Oromo Society Research Articles

Traditional Moral Values of the Oromo of Ethiopia: A Philosophical Appraisal of Gada System (Synopsis of a PhD Dissertation)

This is a report of my PhD dissertation titled “Traditional Moral Values of the Oromo of Ethiopia: A Philosophical Appraisal of Gada System”. The dissertation ventures to accomplish three missions – one is the mission of bringing the traditional moral values of the Oromo people to light, the other is to critically evaluate the content of these values and the third is to demonstrate the applicability of philosophical inquiry to the concrete life and relations of human beings.The entire text of the dissertation is composed of six chapters. At the end of each chapter there are critical analyses, conclusions, references and notes. Finally at the end of the whole body of the dissertation there is bibliography and appendix. The appendix contains the pictures of some of the elderly informants who orally shared their knowledge of the traditional moral values of the Oromo society. The first chapter attempts to lay out the problems that instigated the research, the general problems that the dissertation addresses, the methods that the researcher employs, and a conceptual and theoretical groundwork for the subsequent chapters.

When Will we be People as Well? Social Identity and the Politics of Cultural Performance: The Case of the Waata Oromo of East and Northeast Africa

This essay describes the struggle of an indigenous rights activist to obtain ethnic status and political representation for the Waata, former hunter-gatherers who belong to the Oromo-speaking people of East and Northeast Africa. It discusses how this leader is trying to positively redefine the label of 'caste' attributed to the Waata by scholars to explain the ambivalent position occupied by the group in traditional Oromo society. The essay examines how this social activist used a dance ritual which is performed annually by the Waata to commemorate their myth of origin as a way to gain political and moral legitimacy for his campaign. As Abner Cohen's studies suggest, there exists an intrinsic link between cultural performances and political processes in contexts of socio-economic change. The essay explores these interrelated themes of culture, politics and social change through the case of the Waata.

Pouvoir de bénir et de maudire : cosmologie et organisation sociale des Oromo-Arsi

Abstract The Power to Bless and to Curse: Cosmology, Hierarchy and Social Organization among the Oromo Arsl in Ethiopia. — Despite their social organization's egalitarian principles and ideology, the Oromo have temporary and permanent hierarchies. These are said to originate in the disturbance of the social and cosmic order by individuals who have brought down upon themselves the curses of those powers — ancestors, God, the earth, the Qaallu, etc. — who have the power to bless and curse. The formation of certain endogamous castes is linked to this original curse. Blessing and cursing thus have to do with moral and political authority, which serves as an institutional means for ensuring social control and maintaining man-kind's harmonious relations with nature and the invisible world. The analysis of myths and principles of social organization (Gadaa, Qaallu and kinship) sheds light on both the rationale underlying social relations and the way traditional Oromo society works. The recent debate for likening the Gadaa to the modem state is reviewed.

Traditional perceptions and treatment of mental disorders in western Ethiopia before the 1974 revolution

This article describes the traditional concepts and treatment of mental disorders in the Oromo areas in western Ethiopia before the revolution in 1974. There are three traditional cultural influences operating: traditional Oromo thinking, the Coptic church and the Islamic culture. One important element in traditional Oromo thinking is that each person is believed to possess an ayana, which is a special divine agent that can descend upon people, but also means a person's character and personality. In the traditional Oromo society, the Kallu is the religious leader who, through an ecstatic ritual technique, can investigate the causes of the disorder and advise what to do. Mental disorders are generally explained as resulting from disturbances in the relationship between people and divinity. The second important cultural element in western Ethiopia is the orthodox Coptic church, which usually looks upon mental disorders as possession by evil spirits, which are thus treated by specially gifted priests and monks by praying and giving holy water or eventually exhortation. According to Islamic teaching in the area, mental disorders are caused by evil spirits sent by God to punish the unfaithful people. Some Muslim sheiks treat mental cases with prayers, but herbal remedies are also used. There is a great intermingling of these different cultural and religious elements and people attend different healers and religious leaders more depending on the reputation of the person than on cultural and religious affiliation.