Turkana

Located primarily in northwest Kenya and around Lake Turkana, the Turkana migrated to the area from the west. According to legend, young men of the Jie tribe went into the Tarash valley in search of an ox that they had lost. While there they met an old Jie woman gathering fruit. Impressed with the area, they talked other young people into joining them and moved with their stock. Since that time, the Turkana and Jie have been allies.

The Turkana are divided into the forest people (Nimonia) and the people of the plains (Nocuro). The roughly twenty clans (ategerin) do not form the basis for everyday Turkana society, as they do in many tribes. Turkana communities are based instead on the neighborhood (adakar). Turkana men are divided into two age-sets, which are the Stones (Nimur) and the Leopards (Nerisai).

As with the Maasai and Samburu, milk mixed with blood is the main food of the Turkana. Cattle are important for a variety of reasons, with hides providing sleeping mats and material for sandals. Camels are important, as are the sheep and goats herded by the children and used for meat. Donkeys are also present, although used only as pack animals. Dried milk (edodo) is made by boiling fresh milk and allowing it to dry on skins. Easily digestible camel milk is valuable as baby food. Dried meal is made with crushed berries, which are also mixed with blood and made into cakes.

The Turkana generally live in extended family settings, and the family awi often involves two enclosures. One is the awi napolon, which is the main enclosure where the head of the family lives. The other is the awi abor, where the additional wives and their children, as well as married sons, live. The homestead's main entrance faces east, with the chief wife's day hut (ekal) and night hut (akai) on the right. Turkana families often build next to the awi of other families, creating the neighborhoods that are the Turkana's effective communities.

Turkana marriages take place over a three year period. Marriage is not complete until the first child has reached walking age. The purpose of this extended time is to ensure the ritual, spiritual, and social wellbeing of those involved. The bride price (paid by the bridegroom) usually involves quite a few cattle or camels, which come from the herds of the suitor, his father, his father's and mother's brothers, stock associates, and bond-friends. The wife occupies an important position in the awi, and maintains close ties with both her husband and her father and brothers.

Turkana women often wear huge quantities of beads around their necks, along with an aluminum or brass neck ring (alagam). The traditional Turkana weapons, used to protect their herds and possessions from wild animals and other tribes, iinclude an eight foot long spear, a knobkerrie fighting stick, wrist knives, fingerhooks, and a shield made from buffalo, giraffe, or hippo hide. The Turkana are skilled at carving wooden water troughs and containers. Other containers are made from hides and decorated with beadwork.