Rethinking the roles of pastoralists’ indigenous religious practices in Nuer nation Zone, Gambella Region, South-West Ethiopia
Indigenous religions play a crucial role in shaping the lives of pastoralist communities in the Gambella Region. However, there is a lack of focused studies on the specific roles these religions play among the Nuer pastoralists. Thus, this study aims to explore the roles of indigenous religions amon...
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Cogent Arts & Humanities |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2025.2451508 |
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| author | Chayot Gatdet |
| author_facet | Chayot Gatdet |
| author_sort | Chayot Gatdet |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Indigenous religions play a crucial role in shaping the lives of pastoralist communities in the Gambella Region. However, there is a lack of focused studies on the specific roles these religions play among the Nuer pastoralists. Thus, this study aims to explore the roles of indigenous religions among the Nuer pastoralists in the Gambella Region. This study employed a mixed research design. This study used the multistage sampling technique to choose the study areas and participants. Data were collected using an interview schedule and focus group discussions from 156 respondents. The result found that appeasing spirits (82%), sacrifice (89%), divination (76%), and communal ceremonies (94%) were practiced in the study areas. These systems have highly contributed to personal reproduction (55%), farming practices (45%), conflict resolution (60%), forecasting event (48%), healing (60%), and social cohesion (70%), and local governing (50%) among the pastoralists. These indigenous religion systems faced increasing severe exposure to missionary activities (42%), modernization (35), political marginalization (30), and socio-political instability (28) that disrupts traditional governance structures. Thus, the indigenous religion systems serve for both spiritual frameworks and managing socio-economic benefits. Therefore, the concerned organizations should preserve the practices of indigenous religion systems, thereby strengthening the practical interventions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5aa5cb3e85bf46ffa89e28254b3ea731 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2331-1983 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cogent Arts & Humanities |
| spelling | doaj-art-5aa5cb3e85bf46ffa89e28254b3ea7312025-01-16T15:16:29ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Arts & Humanities2331-19832025-12-0112110.1080/23311983.2025.2451508Rethinking the roles of pastoralists’ indigenous religious practices in Nuer nation Zone, Gambella Region, South-West EthiopiaChayot Gatdet0College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Department of Rural Development and Agricultural Extension, Gambella University, EthiopiaIndigenous religions play a crucial role in shaping the lives of pastoralist communities in the Gambella Region. However, there is a lack of focused studies on the specific roles these religions play among the Nuer pastoralists. Thus, this study aims to explore the roles of indigenous religions among the Nuer pastoralists in the Gambella Region. This study employed a mixed research design. This study used the multistage sampling technique to choose the study areas and participants. Data were collected using an interview schedule and focus group discussions from 156 respondents. The result found that appeasing spirits (82%), sacrifice (89%), divination (76%), and communal ceremonies (94%) were practiced in the study areas. These systems have highly contributed to personal reproduction (55%), farming practices (45%), conflict resolution (60%), forecasting event (48%), healing (60%), and social cohesion (70%), and local governing (50%) among the pastoralists. These indigenous religion systems faced increasing severe exposure to missionary activities (42%), modernization (35), political marginalization (30), and socio-political instability (28) that disrupts traditional governance structures. Thus, the indigenous religion systems serve for both spiritual frameworks and managing socio-economic benefits. Therefore, the concerned organizations should preserve the practices of indigenous religion systems, thereby strengthening the practical interventions.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2025.2451508Contributionsindigenous religiousNuer Zonepastoralistsand practicesArchaeology |
| spellingShingle | Chayot Gatdet Rethinking the roles of pastoralists’ indigenous religious practices in Nuer nation Zone, Gambella Region, South-West Ethiopia Cogent Arts & Humanities Contributions indigenous religious Nuer Zone pastoralists and practices Archaeology |
| title | Rethinking the roles of pastoralists’ indigenous religious practices in Nuer nation Zone, Gambella Region, South-West Ethiopia |
| title_full | Rethinking the roles of pastoralists’ indigenous religious practices in Nuer nation Zone, Gambella Region, South-West Ethiopia |
| title_fullStr | Rethinking the roles of pastoralists’ indigenous religious practices in Nuer nation Zone, Gambella Region, South-West Ethiopia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rethinking the roles of pastoralists’ indigenous religious practices in Nuer nation Zone, Gambella Region, South-West Ethiopia |
| title_short | Rethinking the roles of pastoralists’ indigenous religious practices in Nuer nation Zone, Gambella Region, South-West Ethiopia |
| title_sort | rethinking the roles of pastoralists indigenous religious practices in nuer nation zone gambella region south west ethiopia |
| topic | Contributions indigenous religious Nuer Zone pastoralists and practices Archaeology |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2025.2451508 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chayotgatdet rethinkingtherolesofpastoralistsindigenousreligiouspracticesinnuernationzonegambellaregionsouthwestethiopia |