The Omo Valley Tour Package includes visits to several ethnic tribes in the region, including the Konso, Dassanech, Karo, Mursi, Hamer, Nyangatom, and Bena tribes. Key activities and cultural practices among these tribes involve body painting, scarification, lip plates, cattle herding, bull jumping rituals, and traditional dances. The package also includes visits to Omo National Park and Mago National Park, the two major national parks in the Omo Valley region that are home to diverse wildlife like elephants, lions, giraffes, and over 300 bird species.

1. OMO Valley Tour Package
Konso Cultural Heritage
Konso, named after the Konso people, is known for its religious traditions, waka sculptures, and
nearby fossil beds (the latter an archaeological site of early hominids).
Konso Cultural Heritage
Konso Cultural Heritage was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on September 30,
1997 due to its purported universal cultural significance of terracing agricultural practice.
The Konso live in an isolated region of the basalt hills. The area is made up of hard rocky
slopes. A Konso village maybe fortified by a stone wall used as a defensive measure, their
village is located on hilltops and is split up into communities, with each community having a
main hut. In order to enter a Konso village, you must pass through a gate and a series of alleys.
These paths are part of its security system, keeping the village difficult to access.
They are mixed agriculturists using their dry and infertile lands to grow crops. Animal dung is
used to fertilize the grounds and their most important crop is the sorghum. Sorghum is used as
flour and to make local beer. Grains, beans, cotton, corn and coffee are also grown by the Konso
people.
The erection of stones and poles is part of the Konso tradition. A generation pole is raised every
18 years, marking the start of a new generation. The age of a village can be determined by how
many poles are standing. Carved wooden statues are also used to mark the grave of a famous
Konso tribal member. The marker, called a Waga is placed above the grave and smaller statues
are then placed around the larger one representing his wives and conquered enemies.

2. Although the Konso people have many customs dating back hundreds of years, it is not
uncommon for them to be seen wearing western clothing. As newer generations grow, their
traditional attire has gradually changed to modern societies. The Konso is a very interesting tribe
to visit on your trip to the lower Omo Valley.
Dassanech

3. Dassanech in north of Kenya’s Lake Turkana
Dasenech tribe lives just north of Kenya’s Lake Turkana. Their neighboring tribe is the Turkana
people. The Daasanech are pastralists (cattle herders), but due to the harsh territory, they have
moved south to grow crops and fish. Cattle are used by the tribesman for meat, milk and
clothing. Often their cattle die from disease and drought. Of all the tribes in the Omo Valley, the
Daasanech are the poorest.

4. Because the Daasanech people come from multiple ethnic groups, both men and women must
agree to be circumcised. There are eight clans that make up the Daasanech tribe, each having its
own name. They are the Elele, Inkabelo, Inkoria, Koro, Naritch, Oro, Randal and the Ri’ele.
Each clan is defined by its territory with the Inkabelo being the wealthiest.
During a ceremony, the Dassanech men dance with large sticks and the women hold wooden
batons. A Daasanech man blesses his daughter’s fertility and future marriage by celebrating the
Dimi. During the Dimi 10 to 30 cattle are slaughtered. Both men and women wear fur capes
while they feast and dance. A Dimi ceremony will most likely take place in the dry season.
Karo
Karo peoples on the east banks of the Omo River
The Karo (or Kara), with a population of about 1000 – 1500 live on the east banks of the Omo
River in south Ethiopia.Their neighbors are the Hamar,Bana,Bashada,the famous Mursi and
Nyangatom (on the other side of Omo river, who are their enemies ) . They speak a south Omotic
language.

5. The Karo grow sorghum ,maize and beans .
Karo use to paint body and decorate their face. They use white (chalk), black (charcoal), yellow,
ochre, and red earth.. Karo women scarify their chests to beautify themselves .The scarification
of a man’s chest shows that he has killed an enemy or a dangerous animal. The scars are done
with a knife or razor blade and ash is rubbed into.
The wearing of a grey and ochre clay hair bun alsoindicates the killing of an enemy or a
dangerous animal. Hamar do the same.
The women have a very distinctive hairdress: they put red clay mixed with butter in their hair, so
that the hair looks like a bunch of coffee beans. Ladies still use leather clothing made from
animal skins.
The men all use a wood headrest to protect their hair bun, and they use it too to sit.
They love to rest under the men house, the chifo. At the end of the harvest and at times of
initiation and marriage, the Karo come together to enjoy dances with a lot of local beer.
These happy times often lead to marriage after the young man has successfully accompling
the bull jumping. A Karo man may take as many wives as he can afford, but usually he
marries two or three.
National Parks in Omo Valley
There are many national parks located in Ethiopia. Many of them being home to an abundance of wild
life. However there are two major National Parks located in Omo Valley. One of the most remote
National Parks in the world is Omo National Park. Mago National Park is east of Omo and is separated
by the Omo River.
Omo National Park:
Omo is Ethiopia's largest most remote park and is not easily accessible. The park does have a head
quarters and a new airstrip but has little support for travellers. It is located on the west bank of the Omo
River and was established as a national park in 1966. The park has approximately 2,527 square miles of
vegetation and wildlife.
Omo National Park is home to some of Ethiopia's native tribes which are the Dizi, Me'en,Mursi,
Nyangatom and Suri can be found there. It is also home to many unique animals to include Buffalo,
Cheetah,Eland, Elephants, Giraffes, Leopard's,Lions and Zebras to name a few. There are over 306
species of birds that can be found in the Omo National Park.
Mago National Park:
Mago is found on the east bank of the Omo River. It is approximately 1,343 square miles and its highest
point is Mount Mago. The park was established in 1979 and is Ethiopia's newest National Park. The
Mago National Park is divided by the Mago river which is a tributary of the Omo river. Located within
the boundaries of the park is Lake Dipa. The west side of the park is the Tama Wildlife Reserve and to
the south is the Murle controlled hunting area. There is a park office and all roads to and from it are dirt.

6. The park mainly consist of grasslands with some forest areas located around the rivers. Many animals
can be found in the Mago National Park. Some of the common ones are the buffalo, cheetah,elephant,
giraffe, hartebeest,leopard, lion and zebra. Bird species are also prevalent in Mago, with the rare
Turdoides tenebrosus (Dusky Babbler) being found at Lake Dipa. Along the river in the lower Omo
Valley there is a diverse ground of ethnic tribes that live in the park. The Mursi people are amongst the
most common to visit.
Mursi
Mursi and their lip plates
The Mursi or Muri people are the most popular in Ethiopia’s Omo Valley. They are well known
for their unique lip plates. They are settled around the Omo River and in the Mago National
Park. Due to the climate, they move twice a year between the winter and summer months. They
herd cattle and grow crops along the banks of the Omo River.
The Mursi women paint their bodies and face in white. They also are the ones who wear the lip
plates. Women of the Mursi tribe may have their lips cut at the age of 15 or 16. A small clay
plate is then inserted into the lip. Through the years, larger plates are inserted into the lip causing
it to stretch. The larger the clay plate, the more the woman is worth before she gets married. It is
said that the clay plates were originally used to prevent capture by slave traders. Although very
unique and part of their tradition, the Mursi women only wear the plates for a short time because
they are so heavy and uncomfortable.
Men of the Mursi also use white paint for their bodies and faces. Just like any other ethinic tribe
in the lower valley, the men must pass a test before they can get married. A Mursi man is given a
stick called a Donga and must face one opponent. The men then battle it out, beating Man of the
Mursi Tribe with body scarseach other with the sticks.

7. The first fighter to submit loses and the winner is taken by a group of women to determine who
he will marry. Men of the tribe also practice scarification. Like other tribes, this is the marking of
an enemy killed by him.
The Mursi are more than happy to allow you to take pictures of them. However, they keep count
of every picture taken and will charge you for each one.
The Hamer in southwestern Ethiopia
The Hamer (also spelled Hamar) are a tribal people in southwestern Ethiopia. They live in
Hamer Bena woreda (or district), a fertile part of the Omo River valley, in the Debub Omo Zone
of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR). They are largely
pastoralists, so their culture places a high value on cattle.
The Hamar live among the bush covered hills on the eastern side of the Omo Valley in southern
Ethiopia. They are a tribe with unique rituals such as a cattle-leaping ceremony that men go
through in order to reach adulthood, whereupon young Hamar women get whipped to prove their
love for their kinsmen.

8. The 15,000 to 20,000 members of the Hamar make their living as successful cattle herders and
farmers. Once they hunted, but the wild pigs and small antelope have almost disappeared from
the lands in which they live; and until 20 years ago, all ploughing was done by hand with digging
sticks.
The land isn’t owned by individuals; it’s free for cultivation and grazing, just as fruit and berries
are free for whoever collects them. The Hamar move on when the land is exhausted or
overwhelmed by weeds.
Often families will pool their livestock and labour to herd their cattle together. In the dry season,
whole families go to live in grazing camps with their herds, where they survive on milk and
blood from the cattle. Just as for the other tribes in the valley, cattle and goats are at the heart of
Hamar life. They provide the cornerstone of a household’s livelihood; it’s only with cattle and
goats to pay as ‘bride wealth’ that a man can marry.
There is a division of labour in terms of sex and age. The women and girls grow crops (the staple
is sorghum, alongside beans, maize and pumpkins). They’re also responsible for collecting
water, doing the cooking and looking after the children – who start helping the family by herding
the goats from around the age of eight. The young men of the village work the crops, defend the
herds or go off raiding for livestock from other tribes, while adult men herd the cattle, plough
with oxen and raise beehives in acacia trees.
Sometimes, for a task like raising a new roof or getting the harvest in, a woman will invite her
neighbours to join her in a work party in return for beer or a meal of goat, specially slaughtered
to feed them.

9. Nyagatom
Nyangatom Peoples
Nyangatom live south of Omo National park and occasionally migrate in to the lower regions of
the park when water or grazing is scarce. Numbering around 6,000-7,000 in population, the
Bumi are agro pastoralists, relying on cattle herding and floor- retreat agriculture (consisting
mainly of sorghum harvesting on the Omo and kibish Rivers). The Nyangatom tend to indulge in
honey and frequently smoke out beehives in the park to get the honey inside the nests. The Bumi
are known to be great warriors and quite frequently, active warmongers. Small group of
Nyangatom living along the Omo are specialized crocodile hunters using harpoons from a
dugout canoe. The elders of both sexes wear a lower lip plug, the men’s being made from ivory
and women’s made from copper filigree.
Bena People
Bena Tribe

10. Banna, Bana, and Benna are other spellings for the Bena people. They are neighbors with the
Hamer tribe and it is believed that the Bena actually originated from them centuries ago. The
markets in Key Afer and Jinka are often visited by them.
Just like most of the indigenous tribes in the lower Omo Valley, the Bena practice ritual dancing
and singing. The men often have their hair dressed up with a colorful clay cap that is decorated
with feathers. Both the men and women wear long garments and paint their bodies with white
chalk. Women of the tribe wear beads in their hair that is held together with butter.
The Bena look very similar to the Hamer and are often called the Hamer-Bena. Common rituals
and traditions of other tribes are shared by the Bena. The boys in the tribe participate in bull
jumping. When it is time for the boy to become a man, he must jump over a number of bulls
naked without falling. If he is able to complete this task, he will become a man and be able to
marry a woman.