the expenses that goes with the kind of education. Many parents can not even afford school uniform, leave alone books. We came across others, who though had struggled to buy uniforms, could not maintain them. No funds even for the purchase of detergent. This is a fact we couldn t absorb until they explain to us how hard it is to come by money in that forest. Among the many people we talked with, only three girls had managed to step in a high school class of which only one had completed with the rest dropping out of school. Reason? Lack of school fees. But the eagerness to go back to school was widely expressed in their look and in writing. They thought that at least writing notes to us would help communicate their desire.
The current life of the Ogieks has very limited improvement, if any. Majorities who are in the forest are living like squatters in their ancestral land. A few of them were allocated part of the forestland a couple of months ago by the current government. Owing to the past experience, they could not leave any tree on its ground. They engaged in logging so as to ensure no interferences in the future by the government of the day. The sad part is that their neighbours to lease these pieces of land to them lured them. Now they have turned to be captives to other tribes. One lady, Jane Bwalei had the following to say in connection to the lease agreement:
Some of us were allotted 5 ha by the government some time back. This was a good indication that somebody was at least thinking of our community. No sooner had we settled on the land than the Kikuyus (a tribe bordering Ogiek) came in to lease them. We were very ignorant. I think they took advantage of our ignorance to exploit us. At the moment most of us have no land to till but others, though did not lease their land, just fear farming. You know we are not farmers but hunters & gatherers.
Since we have to eat, most of us are taking on farming work in exchange of potatoes that can take us for supper and breakfast only. This has become our daily routine. We hardy come by money hence we cannot afford anything of our own. We have accepted the superstition that Ogiek farms cannot produce unless we lease them out to the other tribes. Thank God you came my way to educate me.
I have to revoke the agreement and start my own farming. My children can t go to school because of lack of funds. I never knew that I was sitting on riches. Lack of money made me desire to run back to the forest because we were doing better there.
My visitors I may not have anything to offer you but Pastor (the title given to Olang by the community) take these two eggs and cook for the visitors
We heard the same sentiments in almost every family we visited. A few of them were satisfied with the life outside the forest. Most of them were still envying those who remained in the forest. We were also informed that a few families sold their land and returned to the forest. Otherwise the Ogieks are a group of very generous people. They have no problem with the neighbours who choose to live among them. This, though is a generous sign, it is slowly contributing to the fading cultural appreciation of the community.
We managed to see some homesteads belonging to other communities living within the Ogieks. Most of these homes are next to a small village shopping center known as Cherus. Mr. Joseph, head of the only primary school in the area, told us that these people took advantage of the loopholes prevailing in the land settlement scheme. A report contained on The Daily Nation Newspaper (28/07/2004) shows that the Ogieks are not yet satisfied with the land allocation procedure. The Ogiek elders are now demanding that the land review team be disbanded.
Conclusion
There is a constant urge within us to empower men and women, boys and girls, old men and old women so that this community shall live to be recognized as an economically stable community. Time is gone when people used to do things for their own benefit. We have come to a time when our existence must be for the benefit of others. When we realize that there is some power within us that we need to release to help another crawl, walk, run and even fly, we will stop spectating and start participating. We have to put up our knowledge and wisdom together to help find sustainable solutions to this community. They must be involved in finding this solution. This will help them possess and maintain the initiative. I agree with Galileo Galilee s quote I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use .
Marginalization of this community has reached our throats, the enemies are shouting hard, people are taking advantage of their ignorance but as Martin Luther King Jr. said In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends . Let the friends of Ogiek shout on the mountain hills. Let freedom reign. Let equality prevail. We promise to dare and be very confident in all our endeavors towards sustainability. Every good thing involves risk taking.
Let me again quote E. F. Benson There is no surer way of calling the worst out of anyone than that of taking their worst as being their true selves; no surer way of bringing out the best than by only accepting that as being true of them. The acceptance and accommodation of the Ogiek culture gave a jump-start to the journey towards the solution their problem. We will not take their culture and tradition away but help them appreciate their true nature. We should never look down upon anybody unless you re helping him up. Robert F. Kennedy said, Each time someone stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope . There is always light at the end of each tunnel. I do also agree with Elbert Hubbard when he said, One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man . This initiative may seem impossible to accomplish in the eyes of many but nothing shall be impossible to whoever sees the invisible. Determination is the key that frustrates all frustrations. The act of taking the first step is what separates the winners from the losers. Lets join hands and collaborate our efforts for action is the fundamental key to all successes. You may ask yourself, What reward will I get from my commitment to such an initiative? There is a Chinese proverb that says, The journey is the reward . Satisfaction comes in the journey. Leaving a positive mark is what inspires us. I believe this community shall attain the desired degree of sustainability and reach a level where there economic, educational and cultural voice shall be heard by all corners of the earth.
Jacobam – Kenya
This community has not had organized formal institutions for many years. They resisted a formal administration being imposed on them by the colonial administration.
The introduction by the colonial government of game and forest laws saw the criminalization of Ogiek survival tactics and legally deprived them of a home. The Forest Act and the Wildlife Conservation Act had multiple effects on the Ogiek. They were evicted from the forest on the grounds that the colonial government wanted to “conserve” the forests. The second injustice that followed was the replacement of their natural forests with Conifer plantations that are, to the Ogiek, “totally sterile, unproductive, and useless for either bees or wild animals”. These trees couldn’t be used as medication unlike the indigenous ones. These laws played a great part in harassing this minority community.
The destruction of Ogiek forests saw them turn to small-scale arable farming and stock raring in the forests. Kiberenge arap Koech, an Ogiek in North Tinderet Forest told us that they were taught farming by the Kikuyus in 1957 and the Maasais taught them livestock raring some years later. The community found later that the only land they could call home was Forestry Department land and they were being granted short-term tenure on sufferance in return for clearing and cultivating the soil for the planting of exotic trees. After every few years they were moved on to clear other areas thus irreversibly destroying their natural habitat. Whether this was by design remains a matter of speculation. But we do believe it was a colonial design to exploit the habitation of the Ogieks.
We managed to hear from an Ogiek elder, Mzee arap Mutai. He confirmed the above issues. When asked if the Ogieks are Kalenjins or in any way related to them, he said that even though they speak almost the same dialect with the Nandis, Kalenjins and the Turgens, they were not of the same tribe. Mutai insisted that the language they speak should not be referred as Kalenjin but Ogiek language. These communities speak almost the same dialect but Mzee Mutai explained that there are various inner words that when they speak the Kalenjins cannot understand. He also informed us that the Ogieks living in North Tinderet forest came from the Mau and Mt. Elgon forests. In the North Tinderet Forest, they were and are still neighboured by the Maasais, Kikuyus, Turgens and the Nandis.
Inter marriages came about with most Ogiek marrying and being married to the Maasais. This enhanced the dilution of their culture and tradition. They gave livestock as dowry. These livestock were bought from the Maasai. The number of livestock paid as dowry depended on clan category. These categories are determined by the name of the animal, which represents the clans. Some clans are called Elephant, antelope, lion, pig and the like. Mzee arap Mutai told our team that the swara (antelope) clan could be paid at least three cows and one bull for dowry. The pig clan could receive the minimal amount because they are deemed to be of a lower class. We managed to visit a family from the pig clan. This family has at least some learned people. This was a proof to the fact that the clan system does not in any way determine the human potential. Marriage used to be very much honoured. There were very rare cases of polygamy. In these rare cases, the man would stay with both of his wives in the same house but different rooms.
We also managed to talk to another Mzee (Swahili term for Old Man), Kipsang arap Mutei, whose facts were marrying those of Mzee Mutai. He said that before any marriage ceremony could be done, there had to be a confirmation that both the man and woman had passed through the most important initiation circumcision. No uncircumcised person would marry or be married to an Ogiek. A specialist, as narrated by Mzee Mutai, was the only one to confirm this. When asked why the circumcision was important, Mutai explain that this is when the young men would be taught issues like sex, responsibility and many others. The young men were declared adults who could be responsible for their own behaviour. It is then that they could have there own singira (houses) and subsequently marry at their own pleasure. Early marriage among ladies was very common since the initiation paved a great way for that.
Formal education was not there in the early days of the Ogieks. Nevertheless it is slowly creeping into their system with very few families taking their children to school. The only blockade on their way, other than ignorance, is lack of funds to support the expenses that goes with the kind of education. Many parents can not even afford school uniform, leave alone books. We came across others, who though had struggled to buy uniforms, could not maintain them. No funds even for the purchase of detergent. This is a fact we couldn t absorb until they explain to us how hard it is to come by money in that forest. Among the many people we talked with, only three girls had managed to step in a high school class of which only one had completed with the rest dropping out of school. Reason? Lack of school fees. But the eagerness to go back to school was widely expressed in their look and in writing. They thought that at least writing notes to us would help communicate their desire.
The current life of the Ogieks has very limited improvement, if any. Majorities who are in the forest are living like squatters in their ancestral land. A few of them were allocated part of the forestland a couple of months ago by the current government. Owing to the past experience, they could not leave any tree on its ground. They engaged in logging so as to ensure no interferences in the future by the government of the day. The sad part is that their neighbours to lease these pieces of land to them lured them. Now they have turned to be captives to other tribes. One lady, Jane Bwalei had the following to say in connection to the lease agreement:
Some of us were allotted 5 ha by the government some time back. This was a good indication that somebody was at least thinking of our community. No sooner had we settled on the land than the Kikuyus (a tribe bordering Ogiek) came in to lease them. We were very ignorant. I think they took advantage of our ignorance to exploit us. At the moment most of us have no land to till but others, though did not lease their land, just fear farming. You know we are not farmers but hunters & gatherers.
Since we have to eat, most of us are taking on farming work in exchange of potatoes that can take us for supper and breakfast only. This has become our daily routine. We hardy come by money hence we cannot afford anything of our own. We have accepted the superstition that Ogiek farms cannot produce unless we lease them out to the other tribes. Thank God you came my way to educate me.
I have to revoke the agreement and start my own farming. My children can t go to school because of lack of funds. I never knew that I was sitting on riches. Lack of money made me desire to run back to the forest because we were doing better there.
My visitors I may not have anything to offer you but Pastor (the title given to Olang by the community) take these two eggs and cook for the visitors
We heard the same sentiments in almost every family we visited. A few of them were satisfied with the life outside the forest. Most of them were still envying those who remained in the forest. We were also informed that a few families sold their land and returned to the forest. Otherwise the Ogieks are a group of very generous people. They have no problem with the neighbours who choose to live among them. This, though is a generous sign, it is slowly contributing to the fading cultural appreciation of the community.
We managed to see some homesteads belonging to other communities living within the Ogieks. Most of these homes are next to a small village shopping center known as Cherus. Mr. Joseph, head of the only primary school in the area, told us that these people took advantage of the loopholes prevailing in the land settlement scheme. A report contained on The Daily Nation Newspaper (28/07/2004) shows that the Ogieks are not yet satisfied with the land allocation procedure. The Ogiek elders are now demanding that the land review team be disbanded.
Conclusion
There is a constant urge within us to empower men and women, boys and girls, old men and old women so that this community shall live to be recognized as an economically stable community. Time is gone when people used to do things for their own benefit. We have come to a time when our existence must be for the benefit of others. When we realize that there is some power within us that we need to release to help another crawl, walk, run and even fly, we will stop spectating and start participating. We have to put up our knowledge and wisdom together to help find sustainable solutions to this community. They must be involved in finding this solution. This will help them possess and maintain the initiative. I agree with Galileo Galilee s quote I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use .
Marginalization of this community has reached our throats, the enemies are shouting hard, people are taking advantage of their ignorance but as Martin Luther King Jr. said In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends . Let the friends of Ogiek shout on the mountain hills. Let freedom reign. Let equality prevail. We promise to dare and be very confident in all our endeavors towards sustainability. Every good thing involves risk taking.
Let me again quote E. F. Benson There is no surer way of calling the worst out of anyone than that of taking their worst as being their true selves; no surer way of bringing out the best than by only accepting that as being true of them. The acceptance and accommodation of the Ogiek culture gave a jump-start to the journey towards the solution their problem. We will not take their culture and tradition away but help them appreciate their true nature. We should never look down upon anybody unless you re helping him up. Robert F. Kennedy said, Each time someone stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope . There is always light at the end of each tunnel. I do also agree with Elbert Hubbard when he said, One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man . This initiative may seem impossible to accomplish in the eyes of many but nothing shall be impossible to whoever sees the invisible. Determination is the key that frustrates all frustrations. The act of taking the first step is what separates the winners from the losers. Lets join hands and collaborate our efforts for action is the fundamental key to all successes. You may ask yourself, What reward will I get from my commitment to such an initiative? There is a Chinese proverb that says, The journey is the reward . Satisfaction comes in the journey. Leaving a positive mark is what inspires us. I believe this community shall attain the desired degree of sustainability and reach a level where there economic, educational and cultural voice shall be heard by all corners of the earth.
Jacobam – Kenya
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