Pokot People in Kenya
Pokot People in Kenya : Pokot believe cattle are worth more alive. The Pokot have interacted with numerous other local peoples throughout their history due to their wandering lifestyle. As a result of their neighbors’ and their own marriages, social customs from the Turkana and Karamojong people have mingled.
Pokot society is structured on age grades, and the age at which an individual underwent their initiation into a particular group or society determines their membership in that group. It is typically about 12 for women and between the ages of 15 and 20 for men.
Young people can create marriage bonds if they are initiated. They might also start participating in the economic activities in the community. As members of the initiation groups advance through the ranks of the tribal hierarchy, they build strong attachments that will serve them well in subsequent political relationships. Pokot elders are accorded a particular level of respect and dignity upon reaching old age.
In addition to overseeing significant tribal decisions, festivals, and religious ceremonies, elders have obligations to the other members of the group. As a result, the majority of Pokot are farmers and livestock herders. However, roughly 25% work as cultivators, primarily with maize. Having a large number of cows is a sign of affluence, regardless of whether one is a pastoralist or a cultivator.
At the 2014 Marsabit Lake Turkana Cultural Festival, Pokot dancers performed.
A significant barter commodity that contributes to “bride wealth” is cows. As long as a guy has enough cows to cover the cost of the bride, he is allowed to marry more than one woman.
Although the Pokot people consume a lot of milk, butter, and cheese, they hardly ever kill their animals for meat. In this culture, a live cow is worth significantly more than a dead one.
The Pokot consider Tororot to be the highest divinity. During numerous tribal rituals and dances that the elders oversee, libations and prayers are offered to him.
The diviners in the community are also in charge of preserving the group’s spiritual equilibrium. Either natural occurrences, such as specific mists, or supernatural forces, such as the ghosts of the dead, are connected to diseases.
A Pokot girl smiles for the camera. She is engaged to be married, as indicated by her jewelry. Because she does not have the typical black feather on her head, symbolizing her circumcision, or the second neckpiece, symbolizing her marriage, she is not yet regarded as an adult. Female circumcision is widespread in this region of Kenya and is seen by the Pokot as a rite of passage for female adulthood.
The Pokot people also practice sorcery and are superstitious. To fend against the evil intentions of any sorcerers, they so invoke a variety of protective talismans. They also honor other gods, like the moon, the sun, and the spirit of death.
The power of the psyche as a factor in determining illness is emphasized. The Pokot believe that some types of ceremonial cursing have the ability to cause sickness and occasionally even death. There are advantages to this way of thinking in society. For instance, the idea that a woman’s shadow poses a threat to others who have recently experienced child loss could help stop the transmission of contagious diseases.
There are several categories of medical practitioners in Pokot society:
Chepsaketian: An older woman skilled in the diagnosis of most diseases and the use of herbal remedies.
Koroyokyon: A specialist trained to foretell the future.
Kokeogh: The midwife.
Werkoyon: A prophet who receives his powers by inheritance. He plays a crucial role in the containment and prevention of illnesses.
Chepsokoyon: A female diviner concerned with the problem of witchcraft and
Kapolokion: A specialist believed to manipulate forces that cause mental imbalance.
Recently, there has been an erosion of traditional practices. Some attribute this to the district’s tarmac road being completed in 1983. This has been correlated with evolving illness patterns that are already present.
