The Otuho people, also known as the Lotuko or Latuka, are a
Nilotic
The Nilotic peoples are people indigenous to the Nile Valley who speak Nilotic languages. They inhabit South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania. Among these are the Burun-sp ...
ethnic group whose traditional home is the
Eastern Equatoria
Eastern Equatoria is a state in South Sudan. It has an area of 73,472 km². The capital is Torit. On October 1, 1972, the state was divided into Imatong and Namorunyang states and was re-established by a peace agreement signed on 22 Febru ...
state of
South Sudan
South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the C ...
. some of their villages are Oronyo, Oudo, Angario, Tirangore, Hiyala, Obira, Abalua, illieu, Ifwotu, Imurok, Iyire, Lofiriha, Offi, Oming, Oguruny, illoli, Murahatiha, chalamini, Burung, Haforiere, Tuhubak, Oriaju, Olianga, Hidonge are some of the Otuho villages. They speak the
Otuho language
Otuho, also known as Lotuko (Lotuxo), is the language of the Otuho people. It is an Eastern Nilotic language, and has several other Otuho speaking dialectic groups.
Language varieties
Dongotono is related.
Other related varieties may be:
*Logir ...
.
Demographics
The Otuho are bordered by the Lopit in the North, the
Bari
Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy a ...
on the West, the
Acholi and the
Madi Madi may refer to:
Places
* Madi, Chitwan, a municipality in Chitwan District in Nepal
* Madi Municipality, Sankhuwasabha, a municipality in Sankhuwasabha District in Nepal
* Madi Rural Municipality, Rolpa, a rural municipality in Rolpa Distr ...
in the South, and the
Didinga
The Didinga (diDinga) are a Surmic ethnic group that occupy the Didinga Mountains region in Budi County, Eastern Equatoria State in South Sudan. They live in the valleys, on the plateaus and slopes, and on the adjacent plains of the region. Their n ...
and the
Boya Boya may refer to:
*Boya, Western Australia
*Boya, Nepal
*Boya people, an ethnic group in Sudan
*Boyar caste, Boyar caste of India
*Mireia Boya Busquet (born 1979), Spanish scientist and politician
*Pierre Boya (born 1984), Cameroonian footballer
* ...
in the East. Their region is characterized by ranges and mountain spurs such as the Imotong mountain, the highest mountain in South Sudan with an altitude of 10,453 ft above sea level.
The
Murle people have recently raided Otuho, the
Lopit, and other tribes in the area, abducting their children.
Subsistence
As
agro-pastoralists, they keep large herds of cattle, sheep and goats, and supplement this with
hoe-farming
Hoe-farming is a term introduced (as german: Hackbau; as opposed to ''Ackerbau'') by Eduard Hahn in 1910
to collectively refer to primitive forms of agriculture, defined by the absence of the plough. Tillage in hoe-farming cultures is done by si ...
, hunting, and fishing. They engage in some
subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow food crops to meet the needs of themselves and their families on smallholdings. Subsistence agriculturalists target farm output for survival and for mostly local requirements, with little or no su ...
; their main crops are
sorghum
''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many othe ...
, ground nuts, simsim (
sesame
Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus ''Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cu ...
), and
maize
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...
in the plains, or telebun, dukhn,
sweet potato
The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...
es, and
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
in the hills.
Land is owned by no single person, but in trust by the community. In the mountains, after finding a site, the group decides the boundaries of each person's garden, with certain areas being
fallow
Fallow is a farming technique in which arable land is left without sowing for one or more vegetative cycles. The goal of fallowing is to allow the land to recover and store organic matter while retaining moisture and disrupting pest life cycles ...
(for up to 10 years) and others open to cultivation (for up to 4 years).
Religion
Their primary religion is an
ethnic religion
In religious studies, an ethnic religion is a religion or belief associated with a particular ethnic group. Ethnic religions are often distinguished from universal religions, such as Christianity or Islam, in which gaining converts is a pri ...
based on nature and
ancestor worship
The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of t ...
that is deeply rooted in their ethnic identity; conversion to another religion essentially equates to
cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation is the process in which a minority group or culture comes to resemble a society's majority group or assume the values, behaviors, and beliefs of another group whether fully or partially.
The different types of cultural assi ...
. The chief god of the Otuho is called Ajok; he is generally seen as kind and benevolent, but can be angered.
In Otuho mythology he once answered a woman's prayer for the
resurrection
Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, which ...
of her son. Her husband, however, was angry and re-killed the child. Ajok was annoyed by his actions and swore never to resurrect any Otuho again, and in this manner,
death
Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
was said to have become permanent.
References
External links
Lotuka (Otuho) peopleon Gurtong.net
{{authority control
Ethnic groups in South Sudan