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Traditional Foodways of the East Pokot Community of Kenya
Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage:
Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage:
Traditional Foodways of the East Pokot Community of Kenya
Compiled by: P. Maundu, B. Kapeta, P. Muiruri, Y. Morimoto, E. Bosibori, S. Kibet, A. Odubo
Editors: Patrick Maundu and Brian Kapeta
IntangibleCulturalHeritage
United Nations Educational, Scienti�c and
Cultural Organization
Supported by
Safeguarding IntangibleCultural Heritage
UNESCO Project Manager: Mulekeni NgulubeFinancial Contribution: Japanese Funds-In-Trust
Acknowledgements: This publication was prepared in partnership with the following institutions and groups. Their valuable contribution is highly appreciated.
a) DepartmentofCulture,MinistryofStateforNationalHeritageandCultureb) KenyaResourceCentreforIndigenousKnowledge(KENRIK),NationalMuseumsofKenyac) BioversityInternationald) KenyaSocietyofEthnoecologye) MembersoftheIsukhaandtheEastPokotcommunitiesf) TeachersandpupilsofMurakaandShihuliprimaryschoolsinIsukhaandChemolingotandChuroprimaryschools
inEastPokot.
Compiled by: Patrick Maundu, Brian Kapeta, Patel Muiruri, Y. Morimoto, E. Bosibori, S. Kibet, A. Odubo
Editors: Patrick Maundu and Brian Kapeta
Photographs: Patrick Maundu, Brian Kapeta, Patel Muiruri, Y. Morimoto, S. Kibet, M. Ngulube, Henry Losikiriatum, Zipporah Ayuma, Sammy Lokea, Leah Sapan and pupils and teachers of Muraka, Shihuli, Chemolingot and Churo primary schools
Layout and Design: Peter Mungai
Printing: Digital Process Works Ltd. P.O. Box 35045 - 00200, Nairobi - Kenya
Copyright: This publication is not for commercial use. No part of the book may be reproduced in any form including copying or manipulating its content for private interests, without prior or written permission from UNESCO. Non-profit organizations, however may freely distribute parts of the publication where there is no financial gain. The copyright of all photographs used here rests on individual photographers.
ISBN 9966-955-07-0
© UNESCO 2013 All rights reservedThe authors of this report are responsible for the choice and the presentation of facts and for the opinions ex-pressed therein, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. The designations employed and presentation of information do not imply the expression of any opinion what-soever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its au-thorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
IntangibleCulturalHeritage
United Nations Educational, Scienti�c and
Cultural Organization
Supported by
Safeguarding IntangibleCultural Heritage
ContentsForeword ................................................................................................................ v
Executive summary ................................................................................................vi
Background ...........................................................................................................vii
1. Honey ................................................................................................................ 1Introduction............................................................................................................. 1Productionofhoney................................................................................................ 2Usesofhoney.......................................................................................................... 3
2. Milk (Cho) and Milking ....................................................................................... 4
3. Cooked wild fruit ............................................................................................... 8Introduction............................................................................................................. 8
4. Wild fruits (Akwaawuhuu) ................................................................................ 14Kamol..................................................................................................................... 16Kelion..................................................................................................................... 16Lakatetwo............................................................................................................... 17Taparer................................................................................................................... 17Matunden.............................................................................................................. 18Kinyotwo................................................................................................................ 18Muchukwo............................................................................................................. 19Kaloswo.................................................................................................................. 20Puterwo................................................................................................................. 20Sitet........................................................................................................................ 21
5. Herding (achei) ................................................................................................. 22Introduction........................................................................................................... 22Grazing(Ayakwaa)................................................................................................. 22
6. Meat (pento) ................................................................................................... 30Introduction........................................................................................................... 30
7. Wild edible roots (sikinn) .................................................................................. 33a)Aurieng’ee(Hydrora abyssinica) ...................................................................... 33b.Kolopcho........................................................................................................... 34c.Kelaa................................................................................................................... 35d.Chesowancha..................................................................................................... 35e.Kaptirimam......................................................................................................... 36f.Chepanyinta....................................................................................................... 36g.Tapoyo............................................................................................................... 36h.Kamurmur......................................................................................................... 36i.Kipkodo............................................................................................................... 37j.Kamkech............................................................................................................. 37k.Akan................................................................................................................... 37
iv
k.Kaptirimam......................................................................................................... 37
8. Termites (flying forms) ..................................................................................... 38
9. Mushroom (oota) ............................................................................................ 41Ediblefungi(keliomogh–sing.–kelpomogh)........................................................ 41Poisonousfungi..................................................................................................... 41
10. Ceremonies .................................................................................................... 42Boys’initiation(circumcision)................................................................................ 42Weddingceremony................................................................................................ 42Karoyon(karoyön)(foreteller)............................................................................... 43Amuro.................................................................................................................... 43Kalat(kolat)............................................................................................................ 43Dia ......................................................................................................................... 43Sapana................................................................................................................... 43Tiaty(Tiachi)sacredhill......................................................................................... 45
Appendix .............................................................................................................. 46Appendix1:GlossaryofPokotWordsUsed........................................................... 46AppendixII:FoodplantsofthePokot................................................................... 53AppendixIII:EdiblewildanimalsofEastPokot..................................................... 56AppendixIV:Resourcepersonsandotherusefulcontacts.................................... 59
v
ForewordKenyabecameastatepartytothe2003ConventionfortheSafeguardingoftheIntangibleCulturalin2007withastrongcommitmenttothesafeguardingandpromotionoftheintangibleculturalheritageofitscommunities,groupsandindividuals.
Since2010,withfinancialsupportfromtheJapaneseFunds-In-Trust,UNESCOhasbeencollabo-ratingwiththeKenyanGovernmentinimplementingaproject,“Safeguardingtraditionalfood-waysoftwocommunitiesinKenya”,IsukhaandEastPokot.TheaimoftheProjectistorevitalizethetraditionalfoodwaysinthesetwocommunitiesby:identifyingandinventoryingtheirtradi-tional foodways;encouragingthesecommunitiestoappreciatetraditional foodpractices;andraisingawarenessinKenyaabouttheendangereddiversityofitstraditionalfoodways.
Traditionalfoodwaysinvolvespracticestransmittedwithinacommunityconcerningthegrowing,harvesting,collecting,preparationandconsumptionoffood,includingtheprovisionofingredi-entsandtherolesofallpeopleinvolved.Traditionalfoodways,boththoserelatedtoeverydaylifeaswellasthoseassociatedwithspecialoccasions(suchasrituals,socialpractices,andfestiveevents)constituteanimportantpartoftheintangibleheritageofcommunitiesintheWorld.InKenya, as inmany countries, because of globalization,modernization andurbanization tradi-tional foodwaysarebeingabandoned forwestern style foodways. The younger generation isparticularlyaffectedastheyarenolongerawareofthetraditionalfoodwaysandtheirassociatedtraditionsandpracticesoftheircommunities.
TheProjecttargetedyoungpeopleandworkedwith2primaryschoolsineachofthetwocom-munities:MurakaandShihuliPrimarySchoolsinIsukha;andChuroandChemolingotPrimarySchoolsinEastPokot.Teachersandparentshelpedschoolchildrendocumentinformationaboutthevariousfoodwayswithintheircommunity,developingamanualwhichprovidedtheschoolchildrenwithastepbystepprocedureonhowtoidentify,documentandinventorytraditionalfoodwaysoftheircommunities,coveringaspectssuchas:typesoftraditionalfoods;traditionalfoodwaysseasons;harvestingandpreparationmethods;preservationmethods,nutritionalval-ues;aswellasassociatedrituals.
TheinventoriesthatwereelaboratedthroughthisProjecthavebeenusedtoproducethisBookon“TraditionalFoodwaysoftheEastPokotCommunityofKenya.TheBookprovidesamirrorintotherichanddiversetraditionalfoodwaysoftheEastPokotCommunityandtheirassociatedtraditions,beliefs,taboosandpractices.
UNESCOwould like toexpress itsprofoundgratitude to theGovernmentof Japan for the re-sourcesprovidedthroughtheJapanese-Funds-In-Trustwhichsupportedtheimplementationofthis Project.UNESCO is also grateful to the teamat Kenya Society of Ethnoecology,NationalMuseumsofKenya,DepartmentofCultureandBioversityInternationalfortheirinvaluablecon-tributiontothisprojectandthepublicationofthisbook.
DjelidMohamed Director UNESCO-Nairobi
vi
Executive summaryThisdocumentpresentstheresultsofdocumentationoftraditionalfoodwaysconductedintheEastPokot communityof Kenyawithin theproject ‘Safeguarding traditional foodwaysof twocommunitiesinKenya.Thedocumentationwasundertakenbetween2010-2012largelybypupilsoftwoprimaryschools–ChemolingotandChuroassistedbytheirteachers,alocalprojectcoordi-natorandtheprojectteammainlyconsistingofstafffromNationalMuseumsofKenya,BioversityInternationalandtheDepartmentofCulture.
Itwouldbeadifficulttasktodocumenttheentirefoodwaysofacommunitywithinsuchashortdurationandsotenrepresentativethemeswerechosenforeachcommunityinconsultationwiththelocalcoordinatorandteachers.Thesethemeswerechosenonthebasisofimportancetothecommunity.Selectedthemes/topicswereasfollows: 1. Honey2. Milk3. Cookedfruitseeds4. Wildfruits5. Herding
6. Meat7. Wildediblerootsandtubers8. Mushrooms9. Termites10.Ceremonies
Forthetenthemes inthebook,about130foodsofplant,animalandfungioriginhavebeenexplained.About133suchphotographshavebeenusedtoshowthefoodsoractivitiesrelatingtoacquiring,processingandeating.Asmuchaspossible,thefoodinformationineachthemeisarrangedinthefollowingorder:a) Generalinformationonthefood(significanceinthesociety,availablediversity/types)b)Acquiring the food (the source,harvesting,processing for storage,propagation,manage-
ment)j) Storageoffoodandseedk) Foodpreparation(processing,cooking)l) Servingandeatingfoodm)Nutritionandhealthinformationn)Relatedbeliefs,taboos,myths,songs
AglossaryofPokotterms(Appendix1)withover230termshasbeenprovided.Inaddition,alistwith430localnamesofedibleplantsofthePokotwithscientificequivalentshasalsobeenprovided(Appendix2).Alsoprovidedintheappendixesarenamesofedibleanimalsincludingbirdsandmammals(Appendix3).Finally,alistofthekeyresourcepersonsandcontactsinEastPokotisavailableattheendofthebook.AlthoughthefocusofthebookisEastPokot,oneofthetwoPokotcommunities,additionalinformationfromWestPokot(theothergroup)hasalsobeenincluded.
Theinformationpresentedhereisbynomeanscomplete.Notwithstandingthis,thebookisafirstattempttodocumenttraditionalfoodwaysinthecountry.Therichnessoflocalfoodways,itscomplexityandthechallengesonehastofaceduringdocumentationcannowbeappreciated.Itishopedthatthisworkwillactasamotivationfordifferentgroupstocarryoutorsupportsimilardocumentationworkoftraditionalfoodwaysamongothercommunities.thefocusofthebookisEastPokot,oneofthetwoPokotcommunities,additionalinformationfromWestPokot(theothergroup)hasalsobeenincluded.
vii
BackgroundTraditionalfoodwaysinvolvethewholerangeof foods of a community and the practicesand knowledge associated with such food.It entails how, where and when such foodissourced,preparedandconsumedandtherolesofhouseholdandcommunitymembersinvolved. Traditional foodways concern oureveryday life about food including ceremo-nies, beliefs, myths and songs and dance.AlltheseformpartofourIntangibleCulturalHeritage which needs to be cherished andcarried forward to future generations. InKenya,asinmanyothercountries,traditionalfoodwaysareunderthreatduetothepres-sure ofmodernization leading to abandon-mentof traditional foods in favourofmoremodern,oftenfastbutlessnutritiousfoods.Manyyoungpeopleareno longerawareofthe traditional foodways of their communi-ties. In 2007 Kenya ratified the Conventionfor the Safeguarding of the IntangibleCultural Heritage, and is committed to theidentificationand safeguardingof the livingheritagepracticesandexpressionspresentinitsterritory.
MapofKenyashowinglocationofthetwocommunities-IsukhaandPokot
Figure2WestKenyashowingthelocationofthefourparticipatingschools
viii
compiledalltheinformationintoafoodwaysinventory. Missing information was laterfilled in by the coordinator in collaborationwith the teachers. The method used wasdocumentedby theproject teamand sum-marizedintoamanualwhichcanbeusedbyothercommunitiestodocumenttheirfood-ways.
Aspartofthecampaignstoraiseawarenessabouttraditionalfoodways,eachcommunityinconjunctionwiththeparticipatingschoolsorganizedamajorfoodfestival.Thefestivalswereanopportunity forvillagersandotherschools to participate in traditional food-waysactivities.Inthefestival,rawaswellascooked food, utensils and agricultural toolsand information material were displayed.Foodrelatedtraditionalsongsweresunganddanceandplaysperformed.Speechesweremadeby leaderswhoencouraged the localcommunities toproudly liveandappreciatetraditionalfoodways.
Introduction to East PokotEast Pokot (Tiaty) is one of the districts inBaringo County in Rift Valley Province ofKenya. It is occupied by the Pokot people,a predominantly pastoralist Nilotic speak-ing group. Much of the district lies at thefloor of the Great Rift Valley about 1000masl but it is interspersed with mountainssuch as Tiaty (2300m), Paka and theChurohighlands.Many people in East Pokot areaclaimtohaveoriginallycomefromthehillyareastothenorthofCherenganihills,whereanother group, theWest Pokot people stilllives.Administratively, EastPokot is dividedin to five divisions namely Kolowa, Mondi,Nginyang,TangulbeiandChuro.
Thearea is semiarid and so themaineco-nomic activity is pastoralismwith someag-riculture inthehigherelevationdivisionsofChuroandTangulbei.Boththepurepastoral-ists(thecowpeople)andthefewcultivators(thecornpeople)valuecowsandwhichareseen as the key measure of wealth. Cows
It is becauseof the foregoing thatUNESCOandpartners in2009under theauspicesofthe UNESCO/Japanese Funds-in-Trust forthe Safeguarding of the Intangible CulturalHeritageinitiatedapilotproject,Safeguardingtraditional foodwaysof twocommunities inKenya–namely,theIsukhaofWesternKenyaandPokotofRiftValleyProvince.Theprojectaimedto(1)identifyandinventorytradition-alfoodways,(2)encouragethesecommuni-ties to appreciate traditional food practicesand (3) raiseawareness inKenyaabout theendangereddiversityof its traditional food-waysandrelatedknowledge.
UNESCO and partners, including theDepartment of Culture, National MuseumsofKenyaandBioversityInternationalselect-edthetwocommunities-theIsukha,anag-riculturalgroupandthePokot–apredomi-nantlypastoralistgroupduetotheirdifferentlifestyles. In collaboration with communitymembers,twoprimaryschoolswereselectedineachcommunitytoparticipateintheproj-ect–MurakaandShihuliinIsukha(420and650 pupils respectively) and ChemolingotandChuro(1200and800pupilsrespectively)inEastPokot.Alocalprojectcoordinatorwasselected for each community to coordinateresearchactivities.
Twoteachersfromeachparticipatingschooland local coordinators were trained in in-formationgatheringthroughinterviewsandphotography. The teachers in turn trainedabout 20 pupils from each school, mainlyselected from primary class 5 to 7 (12-14yearsofage). Thepupilswentout to inter-viewtheirparentsandrelativesandtotakephotosoffoodways.InIsukha,thepupilses-tablishedandmaintainedafoodwaysgardenwhileinpastoralistPokot,pupilswentoutonmissionstodiscoverwildfoodsastheytookphotographs.
Information gathered was discussed withother pupils and responsible teachers andshared with the coordinator who in turn
ix
areusedforbartertrade,assourceoffood(mainlymilkandblood)andfordowry.Cowsare regarded valuable and hence rarelyslaughteredformeat.Otheranimalskeptin-cludegoats,sheep,donkeysandcamels.Thelatterisanewintroduction.
InthelowlandareasAcaciaandCommiphora species dominate, often forming thicketsbut inhigherelevations therearemoreev-ergreen bushes including Acokanthera, Vangueria andRhus.
Administrativeareas.Source:EastPokotDistrictDevelopmentPlan
x
EastPokottownsandotherfeatures
1
1. Honey
Atraditionalbeehive
IntroductionBee keeping is one of the most importantfoodways activities of the East Pokot com-munity. Honey, kipketin (kh'pketin) amongthePokot is an important sourceof energyand it isoftenmixedwithother foodssuchasmilkandintheprocessinglocalalcoholicdrinks.Mostofthehoneyisharvestedfromtraditionalbeehives.Theseareusuallycylin-dricalinshapeandmadefromtrunksoflargetreesthathavebeenhollowedout.
Types of beesThePokotrecognizetwotypesofbees:i) Sakamin - the African honey bee whichmainly nests in beehives, rock crevices andhollow trunks.Workers are very aggressiveandhaveaferocioussting.Thisisthebeeoffocusinthisstory.
ii) Kulum (stingless bees). These bees aremuchsmallerinsizethanthesakamin.Theirhoney is called lowiana. The honey is verysweet and clear. The bee inhabits termitemounds andhard soil types and sodiggingthehoneyoutcanbetiresomeandtimecon-suming.Thehoneyiscontainedinaspongygourd-like chamber enclosed in wax about40cmbelowground.Thehoneyiscommonlyharvested in July-August.Thenest is identi-fiedbyasmalltranslucentfunnelofwaxris-ingabout5cmaboveground.Onecannoticethesmallbeesgettinginandout.Itisusuallydiscoveredbychildrenbutitisnormallythebiggerboyswhodigthenestout.Theroundnestcouldbeabout20cm indiameterbutolder ones tend to be larger. A single nestmaygiveacupfulofhoney.Asonedigs,mostofthebeesescape.
2
Production of honeyMaking hives The traditional beehive, möghen is madefromtrunksofhugetreessuchasmökong’wö(sycamore fig), atat (Acacia elatior) andkatagh (Commiphora sp.). Traditional bee-hivesarebeingsubstitutedbymodernhives.Mököng’wötree isalsousedforcarvingat-eker(longwoodencontainerusedforwater-ing animals) and otupo (a shallowwoodencontainerfordrinkingmilkwhilepeopleareawayfromhome).
After cutting down the tree, the size andshape of the final product are considered.Logseachabout1.2-1.5mlongby0.5mwidearecutandhollowedoutusingatraditionalchisel,arökon.
(b) Placing the hives
AmodernbeehiveinEastPokot.
Hoistingthehiveupthetreeisdonebyen-ergeticmen.Thehiveishangedorplacedonafirmbranchofalargetree.Strongropesorwiremayalsobeusedtofastenthehivetothetree.Thetreemustbesituatedinacon-duciveenvironment toattractbeesanden-able them surviveduringbad seasons suchaswhenitistoodry,hot,orrainy.Beehivesare usually placed on the following trees:orol, ses,moköngwö,atat, tuwöt, riron, lik-wön and köloswo. Reasons for placing the
beehivesinthesetreesinclude:• tree is strong enough to resist strong
winds especially when the beehive isheavywithhoney.
• tree is not preferred by termites whichmayendupdestroyingthebeehive.
• itshouldnotbeeasyforwildanimalstoclimbupthetree.Thetrunkshouldpref-erablybeslippery.
• the tree shouldpreferablyprovidegoodnectarorbeamongtreesthathavegoodnectarforusebythebees.
Harvesting Mostof theharvesting iscarriedout in theeveningafterdawn,from7:30pmtoaround10.00pm.ThisisbecausethePokotbelievethat bees are blind during night time andhenceharvestingcanbedonewithoutpro-tectivegear.Atraditionaltorch(atömwö)isusedtoproducesmoke(yiot)toscareawaybeestothefarendofthehive.Thetorchiscommonlymadefrombranchesofrokokon,kiptar,sitot(Grewia bicolor)andpilill(Acacia oerfota).Theseplantsarepreferredbecausetheyproducealotofsmokethateasilyscaresthebeesaway.Afterthistreatment,thenearsideofthehiveisopenedandhoneycombsextracted using a short knife. The combsare put it in traditional wooden container,tokögh.
Modern beehives have been introduced inEastPokotand for these,harvestingcanbecarriedoutatanytimeofthedayusingpro-tective gear such as hand gloves, aprons,modern cutting knives, gumboots amongothers.
Processing and storage Thehoneyisprocessedbymenbysqueezingthecombs,orplacingthematanopensunnyplaceornearafireplacetomeltthehoneyslightly.Itismeltedintoawoodencontainercalled tokogh. Thereafter, it is cleaned andput inacontainerandsealedforstorage. Itis storedmainlybymenbut if it is awom-an it has to be under aman’s instructions.
3
mentation.Halvesofagourdcalledtїwanoradera and also a wooden container calledotupoareusedfordrinking.Alepit,awoodenjarisalsoused.
Elderssittingoutsidewhileenjoyingkumiket
Honeyisalsousedtopreserveanimalmeat,peny.Themeatofcows(tany)andwildani-malssuchasantelopesandissometimespre-servedinhoney.Meatiscutintosmallpiec-es (sirkon)and sundriedordeep friedanddippedinthehoney.Beewax,tiyok(yitin)ortiyokpokumat(yitikumat),(thematerialthatremainsafterhoneyhasbeensqueezedout)issmearedonnewbeehivestoattractbeestosettle.
Roti(sausagetreefruit)usedformakingalocalalcoholicbrew.
BeliefsAamongthePokotitwasbelievedthatwhenboyseathoneywhichhaspupae in it, theyreach their puberty quickly as they soonchangetheirvoice.
Traditionally,honeyisstoredinagourd,mu-kon(mїkö)(Lagenaria siceraria)orawoodencontainertokogh.
Season Normally the honey season comes aboutthreemonthsafterthepeakoftherainsea-son(frommidAugusttoSeptember).Thisisalsothefloweringtimeforsomegoodnectarplants.Goodnectartreesincludetalamogh,kiptari, anywa, chemanga, ses, tuwöt, atat,sitet, likwon, koloswo, komolwo, prokokon,sus(atypeofgrass)andchoikwo(cheikwo).Whenbeesfeedonnectar(tapuk)fromtheseplantsandparticularlytalamogh,anywaandses the result is high quality honey and agoodharvest.Someotherplantssuchaspililhaveslightlybitterhoney.
Uses of honeyHoney is used for various purposes. Theseincludemedicine, food, brews and in tradi-tionalcleansingceremonies.
Making local brew, kumiket
Awomanpreparingkumiket
Kumiket can be made by both men andwomen. It ismainly for use during culturalceremonies such as the graduation of boysafterinitiationceremonies(seeceremonies).A large (20-30 litre) flat-bottomed gourdcontainercalledsomongu(akeret)isusedtobrew thebeer.Honeyandwateraremixedtogether.Driedfruitsofthesausagetreeorrotin (Kigelia africana),areputinthegourdwhichisthenplacedatthefireplaceforfer-
4
Milk is a very important food for thePokotcommunityand it isconsumedbyall familymembersonadailybasis.Itisalsouseddur-ingimportantculturaloccasions.Milkisalsomixedwithbloodandtakenasadrink.
Milking (kaha’rt)Camels(tamas),goats(aran)andcows(tany)aremilkedbywomen(yoo)assistedbygirls(tipn)andboys.Ifcowsaremany,boys8-14yearscanmilkthosecowsgiventothemasarewardforherding.Theboysdrinkthismilkwithout having to share with family mem-bers.Milking istwice inaday, inthemorn-ings(tokwohoo)andevenings(mnun).
Camelsarethefirsttobemilkedasearlyas3aminthemorningfollowedbycowsandfi-nallygoatsandsheepataround8am.Intheafternoon,milking is usually donebetween4-6 pm. During the dry season, it goes be-tween7-9pm.Thereisnomid-daymilking.If a cow gives birth, the calf is allowed tosucklefor2-4daysbeforemilkingcanstart.Thisfirstmilkiscalledmana(colostrum)andiskeptinaspecialgourd(akeret)forusebychildrenonly.
2. Milk (Cho) and Milking
Milking a camel
Acalfisallowedtosucklefirstbeforemilking.Milkingofcam-elstakesplaceat3-4aminthemorningandagainat4-5pmintheafternoon.
Agirlmilkingacamelassistedbyherbrother
5
Tamaswithitsfrontleg(kell)tiedtopreventitfromkickingduringmilking
Milking a cow
Aboyismilkingacow.Milkingisdonemainlybywomenbutinothercasesmenalsodothemilkingespeciallywhilelook-ingaftercattlefarawayfromtheirhome.
Milking a goat
Aboymilkinggoatsinthemorning.Themilkwillbeusedbythefamilyformakingtea.Herdersarenotgivengoatsasrewardfortheirwork.
Goatmilk
Akidsucklingaftermilking
Milking song The followingsongwassungbyMrsLoriboofChurowhilemilking.Thesongissupposedtorelaxthecow.Sheisdescribingthecowinthesong.
6
Oluwan cho chololong’ee cho potany (Iamdrinkingwarmcowmilk)Asilonyokoghoo(longtail)Chocho’relach(whitemilk)Relltanyi(whitecow)Chelastaamuron (loss of moran (duringraids))
Awomanismilkingwhileherdaughterissingingforthecowtorelaxinordertoproducemoremilk.
Uses of fresh milk In theoldendays,peopleusedtodrinkmilkdirectly without boiling but nowadays it iscommonly consumed after boiling. Milk isalsousedinplaceofwatertopreparemusar(porridge) or panta (ugali) when there is anacuteshortageofthewater.Flourisaddedtotheboilingmilkthencooked.Itisalsoboiledwith vegetables as a flavoring and nutrient-enriching ingredient. Freshgoatmilk isusedforpreparingtea.Malemembersofthefamilyhavetheirteaoutsideastheysitonapolong(traditionalstoolmadefromkureswotree).
Makingmilktea
Making fermented milk (sukun) and gheePreparationofsourfermentedmilkisnormal-lydonebywomen.Thegourd(mukon–pl.)is
firstsmokedwithabranchofanice-smellingtree.Yimitandkaptar–asmallthornyplantare commonly used. The gourd is cleanedwithaflywhisktoridthegourdofashesandcharcoalparticles.Afterthisthegourdisleftfor2-3hours.beforeputtingmilk.
Servingtea
Themilkislefttofermentinawarmplaceforabout three days. The now fermented milkis shakenusing a gourd (kiptambo) tomakeghee (mwoipocho). Themilk (sukun) is thenstored inanothergourd (sot)ora containercalled akeret. The ghee is used for cookingandgivingtochildren.It isalsousedbygirlstooiltheirskinandhair.
Thegheeisheatedtillitturnsintoaliquid.Itisthenputinasmallplasticcontainercalledkondongosorlaal.Itcankeepforaperiodofthreetofourmonths.Itbecomeshandydur-ingdryperiodsorwhenthere is inadequatefood for the family. Fresh skimmed milk isusedformakingtea.
CamelsarenewlyintroducedfromtheSomaliand Borana people. Camels produce moremilkthancowsbutarekeptmoreforprestige.Peopleprefergoatmilkinteaandrarelyusecamelmilk.Unlikecows,camelsgivebirthinthedryseasonandhencebecomeimportantsourcesofmilkatthattime.
Use of milk in ceremonies Most ceremoniesusemilk either as foodorforblessingsandotherrituals.Commoncer-emoniesincludepassagefromoneage-settoanother (sapana, soponut - pl.) and girl cir-cumcision(lapan,loponut–pl.).
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Milk and milking containersMilk containers are either from gourds orcarvedfromtreetrunks.
The gourd is an important container in thePokothousehold. Itusedatallstagesofmilkprocessing. Traditionally, milking of goats isdoneusingawoodenjugcalledalepit. Ithasahandle.Theoneusedformilkingcowscanbebigger.Nowadayshowever,plasticcupsorsmallbucketsare increasinglybeingusedformilking. Aftermilking, themilk is boiled us-ingametalpan,lefttocoolandthenputitincleangourdcontainerwithanelongatedshapecalled muko- (mukon - pl.) for storage. Forsmall quantities, like goat milk (chepo’aran),milkisstoredinasmall-sizedgourd(kadang).
Alepit
Milkgourdsarekeptinasachaa,atraditionalbasketmadefromanimalskinstripswovento-getheraroundaframeworkoftwigs(seepho-to).Whenasachaa is loadedontoadonkey,womenalso use it to carrywater containersfromawatersourcesuchasastream.
Lökölöorasachaa.
This bag is also carried by donkeys duringpastoralist migration. It is made from sitit(Grewia bicolor)andskin.Ithastwotothreecompartments.Theheadof thehousemayuseonecompartmentandchildrentheothertokeeptheirstuff.Duringmigrationtwosuchlokoloare loadedonadonkeyor cameloneachsideandtiedtogether.Itcancarrywa-ter,milk,foodandpersonalbelongings.
Woodencontainerssuchasalepitarecarvedfrom softwoods such asCommiphora spp.and Lannea spp. Gourd containers on theotherhandareboughtorharvestedfromthevines (Lagenaria siceraria) that often growalongfencesandstreams.Thematurefruitsarepicked, lefttodryandpreparedascon-tainers.Seedsdiscardedduringtheprocess-ing germinate easily when it rains. Gourdscould be small or big, elongated or round.Kadang (akїdöny, ki’dony) the small gourdcontainer(alsomadefromwoodorhorn)isalsousedforputtingtobacco(tapaa).
Whengourdsaresplitlongitudinallyintotwo,onehalf(tuwanortїwan)isusedforservingmilkandalsotransferringmilkfromonecon-tainertoanother.Tuwanisalsomadeintoatraditionalheadgearcalledsiolöp.Itisusedasadecorationduringceremoniesbyaper-sonwhodoesnothaveenoughhairontheirhead.
Milk related beliefs and myths Ifacow(tany),camel(tamas)orgoat(aran)hasabrokenleg(kell)orhasbeenbittenbyawildanimalsuchassnakeorhyena,pregnantmotherscannotdrinkitsmilk.Itsmilkiskeptaside. This is because itmay causemiscar-riagesinceitisbelievedthemilkstillhassomepoisonfromthedangerousanimal.Thereisaspecialgourdamotherdrinksfrom,onceshedelivers. If shedelivers twins, themilkkeptinsuchagourdcanonlybedrunkbyfamilymembers.Ifanoutsiderdrinksthemilk,thismaybringbadomentothechildren.Womenrelativestakingcareofherensurethattheserulesarefollowed.
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3. Cooked wild fruit
IntroductionAnumberofwildfruitsarepickedandboiledformanyhoursbeforetheseedcanbeeaten.Theyareboiledforthatlongtoreducebitterandpoisonouscompoundsinthemtoalevelthat is acceptable for consumption. Therearesixcommonlyboiledfruitsandseeds.Asimilar culture of boiling fruits and seed isfound among Pokot’s northern neighbors,theTurkanawholiveinanevenharsheren-vironment.
(a) Main cooked wild fruits (akwa cho’ ki-oghoi) 1. Loma - Balanites rotundifolia and
Balanites pedicellaris2. Sorїch-Boscia coriacea3. Körös-Dobera glabra4. Chepils,chepїlis-Maerua decumbens5. Aruru6. Tuyun–Balanites aegyptiaca
Distribution of wild cooked fruitsThese plants are distributed throughoutPokot but the practice of boiling is morecommon in thedryaridpartswhichconsti-
tutemuchofEastPokot.Thefollowingtableshowsthehabitatsofthespecies.
Harvesting fruits (Köwökughö Akwechi)Mostfruitsbecomeavailableduringthedryseason (komei).The fruitsareharvestedbywomenandchildren.Harvesting isdonebyanyoracombinationofthefollowingmeth-ods: climbing up the tree and picking byhand;picking fallen fruits from theground,mainly as a result ofwind (yomot)orbirds(torit); hitting fruitingbrancheswith stones(kogh);hittingorpullingdown fruitswithalongstick(lukupu).
ProcessingProcessing isdonebywomenandgirlsandinvolvesextracting the seeds from the fruitpulp and seed coat. Seeds are boiled fromseveral to many hours depending on thetype, as one replaces thewater and rinsesout the fruits to reducebitterness and tox-icity.Thefoodisservedeitheralonelikeki-serini(boiledmixtureofmaizeandbeans)oreatenalongwithmilk(cho)ortea(chai).Thenutritionalvalueisbelievedtobelow.
9
Fruitsinthepot.
Boilingthefruits
Theentireprocessofpreparinglomatakes3days.A largesufuria (aluminumpot) isnor-mally used. Pokotwomen have these largesufuriasspecificallyforboilingfruitssuchasloma.
LL=hotlowlandse.g.nearChemolingot;HH=relativelycoolerhighlandse.g.PakaandChuro;LH=midlandse.g.Chemsik,Tangulbei
Loma Sorїch Körös Cheplis (chepїlїs) Aruru Tuyunwo
Habitat LL,LH LL,LH LL,LH LL HH LL,LH
Soil and habi-tat
Stony;softsoil
Softsoil,nottoorocky
Rocky;blackdeepsoil Rockyareas Rocky Rocky,claysoils
Habit Small tree Small tree Bigtree Shrub Shrub Bigtree
Fruit time Dec-Jan Apr Apr Oct–Nov Dec–Jan
Boiling dura-tion
10-12hrs(7am-6pm) 10-12hrs 3hrs 10-12hrs 10-12onlyrarely
usedNote:a) Korosandcheplisarerelated.Cheplisseedscanbeverybitterbutchildrencansucktheripe
fruits.c) Aruruisthehighlandversionofcheplis.b) TherearetwotypesoflomabutthemorecommonlyusedtypereferredtohereisBalanites
rotundifolia.
(b) Loma (Balanites rotundifolia) – harvest-ing and processing
Lomiontree.
Collectedfruit.
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ledons. Cotyledons are then collected intootupöthenspreadonanotheropengroundsmearedwithash(orion).Cotyledonsarelefttodrytilleveningwhentheyareput intoabagtill the followingday. Seeds are spreadoutforfurtherdryingbuthavetobeputbackin sombuu (sompїr) every evening becausegoatscanthem.Theseedsarelikedbygoatsandcanbeusedforfatteningthem.Dryingiscontinuedeverydaytillseedsarecompletelydry. Dry seeds are kept in the sombuu. Asmorefruitisharvestedandprocessed,seedisaddedtillthesombuuisfull.Seedsarekepttilltheyareneeded.
The day of cooking cotyledonsThemotherwalkstotheriverat7aminthemorning. Her requirements for the processare: a bag of seed, a water container usu-ally otupö (local bowl), an aluminium pot(sufuria)ortör(claypot),firewood(kwenn)and3stones (kogh’un) tomakeafireplace.Thewomanalsotiestogethersometwigstomakeabundleusedasatraditionalsieve,ki-nasmadefromanice-smellingplant,kapars-amogh.Thesameplantisalsousedasamat-tressbygirlsduringcircumcision.
The seeds, now in form of cotyledons arefirst cleaned using boiled water to removesoil(nyong’uy)orash(orion).Freshwaterisaddedandboilingofthecotyledonsstarted.Whentimecomestoreplacetheboilingwa-ter, the woman places the sieve (kinas) atthemouthofpottoremovetheexcesswa-terandaddmore freshwater.By1pmthewomanwouldhavepouredfreshwater like20times.Incaseonedoesnotreplacewaterfrequently,thebitternessgetsintotheseeds.One should remove infected seeds and thedeadlarvaeortheirwaste.
Atabout3pm,thewomanaddstothecoty-ledonstherootsofaurieng’ee(Hydnora ab-yssinica) or the bark (both outer and innerbark)ofatat(Acacia elatior)oroköpkö(akap- pl) (Acacia nilotica). She then continuesboiling.Aftertheadditionoftheplantparts,thecolor changes to red. She then reduces
HarvestingA woman often assisted by her daughtersgoes toharvest the fruits. This is knownasköwökughö akwechi. She carries her littlechild,ifanyonthechestandabag,(sombuu-sing.;sombutin-pl.) toputtheharvestedfruits.Thebagismadeoftheskinofamalegoatora calf (mohg).Onceat the site, thebabyistiedattheforkofthe lowbranchesofatreeusingatraditionalknapsack.Therethechildfeelslikethemotherisjustaround.Themothercanclimbthefruittreeorjusthitfruitswitha longstick.Fallenfruitsarecol-lectedfromgroundandput inthesombuu.Suchskinbagscantake20kgoffruityieldingabout5kgofedibleseed.
Fruit pests (ngutiyan, nguutyan)Harvestingandboilingmustbedoneonthesame day because an insect worm calledngutiyan (nguutyan)which isalready in theseeddestroysitifprocessingisnotdoneim-mediately.Boilingdestroysngutiyan.Incasesomeseedsarevisiblydamaged,onehastoremove the damaged seed before boiling.Onenoticesthepresenceofngutiyanwhenthefruitisfoundtohaveaholeonthesur-face.Onceharvestinghastakenplace,nguti-yan activity in the remaining fruits intensi-fies.Most remaining fruits are invadedandthereforewhoevercomeslaterfindsnogoodfruit.
Preparation and storageOncehome,thewomangoestofetchwater(poghoi)whichisthenputinaclaypot(toro-pochon)orsufuria.Thefruitsarethenboiled.If there iswater shortage, only the cookedseedbelowthatwerecoveredinwaterdur-ingboilingareremovedandeaten.However,allseedhastoundergoafirstroundofboil-ing.Theboileddirtylomaisspreadoncleangroundovernight.Inthemorning,theseedsarecleanedbyremovingtheouterthincoat.This involves scrubbing with sand or cowdung,pures(dryanimal-cow,goatdung).Theseedisthendriedinthesunthenpoundedtoremove thehardkernelsusinga small,fist-sizestone(kögh)soastogettheinnercoty-
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Chepkukotandhersisterholdingloma
Unripelomaaregreenwhileripeonesareyellow.
Lomaisfirstboiledintoropochon.Whenboiledenough,thefruitsarepouredonacleanmat(ripka)andbadonesremoved.
the frequency of replacing water. At about4pm,thewomantastestoseethestatusofthe seeds. If ready, the seed is rinsedwithplentyofwater,about6-8times.Thiscoolsthelomaandremovesmuchoftheremain-ingbitterness.
Thewomanwouldnormally shareher foodwithneighborsbecausetheytoowillprocesstheirsandsharewithher. Intheoldendaysthey would dry the cooked loma and putthembackinsombuutill itwouldbefull. Itwasthenkeptuntilitwasneeded.Itcanstoreforayear.Whenneeded,thefamilygetsthequantitiesitneedsandboils.Cotyledonsareeatenalongwithmilk,tea,oralone.Nosaltisadded.Olderwomenlikeeatinglomafruitsastheynothardtochew.
Lomionfruitsarenormallyharvestedbywomenandgirls.Alongstickisusedtobringdownripefruits.Fallenfruitsareputinmotoku.
Fallenfruit.Notetheholeinonefruitmadebyngutiyan
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Fruits are then taken home and spread oncleangroundandpoundedorpressedwithstone until the outer green brittle coverbreaks off from the white seed. The seedsare then separated from the covers, a jobdoneby all familymembers includingmaleheadsof households. All cleaned seeds areput in ametal pot (sufuria) and taken to awatersourcee.g.astreamwheretheseedsarecleanedbyhand.Aportionoftheseed,enoughforthefamily,issetasideforboiling.The remaining portion is kept for anotherday but cannot be kept for long. Boiling isfor 1-2 hours for ripe seeds. Unripe seedshowever need more time of boiling, withregularreplacementofwater.Whileboiling,onemayaddakap,auring’ee,atatororolwo(Sclerocarya birrea-arelativelyrareplant).Attheendoftheprocess,theseedsarerinsedwith cold water about 6 times. The seedscouldalsohavebeenputinwaterovernightthenboiledinthemorning.Oncecooled,theseedcanbeserved.Nosaltisadded.Seedsareservedwithfreshmilk,meatstew,soupordilutedhoney.Cookedseedsmayalsobedried and stored and used when needed.Immatureseedslackaprotectivecoverandhence are liable to attack by insects. Theyhavetobeconsumedonceboiled.
Storedseedarealsogoodfodderforanimals.Incaseacamelgetssick(e.g.coughing-roo-loi) it isgivenstoredseedsandthishelps itregainhealth.
Ko’lokipetusingalongsticktoharvestsorichfromsorichon.Hergrandchildrenarehelpingher.
Boilingloma
(c) Sorïch
HarvestingSorichon (sorich –fruits, Boscia coriacea) is a small tree common in dry lowland areas.The tree is relatively smaller so a womancan harvest fruits from the ground eitherby handor using a hooked stick (akone) topullabranchtillshecanreachthefruit.Shemay climb the tree if it isbig.Occasionally,thesmallfruitbearingbranchletsarebrokenoffanddroppedtothegroundthenfruitsareharvested and put in sombuu or motokuu(mötökї).Thelatterishardtofindnowadays.
Akone
During themonth ofMarch, the seeds areimmature,withoutanouterwhitetoughcoatfoundinmatureseeds.Atthisstagetheyarebitter. During themonths ofMay and Junethe seeds develop the white leathery skinwhich protects them from damage and at-tack by insects. Birds drop the ripe fruit astheyeat themandpeoplecancollect themfromtheground.Ripefruitarelessbitterandcookmorequickly.
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betweenthegroundandhandstilltheoutercoverisdislodged.Seedsarethentakentoawater sourceandboiled.Cookedseedscanbedriedandstored.Theyarenoteasilyaf-fectedbyinsects.ThenamearuruisusedinthehighlandspartsofEastPokotespeciallyinChuro.
b. TuyunwoFruitsoftuyunwoareconsumedwhenthereislittleelsetoeat.Thefruitsareboiledfrommorningtoevening,removingwaterregular-ly.Theouterhardstoneenclosingthecoty-ledonsisremovedbyplacingseedsinaskinbagandpoundingtoremovetheouterhardshellleavingthesoftediblepart.
PreparationThefruitsareharvested,puttingthemintinsormlot(mulot,mїlot)-askinrucksackmadefrom a goat or calf skin. Mulot is anothername formotoku (mötökї- sing.). Fruitsaretaken home and poured on clean ground.Thewomantakesaflatstone,andstartstopress the fruits on the ground to separatethe seed from outer covering. Individualseedsarepickedandenoughforamealputinasufuria.Therest isspreadonasackorpolythenepapertodryinthesun.Thefruitisbitteratthisstage.Itisdriedforabout2-3days. Fruits are then rubbed between thepalms to remove dry fruit covers and soil.Seedsarethenputbackinmlotandkeptun-tiltheyareneeded.Theycankeepuntilthenextdryseasonandarenotaffectedby in-sectsduetotheirbitterness.
Preparationofthefoodstartsbytakingthequantityofseedsneededtotheriver.Afire-placeismade,seedcleanedofsandanddirtthenboiled.Thewaterturnsgreen.Thewa-ter is poured out and more added. This isrepeatedupto8timesuntilthegreencolordisappearsandseedsturnyellow,asigntheyareready.Seedsarenotbitterbythistime.Cooked seeds are taken home and servedto children and familymembers. Seeds areservedwithmilk,soup,waterorhoney.
Theseedsofsorichonhaveatoughwhiteskin.
Boilingsorich
(d) Körös (korostin - pl.)The fruits are harvested and pounded onthesamedayorthefollowingday.Theoutercoversareseparatedfromtheseeds.Thisin-volvesaddingwaterandashtotheseedandboiling.Sandorcowdungisusedforscrub-bingtheseeds.Cleanedseedsareboiledfor2-3hours.
a. Chepїlїs (chepluswotin - pl.) or Aruru (pl. arurutin)Fruitsofcheplisareprepared just like loma–allday,from7am–6pmbecausetheyareverybitter.Thebarkofakap,atatororolwois added during boiling. Fruits are pressed
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In East Pokot over 50 typesofwild fruits areconsumed by the local people. The follow-ing are someof thepopularwild fruits. Theyaremainlyharvestedbywomenandchildren.ThepeopleofEastPokotrecognizethreeareaswhere the fruits are found, rengerr (toho) –meaning ‘down’or lowlandareas (LL); Rongo(ronkö) –meaning ‘up’ ormidlands (LH) andMosop(Highlands(HH)).ThetermTohoisusedinChuroandmeansthelandlyinginthemid-lands before one gets to the lowland parts.Kewisthegeneraltermfordrylands.Alistofcommon fruit is provided in the table below.Themostpreferredfruitshavetheirpreferencerankbesidethefruitname.
4. Wild fruits (Akwaawuhuu)
Fruit name Plant name Season Area foundAbeibei Abeibeiyon Jan-Mar LLAdome Adomeyon-(pl.Adometin)(Cordia sinensis). Ma-Jun LLArol Arolwo(Sclerocarya birrea) Oct-Nov LH,HHAron Oronyon(Tamarindus indica) Aug-Dec LLAruru Aruruyon(Maerua decumbens) Dec-Jan HHChepolos Chepliswo(Maerua decumbens) Apr-May LLKacheichei Ashyokonyon(Salvadora persica) Dec-Jan LLKamol/Kömol)(6) Kömolwö)(Vangueria madagascariensis) Oct-Nov HHKinyaat Kinyotwo(pl.)(Ximenia americana) July-Nov LHLakatet(1) Lakatetwo/LökötetwöCarissa edulis) Aprl-May HHMakany Mokong’wo-(pl.)(Ficus sycomorus). Jun-July LL,LH,HHMakow Makuywo(Grewia villosa) LHMalkat(malkat-pl)(3) Molkotwö(Canthium glaucum) Apr-May LH,HHMuchuk Muchukwo(Berchemia discolor) Aug-Nov LHPuriak(pїriak) (Purїokwö(pl.))(Pappea capensis) Dec-Feb HHPutar Putorwo(Canthium lactescens) Apr-May HHSiria(sirya) Siriewo(Siryöwö)(Rhus natalensis, R. vul-
garis)Feb-Mar LH,HH
Sitit(sitöt-(sing.)(5) Sitet(pl.-sitit)(Grewia bicolor) Aug-Nov HHSorich Sorichon(Boscia coriacea) Feb-Apr LLTaran(4) Toronwo(Grewia tenax) May-Jun LH,HHTeleng(2) Tiling’wo(Meyna tetraphylla) Aug-Sep HHTilam(pl.) Tilomwo(Ziziphus mauritiana) Mar-May LLTipay(pl.) Tipoiwo Jul-Sep LLTirok Tirekwo(Ziziphus mucronata) Dec-Jan HH
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Kaloswo
Sorich
Fruits harvested in large quantities andbroughthomeinclude:1. Lakatet2. Sitot(pl.-sitit)3. Putar4. Taran
Somespeciesthataresoldinthemarketin-cludethefollowing:a) Taranb)OronsoldinNginyangandChemolingot.c) Sitit(sitöt)d) Lakatetandputararealsoeatenbymen
whoignoretherestofthefruitsregardingthemas food for childrenwhile herdingcattle.
e) Putar
Fruitssoldinthemarketaremainlycol-lectedbyherderswhocollectthemfromthewildthenbringthemtothemarketforsale.Matunden(pricklypear)isanintroducedplantthathasgonewildinPokot.
Taparer
Putar
Komolwo
Sitit
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KelionThis is the arrow-poison tree Acokanthera schimperi.Itisasmallhighlandtreethatex-udeswhite latexwhen it is bruised.Unripefruits of kelion are green, bitter and some-what poisonous. Ripe fruits are yellow andediblebuthave tobeeaten inmoderation.The flesh is red with a bit of white latex.Younggirls(mror)usetheredextractofthefruit as lipstick and the seeds as beads formaking necklaces (karin). Ripe fruits oftenfalltothegroundwheretheymaybeeatenbygoats.Wheneatenin largequantitiesbygoatstheymaycausebloat.
Kelion roots arepoisonous and areused inthemanufactureofarrowpoison.Therootsare boiled with water until a black viscoustar-likesubstanceisobtained.Thisisappliedonarrowheadsandusedtokillwildanimals.
Unripe fruits
Pupilsshowingtheripefruits
KamolThe plant, komolwo (Vangueria madagas-cariensis)isadeciduousshrubthatgrowsinhighlandareasespeciallyalongwatercourses.Toharvestthefruit,oneshakesthebranchessothatripefruitsthatonecannotreachbyhandmayfalltotheground.Thefruitiscol-lected,theouterpartpeeledandthebrownpulpeaten.Theseedsarediscarded.
AccordingtoPokottradition,kamolcanalsobeusedtoprepareatypeofporridge(mu-sar).Cookingofmusarstartsbysoakingthefruit overnight in a pot (toropochon) thenearlyinthemorningthemixtureofpulpandwaterisboiled.Onehastostirfrequentlytomakesuretheporridgegetsheatedupuni-formly.Itisservedonplateswhenready.Itistakenalone(asporridge)orusedasasaucewithugali.
Unripe Kamol
AyoungmanshowingripeKamol
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has spit on the fruits. The roots arewidelyboiled insoupanddrinkforgeneralhealth.The bark is also chewed to cure headache.AccordingtothePokot,pregnantwomenarenotallowedtocollectthesefruitssinceitisbelievedcouldbreaktheirhands.
Thesearetheyoungfruitslakatetwo.
Climbinglakatetwocanbeachallengebecauseofthorns.
TaparerTaparerwo(Cordia monoica) is a small tree orshrubthatproducesbunchesofgreenfruits(taparer)thatturnyellowtoorangewhenripe.
OronOron(Tamarindus indica)isahuge,oftenriv-erinetree.Toharvest,onehastoclimbthetree or hit the branches with a long stick.Unripefruitsoforonaresourbutstilledible.Thefruitsareusedinporridgepreparation.
Tree canopy
Immature fruits
LakatetwoLoketetwo(Carissa edulis) isathornyscram-bling shrub with weak branches. It bearsdeliciousedible fruits. Itnormallygrowsonrockyplaces.Unripefruitsaregreenbutof-tentingedred.Sometimestheredcolourcandominatewhenthefruitisinbrightsunlight.Thefruitsturnpurplishblackwhenripe.
Childreneat lakatetwhile lookingafterani-mals.Itisthemostpreferredfruit.Thefruitsareconsumedlongbeforetheyripen.Atthisstage,theyaresour.Whilepickingthefruits,onehas tobe careful because lakatetbushis thorny.Sometreeshavequitesour fruitsand this, locals believe, is because a snake
18
Thisismatundenorthepricklypear.Theripefruitsareed-ible.
Whilepickingthefruitsonehastobecarefulbecausethefruitshavesmallpricklyhairs.
Thisbunchofleaveswillbeusedtoremovethespinyhairsonthefruit.
KinyotwoKinyotwo(Ximenia americana) is common in midaltitudesofEastPokot.Itsfruits(kinyat)areconspicuouslyorange-yellowwhenripe.The juicypulp iseatenand seeddiscarded.Dryseedsofkinyatarecollected,roastedandtheoilusedtosoftenanimalleatherwornasskirt bywomen.Men also apply the oil ontheirwalkingsticks.
Aprimaryschoolpupileatingtaparer.
Taparerhasagummysweetfluidaroundtheseed.Childreneatthefruitsbutalsousethemasgluefortheirbooks.
MatundenThe prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica), knowninPokotasmatundeniswidelyspreadin thebushlandall overEastPokot. It is anintroducedweedyspecieswithediblefruits.Fruits are covered with small prickly hairswhichcancauseagonytochildrenwhentheygetintotheirskin.Onehastouseleavestobrushoffthepricklyhairs.Childrenalsodropthefruitonthegroundandrollitusingtheirshoestoremovethehairs.
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Unripefruitsaregreenandalsoeatenbutarequitesour.
MuchukwoMuchukwo(Berchemia discolor)isalargetree.Fruits(muchuk)aregreen,turningyel-lowonripeningandverysweet.
PupilsofKolowoprimaryschoolharvestingmuchuk
Unripefruitsofmuchukwoaregreenbutcanstillbechewed.
Aboyholdingkinyat
Ripekinyatisyellowturningorange-redasripeningpro-gresses.
Peelingtheoutercoverofkinyat.
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Theouterpaperycoversareremovedandtheseedatthecentrechewed.
PuterwoThis isa small tree foundat theupperalti-tudesof EastPokot. Ithas large leavesandbears small but numerous fruits, putar.Unripeputararegreenincolorbuttheyarenoteatenuntiltheyturnbrown(ripe).
Unripe putar
Ripefruitsareyellowandverysweet.
Kaloswo (koloswo)Koloswo (Terminalia brownii) is a large treecommoninmidandupperaltitudesofEastPokot.Thefruitiswinged.Theseedisatthecentreandthisiswhatonechews.Theouterpaperycoversareremoved.Fruitsareofteneatenwhen green but can also be chewedwhendry.Fruitsareabitsour.
Pickingfreshfruitofkoloswo
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TilomwoTilomwo (Ziziphus mauritiana) is a thornytreeoftenfoundinriverineareasoraroundfloodedplaces.
Tilomwoisapricklytreemainlyfoundalongstreamsandseasonallyfloodedareas.
Ripetilam
PupilsinChuroprimaryschooldemonstratinghowtoeatputar.Unripefruitsarenoteaten.
SitetSitet(Grewia bicolor)isasmalltreefoundinmid andupper altitudes of East Pokot. Thesmallripeseedsareedible.
Abranchofsitetwithunripefruits.
Aboydemonstratinghowtoeatsitet.
22Boyslookingaftersheep
5. Herding (achei)
Girlsherdingcows
IntroductionLivestockisthemostimportantassetsofthePokot.Main animals are cows (tany), goats(aran), sheep (kech) and camels (tamas).Theyprovidemilk(cho),butter,meat(peny),skin(siraha),blood(kisonn),andareasourceofincome.Thepeoplealsokeepdonkeysandchicken.Differenttypesofcowsincludethebull (kiruk),milkingcow(tupachö),ox(egh)and calves (mogh). Pregnant cows are tichchotisierr(tїsher).
Grazing (ayakwa)Goats,sheepandcowsareeachgrazedsepa-rately for bettermanagement and to avoidcompetition for pasture. Children can eas-ilylookaftersheepandgoatssincetheyaretakenouttofieldsnearthehomestead.
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lyhasanaverageof20-30cows.Eachwomanhas2-4milkingcows.Onebullismaintained.Others in the herd are pregnant cows. 100goats,10sheepand10-20chickensarenor-mal figures per family. Chickens are newlyintroduced and getting very popular. Manyfamilies nowhave chicken. Herding is frommorningaround7.30amtoeveningaround6pm.Aboycantakeanimalsfromotherfami-lies to the field. The boy is then given onecowasareward.Thisisanincentiveforboytobemoreresponsibleandseriousinherd-ing.
a) Protecting livestock (ripothto’otich)Livestockisprotectedagainstattacksbywildanimalssuchaslion(ng’atiny),wilddog(sui-yoan)andhyenas(chuduk).Itisalsoguardedagainst raiders, thieves and diseases. Thegrazingareaisopentoallandnotdemarcat-edandhenceconflictiscommon.Thegrazingareaisgenerallyhillyandbushy.Grasslandiscategorizedassangak,chemanghandanyna,allinthelowland.
Livestockisprotectedagainstwildlifethroughscaringawayandgrazinganimals in groupsunder the security of herdsmen (men andboys).Childrenoftenusdogs toalert themin caseofwild animals suchashyenas. Foraway fields, temporary animal enclosuresare constructed to keepanimalsduring thenight. Two fences (kasar) aremade aroundeachanimalenclosuresusingthornybranch-es.Theinnerenclosureiscalledkweghoandisforkeepingcalves(mogh)whiletheouterenclosure is called peugh (pigh) for cows.Smallsheltersforherders(aperit)aremadejustnexttothegate.Fire iskeptburningattheshelterduringthenight.
Agirlleadinggoatstothefield
Boys normally take care of cows and girlstake careof goats, sheep and camels. Boysare responsible for cowsbecause theymaybetakentofarplacesgrazing,sometimesformonthsduringthedryseason.Ontheotherhand, girls normally remain behind to helptheir mother. The father occasionally visitstheboystocheckonthemandtheanimals.Ininsecureareas,adultmenhavetoassist.
Duringthedryseason(December-February)cowsaregrazedonthehills.Thesearefreegrazingzones.Cattlearebroughtbacknearthe homesteads (lowlands) at the start ofthe long rain season (March - April). Someanimalslikecalvesandtheoldcowsremainaroundthehomestead.Animalsneedgrass,shrubs,waterandsaltysoils.
Manytraditionalceremoniessuchassapana(traditional graduation ceremony) are orga-nized after the long rain season. This timegrassisinplentynearhomesteads.Normally2-3peoplemaytakecareofaherdofcows,oneatthefrontandothersatrear.Eachfami-
East Pokot seasonal calendar
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Season Peng'at (long rainy season)
ActivityCows strart to return
Cows start moving to hills
Cows grazing on hills
Cows grazing around homesteads, plenty of grassCows browsing in
crop farms
Komei (long dry season) KomeiArupetin (end of rainy season)
Kitokot - time of plenty
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Mariyanyetie=interlockedhornKimarinya = a hornwhose shape has beenmanipulatedbymane.g.forbeautyorfight-ing.Mariya=nameofacowLegotom=nameofaperson(owner)Mariyalukilya=husbandtoChepochpkow=nameofawoman
Uses of cowsThefollowingarethecommonusesoflocalPokotcows:1.Milking,slaughteringandselling.2.Transportation(donkeysandcamels).3.Payment of dowry. Dowry is paid ac-
cording to how beautifully adorned agirlis.Itnormallyrangesfromtwentytoa hundred goats and sheep and ten tofiftyheadsofcattle.Anymemberofthefamilywhoiswillingtobuythemcandoitas longashe/shehasthepurchasingpower.Sellingisdonebytheparents.
4.Bullsareusedforploughingcropfields.5.SourceofprideandPokotidentity:There
aremanycolorsofcowsandassociatedpeople’snames.InEastPokot,menhaveacolorofacowastheirnickname.Theycan choose any color of their choicebased on the way they associate withthe cows during herding. His friendsalso prefer to call him by that name.Normallytheyacquiretheircolornameattheageof14-15.Beingcalledbythisnameisasignofcommitmentthattheywilltakecareoftheanimal.Hewillowntheidentifiedbullandcandowhateverhe likeswith it includingslaughtering itduring sapanaceremony,payingdowryandevensellingit.Incasethebulldieshecanchooseanotherbulltotakecareof,buthisname in thecommunitywillremain. People like calling others bytheir color names. The Pokot say thatthe namesmake their songs beautiful.During ceremonies, people sing abouttheir communitymembers calling theircolournamesastheydance.Thenamegiven to a cow also depends on other
If a herder kills a wild animal such as lion(ngotiny), buffalo (sohoo), rhino (kipau), el-ephant (pelion) or hippo (ntrikwo), he cutslinesononesideoftherightearofhiscow,asasymbolofhisbravery. Ifhekillsanen-emy(amemberofaneighboringcommunitycoming to steal cows and women) he cutsbothears.
For diseases, Pokot use both modern vet-erinarydrugs and traditional herbs to treattheiranimals.
Ananimal’senclosure.Insideitisaperit
b) Related beliefs myths and songs
songs
A song of Adong’o (a dance with jumping) sung by moran supported by girls. Oh, yalelo, tomunyo monikorya. Yalelo, tomunyo Kangakiya Eitengudiya Lokakumoi (I am agrandsonofLokakumoi)Yalelo=nameofaclanMonikorya=nameofacowTomunyo = cutting of cow’s ear after greatgrandfather.Kangakiya=nameofthegrandfather(SongwasprovidedbyMr.LotomunyLokuti.)
A song for fighting cows Oh, mariyanyetie, kimarinya, Mariyanyeite, kimarinya, Mariya Legotom Mariyalukilya Chepochpkow
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(manysmallspots),ng’oria(red/whiteinhead),merikoru(verysmallmanydots)andanyang’at(seephoto).
Ananimalisidentifiedbyaclanmarkonitsears.
d) Related beliefs, taboos, ceremonies- They are ceremonies which cannot
be performed without slaughteringanimalsi.e.duringboys’agesetiniti-ation(sapana),incaseofasickchild,after the birth (adokole) and whentwins(riwoi)areborn.
featuressuchasearsand lengthof thetail.
6.Breeding cattle: People like having dif-ferent colors of cattle and appreciatediversity. Sometimes they get differentcolors from neighboring communitiessuchasKaramojongandSamburucom-munities.Theownerofabullcannotre-fuseitcrossingwithotherpeople’scowsifthereareoffers.Traitsthatpeoplepre-fer include1) strength2)goodproduc-tionofmilkand3)colorssuchassimbol(white),pirir (red),tuw(black),cheptu-iya (black), tudo (few large spots), kor
APokotmoran
Camel(tamas)
CattleshedatAmayamarket
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Ng’oriangiroNg’oriangiro
Ng’olenyang,anyang’atiangNg’olenyang,Nyang’atiang
Areku(areköw/areköu)Rengow
e) Names of animal colors and derived nick-names of persons
Kor(whitewithdots)Korkow
KorimukKorimuk
AkidapLokidap
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PareerKpareer
Ang’uraLong’ura
TudohAtudo
PkopoChepokopo
SiwarengLosiwa
KediiKedikow
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Relmot/angoriaCherelmot
Rengit/cherlmotRengow
Wiopot(duetohorns)Lowiopot
Alemnyang’Lemnyang
ChemkoChemken
Ang’oriareng’Ang’oriareng’
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LomerikudoLokodaa
Cheptuiya(black)Lotuya
SangiriaSangiria
Psirwoi(white)Psirwoi
Ngolol(decoration)ofabull
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Womenboilingtheirmeat
During important occasions, male elders,womenandyoungmeneacheattheirmeatseparately. Children eatwith theirmotherswhiletheyoungboysmaysitnexttoeldersand togeta share.During theseoccasions,thesittingarrangementoftheeldersisfromthemostseniortothemostjunior.Membersof theagegroups thathavenotperformed
6. Meat (pento)
IntroductionSlaughtering Animals aremainly slaughteredwhen thereis insufficient food e.g. during drought (ko-mei),duringceremoniessuchassapanaandwhentherearevisitors(too).Slaughteringisalso done when the community is appeas-ingtothegods,duringprophecies(kwanyan)andduringcleansingbyelders.Itmayalsobedoneduringsickness(kosut),calamities,rain(yilat)andinafewothersituations.
Youngmen‘reading’theintestinestopredicteventsandcalamities
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Meatiscutuptopiecesthenservedbydrop-pingapieceinfrontofeach.Thebestmeat(the thigh) goes to themost seniorwho isalsoservedfirst.Seniorityisaccordingtoage,wealthorhowrespectedaperson’sfamilyis.Conversely,womenslaughtertheirgoatbuycutting the throat, collecting thebloodandthenskinningit.Unlikemenwhoroasttheirmeat,womenboilanddonotsitinanypar-ticular order. Elderlywomen, as is the casewithmen,getthefirstpriorityandthebestmeatduringserving.
In cases where only one animal is slaugh-tered,thetongue(ngaliap),chest(takat)andliver (kogho) are eaten by men. The head,ears,legs,andintestineareeatenbywomen.TheMeatispreparedbyroastingandboiling.Theroastingisnormallycarriedoutbymenwhileboilingisdonebywomen.Partofthemeatispreservedbywomenthroughsmok-ingandsalting. It isusedattimesof short-age,kömöї(komei).Whenitisafamilythathas slaughtered, brothers in-law are giventhe upper part of the limb. Hind legs aregiventooldermenandintestinestowomen(mutin).Childreneatwhattheirmotherswillgivethem.
In case of a camel (tamas), the animal isprayedfor(saghat)beforeslaughtering.Thisishoweveratraditionintroducedfromneigh-bouringcamelkeepingcommunities.Acam-elcanbekilledduringsapanaceremony.Itistiedbythelegs,bentandslaughteredwhileitsneck is twisted.Peoplesiton itsbacktokeep in on the ground. The animal is sec-tionedontheback,unlikesheep,goatsandcowswhicharecutonthestomach.Cuttingfollowsthevertebrawhileremovingtheskin.
Preservation of meatThefirstwaytopreservemeat isbycuttingitintosmallpieces(orslicingitintolongthinstrips),wrappingorcoilingitaroundastick,salting it anddrying in sun for 2-3months.Oncedry,itisstoredinsacks(mötökuu)anditcouldbeayearbeforeitisused.Thismeat
sapanaceremonyarenotallowedtocrosstotheelders’group.Iftheydidso,itisbelievedthatsomethingbadwouldbefallthem.
Elderstaketheirpositionsunderatreetobeservedwithmeat.Notethatthegoatisroastedwhole.
Youngmensittingaccordingtotheiragegroupsastheywaittobeservedwithmeat.Themeatwillbeplacedontheleaveslaiddowninfront.
Elderssitinasemi-circularfashionbutfacingnorth,theircommunity’sancestralmigrationroute and the location of their sacred andprotectormountain- Tiaty. Themost seniormensitinthemiddleandtheleastsenioratthe twoendsof the semi-circle. Theelderssit on a potable traditional seat (apolong)and use branches of a local tree, sorichon(Boscia coriacea)asplateonwhichthemeatisplaced.Youngmenontheotherhandsitinasimilarfashiontryingtoemulatetheirmoreexperiencedelders.
Both young men and elders kill their goatby spearing it at the ribs. They then roastthegoatwholewithoutskinningit.Selectedyounger honestmen servemeat to elders.
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There are 9 age groups/ age sets 1. Chumwo(mostaredead)2. Nyongi(afewalive)3. Maina 4. Sowo/Sawe/Sowö5. Korongoro6. Kaplelech/kaplelach7. Murkutwö(current)8. Kipnyikew9. Kipkoimot/Kipkoimöt(notyetborn)
Alternativeorderofagesets1. Maina2. Sowö3. Korongoro4. Kaplelach5. Murkutwö6. Kipkoimöt
Note:• Thecyclebeginsagainafterthelast.• Age sets inWest Pokotmay be out of
synchronywithEastPokot,thelatterof-tenbeingbehind.
isknownassїrkön.Meatcouldalsoberoast-ed (kpeloi)orboiled (kihohoi-peny,kikighö)inapot(törnonii,toropochon)beforepres-ervation.
Dryingsirkon
Serving and eating foodDuring the servingofmeat, agegroupsarerespected. Age groupswhich have not per-formed sapana are not allowed to cross tothosewhohaveasthiscanattractacurse.
Ayoungmandrinkingfreshblood
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7. Wild edible roots (sikinn)
Wild roots and tubers are an importantsourceoffoodforthePokot.Atleast15typesareeaten.Theyareconsumedasasourceofenergy,waterandasawayofpassingtimeforherders.
Typesofrootsandtubers
1. Kolopcho(pl.–kolopchoi)LH2. Tapoyo(pl.–Tapoyotin)(Lannea triphy-
la)LH3. Akan(pl.–Akantin)LL4. Chesowancha/Chesiwancha(Vignasp.)
LL5. Kaptirmam/ Kaptirimom (Probably
Ipomoea longituba).Foundinhighlands.LL
6. Chepanyinta(lowlandareas)LL7. Kela, kelaa (pl. – kelaatin) (Vatovaea
pseudolablab) LL8. Kamumur(pl.–kamurmurtin)HH9. Kipkodo(pl.–kipkoden)HH10. Kamkech(pl.–Kamchoi)11. Aurieng’ee(pl.–Auriengotin)(notreally
a root but a plant parasite)
Aurieng’o (Hydrora abyssinica) Aurieng’o(aurieng’ee)isnotarootortuberin thetruesense. It isaplantparasitewithedible flower parts. Aurieng’o is commonlyfoundinacaciabushlandwhereit isusuallyassociatedwithrootsofacaciaespeciallyses(Acacia tortilis). Aurieng’oemergesfromthegroundduringthedryseason(aboutMarch).Therootsgrowbeneaththesoilsurfaceandareredincolor.Theyarescalyandtoughandare only used to reduce bitterness of loma(Balanites rotundifolia)fruitsduringtheboil-ing process. The emerging head (actuallytheflower) resemblesanelongatedpotato.Whileemergingitcracksthesoilasitexpandsandemitsa strong smell that seems toan-nounceitspresence.Onemerging,itbreaksintofourparts–itsmouthisreddishincolor.Children,andoccasionallytheirmother’sdigit upas it emerges, thenbreak it to accesstheedibleflourorrice-likesubstanceinside.Itiseatenraw.Theplantgrowsmainlyunderacaciatrees,especiallyneartermitemounds.Ayoungmandrinkingfreshblood
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Flour-likefloralparts
Aboyeatingflour-likefloralparts
ApupilofChuroPrimarySchooleatingauriengo.
Somesignsofthepresenceofaurieng’oincludeastrongsmellandcrackedgroundasitemerges.
AboydiggingupAurieng’ofromthegroundAurieng’oisopenedbybitingoffthetip.
Breakingthetiprevealsrice-likefloralpartsthatareedible.Onexposuretoairanddrying,therice-likeflowerbecomepowderyandcanbepouredonthehandandeaten.
Kolopcho Kolopcho(pl.–kolopchoi)isfoundonmoun-tainousareasandnotinvalleys.Ithasaleaflikethatofabeanbuttwistsaroundbiggertreesasitgrowsinbushedgrasslands.
SourcingOnce the leaves have been confirmed asthose of kolopcho, one follows the twin-
ingstemdowntothebase.Astickorspearisusedtofeeltheexactlocationoftherootin theground.Sometimes itcracks thesoil,makingiteasytonoticeit.Itisdugupusingasharpstickorpanga.Thetuberisroundishandcouldbethesizeofasmallpotweighing2-3kg.ItismaturebyJuly-August.
Thelargetuber isgoodforquenchingthirstbesides being good food for herders. Onceharvested the plant tends to die. If some
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alsobeharvestedbywomenbutitisalabori-ousjobsometimesrequiringalotofenergy.Familymembersmaysometimesgotogethertoharvest.Thisincreasesthechancesofget-tingagoodharvest.Kelowoisusuallyeatenraw. When cooked, the sweet taste disap-pears.
Itissaidthattherewasaprolongeddroughtinabout1910.Mostanimalsdiedandinthefollowingwar years 1916-1918Kelowowasa main food source especially for children.Newborns were given the milky substancefromtheroots.Freshrootscankeepfrom2-4daysbeforeuse.
ChesowanchaChesowancha (pl.- chesowanchaten) growsinlowlandareasandinvalleys.Itisidentifiedbyasmallgreenleafthatappearsjustabovetheground.Belowinthegroundisanarrowtuber the sizeof apen.More thanone tu-bercanbefoundinoneplant.Thetuberousplantgrowsindryareas.Itiseatenmostlybyherdersandhasasweettaste.Chesowanchaismainlyeatenby childrendue to its smallsize. If plants are found in large numbers,adultscanalsoharvestthetubersandbringtochildren.
Chesowancha
KaptirimamKaptirimam (pl. – kaptirimomoi) (Ipomoea longituba) resembles sweet potatoes buttheleaves,thetubersandflowersaremuchbigger. Itgrowsinbushlandandhasfibrous
rootsarespared,theplantcangrowuntilthefollowingseason.
Toconsume,thelightskinofthetuberisfirstpeeled off. The tuber is whitish inside andslightlysweet.Onetubercanbesharedbe-tweentwoormorepeople.Itisnotcooked.Thetuberismainlyharvestedbyherdersandwomen looking for firewood. Women willnormallytakehometopreparefortheirchil-dren.Itcankeepforabout2days.
KelaWhere to find itKelowo(kela,kelatin-pl.)isaclimbingplatof-tenfoundgrowingundertreesinhillyplacesandalongvalleys.Oncespotted,herdersfol-lowthelianatilltheground.Itcanhavemanybig roots (kela) the size of cassava but thisdepends on one’s luck. Roots are brownishyellow towhiteon the surfacewhile insideit iswhite.Kelowogrows insemiaridareassuchasSilale,PakaandMukutani.Oneplantmayhaveseveraltubersofirregularshape.Atubercouldbe1-2kg.
How to find and harvesting kelaKelowo resembles kolopcho. Finding kelarequires some experience. Adult men arethe most experienced and can often tracethe root amongst stones till they find thetuber.Tofindit,oneusesthetipofaspeartolocatetherootpath.Onwithdrawingthespear,moistureatthetipisanindicationofthe root. A strong sharp stick can also beusedforpokingtheground.Ahollowsoundinthegroundtoo indicatespresenceofthetuber.Swollenpartsoftherootsaredugout.Twotothreetubersperplantissufficientasoverharvesting can kill theplant. These arepeeled and chewed. Roots are fibrous butalso have sweetish milky starch within thefibres. Kelowo is used during extremehun-gerperiods.ItismainlyfoundduringJune–December.
‘Itdoesn’tlikeeveryone,’saysKapeta.‘Somemayneverfind it,’hecontents.Kelowocan
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Tapoyo Tapoyo (pl. tapoyotin-Lannea triphylla) is a shruborsmalltree.Tapoyohasfleshyedibleroots.
How to harvestThelocationofthetuberousrootsischeckedbeneath the tree by stamping the foot onthe ground or prodding the ground with astick and listening for the deep sound of aholeintheground.Alternatively,onecandigfrom the base of the tree along the lengthofone roottill theyfind the tuberouspart.Onceidentified,rootsaredugout.Onecangetuptofourroots inonetree.Thetuber-ousroot iscutofffromtherestoftherootandpeeledasonewouldpeelcassava.Iftheinner part of the root iswhite, then this isthesweettype.Iftheinsideisred,therootisnotsweet. Ifoneharvestsa lot, thentheentirefamilycaneatforsupper.Rootsfrommaturetreestasteacidicandcanirritatethelips.Whentheplantisyoung,therootsareusuallysweetandarealsogoodforquench-ing thirst. Roots are not cooked. Tapoyo ispopularwithherdersasitisfoodaswellasasourceofwater.
Kamurmur Kamurmur is a climbing or creeping plantwithwhitetocreamthintuberousrootsthesizeofapencil.Tubersarenumerous,softareusuallycleanedandeatenwithoutpeeling.Itisoneofthepopulartraditionalediblerootsinhighlandareasandisharvestedmainlybychildrenandherderstoquenchthirst.
Therearetwotypesofkamurmur–ahigh-land type and lowland type. The highlandtype has strong and short roots comparedtothelowlandtypewhichtendstohavethinandlongroots.Highlandtypesabsorbmorewaterthanthelowlandtypesandhencetheyare good for quenching thirst especially inthedryhotseason.
rootswithmanybig tubers. Leaves are thesizeofapalm.Theuppersideofthe leaf isgreenbutwhitishunderneath.
Rootsarethesizeofkela.Theyarepeeledandeatenandaresweet.Rootsarenotcooked.Theroothasathickcover.Itisagoodsourceofenergyanditisoftencarriedalongduringraids.Onecancarrytherootonsafarislast-inguptoaweeksometimesasfarasUganda.
Chepanyinta Chepanyinta (pl-chepoanyinten) is mainlyfound in valleys climbing on other trees.Its fruits taper towards the end.On attain-ing maturity the fruits break open and re-lease thread-like seedswhicharedispersedbywind.Fruitsareeatenbeforetheybreakopenbecauseinsectsoftenenterandrenderthemunsafeforeating.
HarvestingChildren harvest the roots to eat.Mothersharvest it for cleansing ceremonies. Rootstastesomewhatbitterifobtainedfromrockyground and sweet if growing in good soil.Root tubers are few and found deep. Theplant fruits during the rainy season. Fruitsareeatenaswellasrootsbutfruitsaremorepopular.Rootsarenotcooked,theyareeat-enraw.Rootsarealsousedincleansingcer-emoniese.g.whensomeonehasbeendisre-spectfultoanelderlyperson.Rootsaredugup,chewedandmixedwithmilkandwhitecoloredochrethensplashedontheoffender.
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KaptirimamKaptirmamisasmallplantfoundindrylands.Ithasatuberousedibleroot.Therootishar-vestedusingastickorapanga(largeheavyknife). Sticksarepreferredbecause there islesslikelihoodofdamagingthetuber.Thetu-berlookslikesweetpotatoandtastessweet.Besides eating, boys looking after animalsmaketoycarsfromtheroot.
Boysharvestingkaptirmamusingapanga.Kaptirmamhasfibrousrootsthesizeofasweetpotato.
Herdersharvestandconsumethetuberraw.
Boysenjoyingkaptirmam
Harvestingkamurmur
Kamurmurroots.Thistypeofkamurmuriscalledsipai.
KipkodoKipkodo (pl. – kipkoden) is a climbingplantwith soft brownish roots. It is harvestedmainly by children. It is found in highlandparts.
Kamkech Kamkech(pl.–kamchoi)growsinwoodedar-easbutdoesnotclimb.Theplantisgiventocalveswhentheyarecoughing.Ithasatuberthesizeofafist.Kamkech is found inhigh-landparts.
Akan Akan (pl. akantin) is found in thehighlandsoften in rugged areas. It bears cassava-likeediblerootswhichmaybecookedoreatenraw.Whencooked,itiseatenwithmilk.
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The termites are identified through theirfeathers,timeofcomingoutandsize.
a). Pїyepai – (sing. puyopuywo). This ter-mite has a black abdomen and comes outof termite mounds (tulwo, tїlwö). Its timefor emerging is 3.00–4.00pmnormally inthemonthsofJuly-AugustinChuro.Inothergeographical regions it could be earlier e.gApril-May.
b).Naleputo-(sing.-naleputoyon).Naleputois associatedwith the rain season. It is rel-atively small and comes out as soon as ithas rained. It is also known as sumbalel(sumpölel).Itgoesoutofseasonattheendoftherainseason.Thetermitesaresmallerthan ng’okoi and normally have red stripesattheabdomen.Thesetermitesareusuallyfoundinhighlandareasbutnotpopular.
c).Ng’okoi-(sing. -ng’okoyon).Thisgroup isthecommonestandcomesouttwiceinaday–intheearlymorninghoursbetween4.00–5.00amandcollectedbychildrenwhentheywakeup,andfrom4:00to9:00p.m.Ng’okoiare bigger than naleputo and have brownstripeattheirabdomen.Thesetermitesliveinbigmoundsinlowlandparts.Theirseasonofemergence is thefirstheavy rainsof the
8. Termites (flying forms)
Types of termitesTermitesaregroupedintothreecategoriesinPokot.
- Piyepai(pl.–pyopuywo)- Naleputo (nalepїtö) (pl.- naleput-
oyon)- Ng’okoi(ngokoi)(pl.–ng’okoyon)
Termitemound
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withugaliassubstituteforvegetables.Theyarequitedelicious.
Related beliefsBreastfeedingmothersmaynoteattermitesfor fear that theymay cause a skin rash intheirchild.
Nutrition and health informationTermites are an important diet for childrenandpregnantwomen.Theyareusedinlocalmedicinetotreatasthma.Termitesarealsoused to treat sick camels, especially whencoughing.Thesolidisdissolvedinwaterandgiventothecamel.
Emergingtermitesonthemoundisasignthattheflyingformsoftermiteswillcomeout.Soldiertermitescomeoutfirsttoprovidesecurityfortheflyingforms.
Afamilyharvestingtermitesinthelateafternoon.Thisisadrylowlandenvironment.
yeari.e.March–April.Akeysignthatthefly-ingformswillemergeincludeanadvanceap-pearanceofnormaltermitesthatcomeoutinthenightandeatthesurroundinggrass.
Someof thetermitemoundsareownedbyfamiliesbutthemajority inthefieldbelongtonooneperson.
Catching (harvesting)In lowland areas, catching involves digginga hole in the ground next to the termitemound. A small dome is made to restricttheirflying.Sticksaredrivenintothegroundand used to support a cow or goat skin orsometimesgreen leavesor apieceof clothto make the dome. Nearby mound outletsare closed in order to direct insects to thehole.Thecatchingofpiyapei isdone in theafternoonbetween2.30–4.00pm.Theter-mitesareputinmotukuuandtakenhomeforprocessing. The trapping is donemostly bywomenandchildren.Termiteharvestinghasitsrisksincludingbitesfromsoldiertermites(sangirich),blackants(songo’k),snakes(mo-roi),spiders(tokol)andotherwildlifecomingtofeedontheflyingtermites.Highland types of termites (in Churo) areusually harvested using a torch or lantern.The termites fly to the source of light andthentheyaregrabbedbyhandanddippedinasufuriawithsomelittlewatertowettheirfeathersandstopthemfromflying.
Processing and storage Onceharvested,termitesmayberoastedinapanorpotandconsumed.Theycanalsobespreadonamat(minyon)anddriedindirectsunforabouttwotothreedays.Dryingcanalso be achieved through roasting. Using amotorandpestlethetermitesarepounded(theycanalsobeground)intoasolidormash(sukar)whichisthenpackedindrycleanskinbucketsortoghoi(tokögh)withaskinlidandstored.Storagecanbeforupto3years.
Consumption of termitesFlyingtermitesareusedasfoodbyallmem-bersof the family. They areeatenaloneor
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Roastingtermites
Eatingtermites
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what is growing there may not be the ed-ibletype–ifoneatesuchmushrooms,theywouldlikelygetsick–sufferingfromnausea,headache and in extreme cases, madness.Orowosororowuosappearsduringthewetseasonespeciallynearanimalenclosures. Itdecomposesafteraboutthreedays.Itisverypoisonous.Anotherpoisonous fungus is tu-luluu. These are puffballs and are commonduringtherainyseason.Theheadisgreybutmayhavesomebrownishcolour.Itdriesoffleaving a ball of spores.On bursting it, thespores resembling thePokot tobacco (tapa)arereleasedlikedust.Thesefungiappearatthesameseasonasorowos.Thesporescanbeusedfordecorationbygirls.
9. Mushroom (oota)
EastPokothadthevarioustypesofediblefungi(mush-rooms).
Edible fungi (keliomogh)The most common edible fungus (mush-room) is keliomogh (pl. kelpomogh) whichgrows near termite hills (tilwo) during therainy season. Mushrooms are collected bywomenandchildrenespeciallywhenlookingafter animals. Keliomogh is white in colourbutturnsabitdarkespeciallywhenitopens.Itgrowsatthestartoftherainseasonneartermite hills. It is boiled or fried and eatenwithugali.
Poisonous fungi A number of fungi (mushrooms, puffballs,toadstoolsetc.)arehoweverpoisonous.Itisbelievedthatoneshouldnotharvestmush-rooms from an inactive termite mound as
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mainsecludedforaboutthreemonths.Afterthis, theyarereintegrated intothecommu-nityinagraduationceremonywhereanum-berofritualsareconducted.Allparticipatingboysaregiventwogoatseachbytheirfamily.Oneisslaughteredandtheotherbelongstotheboy.Theslaughteredgoatiseatenduringtheceremony.Theliveoneisbroughtalongbyeachboytoablessingritual.Duringthisritual, themotherof theboypoursmilkontotheheadoftheinitiatesuchthatitflowsdowntothegoatheisholding.Afterthis,theboyisallowedtominglewiththerestofthefamilymembersandcommunityasawhole.
Wedding ceremonyThis is a one day ceremony. It is organizedby families concerned, relatives and theirfriends. The ceremony is preceded by ad-equatepreparationsinvolvingbothfamilies.Onthedayoftheevent,thedowry ispaid.Theeldersofbothfamiliesdiscussthedowry
TheEastPokotcommunityhasanumberofevents when people come together to cel-ebrate. These include graduation from oneage set to another (sapana), circumcision,weddings and prayers for rain. In most ofthesethere issonganddanceandfeasting.Ofallthesesapanaismostimportant.
Boys’ initiation (circumcision)Thiseventmarkstheturningfromchildhoodtoadulthood.After thisevent,one isquali-fiedtomarry.Thisisathreemonthoccasion.It isorganizedbyrespectedeldersandpeo-plewithspecial skills.Meals served includemeat, milk, blood and brews made fromhoney.
Thehutsusedby initiatesareprepared.Onthedayoftheinitiation,boysgototheriverearlyinthemorningtotakeacoldbath.Theycomebacktoasecludedareawherewomenarenotallowed.Theyuseskinclothandre-
10. Ceremonies
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Dia Diaisaceremonyforcleansingacommunityherowhohaskilledanenemy.
Ofalltheseceremonies,Sapanaisthemostimportant.
SapanaThemostimportantceremonyinEastPokotis Sapana. All members of the communitylookforwardtotheceremony.IttakesplacebetweenSeptemberandNovemberaftertherainy season. Sapana is a passage where amangraduatestomaturity,earningcommu-nityrespectandarighttomarry.
Afewfamilieswhohaveboysthatarereadyfor sapana start to prepare together. Thismaytakeseveralmonths.Suchboysaremo-ran (young warriors) that have attained astageofmarrying.Onecouldmarrywithoutundergoingsapanabutmaynotbegivenop-portunitiesforleadershipandmaynotcom-mand respect among elders. Foods servedincludemeat,milk,bloodandbutter.
Thefamiliesdoingthepreparationsneed:a) Milk–Alotofmilkisneeded.Thepar-
ticipating families contribute but alsoneighbors
b) Honeyfortraditionalbeerc) Otupo intowhichmilk and blood are
poured.d) Bullforslaughteringtovisitors.
Sapana starts with dancing and singing onthenightbeforetheceremony.Onthesamenight, elders are invited to the homes ofthe participating boys for beer. They drinkall night long andbless theboys. Bymorn-ing the elders are hungry and so they aregivenmilktodrink.Inthesamemorning,theyoungboysgatherandkilltheirbulls.Specialpeople prepare themeat by roasting, boil-ing and isolating special parts of themeat.Meanwhilethedancingandsinginggoesonas boys undergo the rite. Men roast theirmeatwhiletheirwomenboiltheirs.Thecer-
ina secludedarea.Once there isanagree-ment,theyjointherestofthemembersforofficialhandingoverofthebrideand intro-ductionofthefamilymembers.Foodsservedincludemilk,meat and ugali. Local brew isalsoservedtoelders.
Karoyon (karoyön) (foreteller)Karoyonisapersonwhocanreadandpredictthefuture.Hewill ‘read’the intestinesofagoat and predict calamities thatmay befallthe community. This is done during eventssuch as sapana and amurotin (ceremoniesmadetowardoffcalamities).Theyalsoreadmovementofenemies,peopleandanimalsandthespreadofdiseases,droughtandfam-ines.
AmuroTheseareceremoniesforprotectingpeoplefrom calamities such as disease, droughtand enemy attack. Werkoyon (serkoyon) isa spiritual leader, theequivalentof olaibonin the Maasai. He makes decisions aboutwhenandwheretoconducttheceremonies.Some of the ceremonies are conducted onsacred places such as Chesawach hill nearChemolingot.He tellspeoplewhat todoatthe site.Hewould saywhich colourof ani-malthecommunitywouldneedtoslaughter.Afterslaughtering,theyshouldtieapieceofthe animal skin on their hand – right handformenandlefthandforwomen.Karoyonisthepersonwhoconductstheintestineread-ingceremony.Hedoesnotweartheskin.Hegivesorderstoprayforrain.
Kalat (kolat)Kalat(kolat)isaceremonyofhavingagoodandhealthybaby.Thisisperformedbykolin(adiviner).Thisperson isbelievedtochaseawaybadspirits.Thebadspiritsmaybeasaresultofcausingdeathtoaperson.Itisbe-lievedthatapregnantwomanmaypassbadspiritsof someonewhokilled (apuafum) toherbaby.Without this cleansing ceremony,it is believed she would have an abnormalbaby.
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emonyreachesitsclimaxatabout1:00p.m.
Menroasttheirgoatswhole
Pokotmoranperformingsapana.Theybowdowntodrinkmilkfromotupo.
Theboywhoisgraduatinghasawhitefeather(akales)onhisheadreadytodrinkbloodfromotupo.
Moranslaughteringtheanimaland‘reading’theintestines.
Bullscontributedbythefamiliesareslaugh-tered at a central place. The slaughteringis done on leaves placed on the ground.Cheptuya(Euclea divinorum) leaves are pre-ferred.
Families and friends bring milk in alepit(alepїt). Some of the milk (contributed byeachoftheparticipatingfamilies) ispouredintoalargewoodenbowlcalledotupoforusebyallparticipatingmoran.Moranmaydrinkdirectlyfromtheotupowhilelyingdownontheir side to have a good gulp as their col-leaguestilttheotuposothatthemilk-bloodmixture can gather to the side where themouthis.Theotherpeopledrinkfromtheirwoodencupsorjustmoderncups.Theydrawtheirbloodfromthesmallerotupodonatedbytheparticipatingfamilies.
Blood is obtained by spearing the jugularveinofahealthyanimalthathasnoblemishe.g.whichhasneverbeenbittenbyahyena,and contributed by each family. The headsideoftheneckisfirsttiedtofacilitateflowoftheblood.Itisspearedandthebloodcol-lectedinalepit(alepїt).Theanimalisuntiedandlefttogo.
Largeotupo.Therearetwotypesofotupo,asmalloneandlargetype.
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Graduatesofsapanawearingatraditionalcap(bulu)madeofochre.Thestoneiscollectedfromariverbankandcrushedbetweentwostones,mixedwithgheeandthenappliedonhair.
Atraditionalstoolisgiventoagraduateafterundergoingsapana.
Tiaty (Tiachi) sacred hill TiatyrisesfromtheflooroftheriftValleyto2352mabovesealevel.Itisofvolcanicori-gin,withawidecrater,butmucheroded.ItisasacredmountainofthePokot.Elderssitandprayfacingthismountainthatisseenastheprotectorofthecommunity.
Ontheslopeofthemountainaresacredfigtrees(Fiscus thonningii)(Simotwo).Sacrificesare made by elders for bountiful milk andgoodhealthofanimalsaswellasofthepeo-ple.Themountainissaidtobethelasttofallduring wars (it never falls), and the last todryintimesofdroughtandhenceoffersthecommunityresilience.
Alepit(traditionalwoodenjug)
Blessing by elders during sapana: Early in themorning of the second day, el-ders(godfathers)lineupatthemilktroughsinasolemnoccasion.Theothereldersstandfar. Eachgraduatingboypassesnext to theeldersandisgivenmilktodrinkonhispalm.Hegoesroundandcomesbackagainasheisfollowedbytheotherboys.Theyrepeattheexerciseupto4times.
Meanwhileall theboyshavebeensmearedall over thebodywith intestinal content ofthebulltheykilledforthepeople.Theyalsosmearthemselveswithoilandwarmthem-selvesnearfirefortheoiltosoaktothebodywell. As the elders bless the boys they tellthemtostandfirmlikethesacredmountainofTiatianditssacredFicus thonningii(simot-wo).
After this solemn moment the head elder,often who has attained a special recogni-tionandwearingahatwithablackostrichfeather,announcestothecrowd,‘tetherthecalf’meaningtheboys(referredtoascalves)should stop drinkingmilk as the ceremonywasover.Aftertheblessingceremony,thereisdancingandmerrymaking.Elderlypeopleandyoungpeopledanceseparatelyandmenandwomenarefreetointeractineachcase.Age has to be respected strictly and hencenocrossingover.Spiesareemployedtoprowbetweenthegroups.
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AppendixAppendix 1: Glossary of Pokot Words Used
Achei Herding.Alsoachein.Adokole Childbirth.Adome Fruitsofadomeyon.
Adomeyon Cordia sinensis.Adeciduousshrubthatgrowsinlowlandsandbearsediblefruits.Itisoneofthemostimportantplantsofdrylowlandparts.
Akan Aplantthatgrowsinhighlandareasandhasovalrootsresemblingthoseofcassava.Itiscommoninvalleys.
Akantin Pluralofakan.Akeret Traditionalgourdforstoringmilkandalsousedformakingghee.Akone Ahookedstick.Itisoftenusedtoremovebeehivesduringharvestingperiod.Akwacho’kioghoi Cookedwildfruit.Akwaawuhuu Wildfruits.Alepties Pluralofalepit.Alepit Atraditionalwoodencontainerorjugwithahandle.Itisusedformilkingcows.
Amuro Ceremoniesmadeforprotectionofthefamilyfromnaturalcalamitiessuchasdisease,droughtandenemyattack.
Amurotin Pluralofamuro.Anyang’at YellowishAnyan Lowlandareas.
Aperit Asmallshelterforherderslocatedjustnexttothegateofananimalenclosure.Fireiskeptburninginthisplaceduringthenight.
Kolin Adiviner.Thispersonisbelievedtochaseawaybadspirits.Apuatum Nicknamegiventoapersonwhohaskilledaman.Aran Goats.Arokon, Atraditionalchiselusedtomakebeehives.Arupe Shortrainseason.Aruru Athornyshrubgrowingtoabout2mhighinlowlandareas.Itbearsediblefruits.Arurutin Pluralofaruru.Asilo Tailofacow.
Atat Acacia elatior.Alargetreeto20mhigh.Barkisdarkbrown,deeplygrooved.Flowersareinroundheads.
Atomwo SingularforkotomwoAteker Longwoodencontainerusedforwateringanimalsandoftencarvedfrommokong’wotree.
Aurieng’eeHydnora abyssinica.Aparasiticplantthatusuallygrowsonacaciarootsinlowlands.Itap-pearsfromMarch–April.Thepotato-likeplantcracksthesoil,openingitsreddishflowersandreleasingastrongsmellfromits‘mouth’.Theflowersfalloffsoonafter.
Aurieng’o Pluralofaurieng’ee.Ayakwa(v) Lookafteranimals.Bapoo Farther.Bulu Traditionalcapmadeofochrestone.
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Luk LargegroupofMoranthatisformede.g.duringaraid.Chemangh Lowlandareas.
ChepanyintaSmallplantfoundinvalleysandoftenseenclimbingontrees.Itsrootsarethesizeofcar-rotstaperingonthefarend.Theyareedibleandsweet.Thedryfruitbreaksopenreleas-ingthinseedsdispersedbywind.
Chepanyinten Pluralofchepanyinta.
ChepilsMaerua decumbens.AsmallshrubcommonlyfoundinlowlandpartsofEastPokot,conspicuousinburntgrassland,whereitgeneratesquicklyfromitsthickwoodyroot.Commonlyfoundinsandy,alluvialorsandyloamsoilandinrockyplaces.
Chepluswotin Pluralofcheplis.Chepo’aran GoatmilkChepo’tany CowmilkCheptuiya Black
Chesowancha Ipomoeasp.Smallplantthatgrowsinlowlandareasandinvalleyswithsmallleavesandatuberthesizeofasweetpotato.
Chesowanchatin Pluralofchesowancha.Cho MilkChuduk HyenaChumwo Nameofageset.Dia Aceremonyforcleansingacommunityherowhohaskilledaperson.Egh OxNgudiya Grandson.Kadang Smallsizedgourdusedforstoringgoatmilk.Kahath MilkingKalat Aceremonyperformedforthegoodandhealthofababy.Kalopcho Aplantwithcarrot-likeediblerootsandfoundinthehighlandareaofEastPokot.
Kaloswo Terminalia brownii. Asemi-deciduoustree7-13mwithadenseshade,andsomewhatdroppingfoliage.Barkgreyandfissured.Fruitischewedbychildren.
Kamche Anon-climbingwoodlandplantusedasmedicineforcalveswhentheyarecoughing.Tubersarefist-sizeandedible.
Kamchoi PluralofkamcheKamei Longdryseason
Kamol Vangueria madagascariensis.Adeciduousshrubthatgrowsinhighlandareasespeciallynearstreams.Ithasbroadshinyleavesandbearsediblefruits.
Kamurmur Pluralofkamurmurwo
Kamurmurwo Atwinningplantfoundinhighlandareas.Itclimbsonothertreeforsupport.Therootisthesizeofacarrotwithacreamoutercoverandwhiteflesh.(infamilyAsdepiadaceae)
Kangakiya GrandfartherKaplelach Nameofanageset.
KaptirimomwoIpomoea longituba.Aplantgrowinginbushlandwithatuberousrootsystem.Leavesarelarge,thesizeofapalm,greenaboveandwhitishontheunderside.Tubersarelarge,many,ediblebutfibrous.
Kaptirmam PluralofkaptirimomwoKaroyon Apersonwhohastheabilitytoreadtheintestinesofagoatandpredictfutureincidents.Karin BeadsKasar Fences
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Katagh Commiphora africana.Asmalltreeorshrubwithasoftstem,oftenrootingthroughcut-tings.
Katmwo Atraditionaltorchmadeoftwigsthathavebeentiedtogether.Twigsareburnedtopro-videlightduringharvestingofhoney.
Kebel RoastingKechir Sheep
Kela Vatovaea pseudolablab.Alsokela.Aclimberoftenseenalongdrywatercoursesandpro-ducingediblefibroustubersandseeds.
Kelatin Pluralofkelaa
Keliomogh Atypeofediblemushroomthatgrowswhenithasrained.Itisnormallythickandopensitsheadasitgrows,exposingbook-likegills.
Ket’po Generalnamefortrees.Notethatalltreesarereferredtoasketregardlessoftheirdiffer-ences.
Ki’dong’o Acontainermadefromgourd,woodorhornandusedforputtingtobacco.Kihohoi Boiling
Kinas Traditionalsievemadefromkaparsamogh(nicesmellingherboftenusedasamattressbygirlsduringcircumcision).
Kinyat Pluralofkinyotwo
KinyotwoXimenia americana.Aspreadingshrub,occasionallyscramblingto6mhigh.Spinesto1cm,thinandstraight.Oldbarkisbrown-blackandscaly.Fruitsaregreen,turningyellowtoredwhenripe,edibleanddelicious.
Kipkoden PluralofkipkodoKipkodo Awildplantwithpotato-likeedibleroottuberandfoundinhighlandareas.Kipkoimot Nameofanagesetyettobeborn.Kipnyikewe Nameofanagesetabouttobeborn.Kiptambo Gourdchurner.
Kiptari
Acacia brevispica.Alowshrubto5m,oftenscrambling.Thornsaresmall,singleprickles,mostlyhookedandscatteredalllongthethinstems.Leavesaretwice-dividedintotinyleaflets.Flowersarefragrantinroundheads.Fruitsusuallystraightflatbrownpodsto15cm.
Kiruk Bull Kisonn BloodKitokot ShortdryseasonKogh Asmallpalm-sizestone.Kogh’un Stones Kogho Liver
Kolopcho
Ipomoeasp.?Aplantthatgrowsinhighlandareasandhasleavesresemblingthoseofbeans.Ittwinesaroundbiggertreesandhastaprootthatcracksthesoilmakingiteasynotice.Thetuberisthesizeofamedium-sizedsweetpotatoandwiththesameshape.Itiscreamontheoutsideandabitsugary.
Kolopchoi Pluralofkolopcho
Komolwo Vangueria madagascariensis.DeciduousplantcommoninhighlandareasaroundChuro,andgrowingto8m.Fruitsarelargeandedible.
Kamol Pluralofkomolwo.Koru Manysmallspots.Korongoro Nameofanageset.
Koros Dobera glabra.Adeciduousshrubto6mgrowinginlowlandareaswherethewatertableishigh.Fruitsareedible.
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Korostin Pluralofkoros.KöwökughöAkwechi Goingtoharvestfruitsforboiling.Kpketin Fermentedbeerfromkumiket.Kumat Honey.Localhoney(kumat)isusedforpreparationofbeer.Kumiket Brewsmadefromhoney.kukui DogKwanyan ProphesiesKweghoo AnimalenclosureKwenn FirewoodLakatet Pluraloflakatetwo
LaktetwoCarissa edulis (C. spinarum).Aspinyevergreenscramblingshrubwithstraightwoodyspinesto5cm.Leavesareoppositeandhaveasharptip.Flowersarefragrant,inbunchesofpink.
Lapana Girls’circumcisionnormallycarriedoutinApril.
LikwonAdeciduoustreefoundinhighlandpartsofEastPokotTheplantshadesitsflowersduringtherainseasonsandhasstrongstemsandbarkthatisthickandroughenoughtowith-standdestructionsbywildanimals.
Lokolo Traditionalstrapmadefromanimalskinusedbywomentotietheirwristafterbirth.Thishelpsthemto‘returnthewomb’backtoitsnormalposition.
Loma Balanites rotundifoliaMaina Nameofanageset.Makany Pluralofmokong’woMalkat PluralofmolkotwoMana Colostrumofanyanimal.Merikoru Manysmallspots.Minyon Matmadeofskinandusedasamattress.Mlot RucksackmadefromgoatorcalfskinMulot MlotMogh Calves Moghen Atraditionalbeehive.
MokongwoFicus sycomorus.Sycamorefig,foundinthedrylowlandpartsofEastPokotwithathicktrunkandsmoothyellowbark.Itshadesitsfruitsduringdryseason,normallyDecembertoJanuary.
Molkotwo Canthium glaucum. Adeciduousshrubthatgrowstoabout3minthehighlandareasofEastPokotandbearsediblefruits.
Mosop HighlandareasMotokuu Traditionalskinbagmadefromtwogoatorcowskinsjoinedtogether.Mötökї- MotokuuMror CircumcisedgirlwhoisnotyetmarriedMukon Lagenaria siceraria.Generalnameforgourdusedforstoringmilk.munun EveningMurkutwo Alsomurkutwö.Agesetofthecurrentgeneration.Mutin IntestinesMwoipocho GheeNaleputo Atypeofflyingtermite,smallerthanng’okoiandwithredstripesontheabdomen.Natikawron Nicesmellofroastedmeat.
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Ng’aror GoatsNg’atiny Lion Ng’okoi Atypeofflyingtermite,biggerthannaleptoandwithredstripesontheabdomen.Ng’oria Red/white/blackcolorontheheadofananimal.Ngaliap TongueNyongi Nameofanageset.Ngutiyan Insect pestNyangany(Nyong’uy) Soil
Oota MushroomOroguos Synonymofarowos
OrolSclerocarya birrea.Themarulatree-amediumsizeddeciduoustreefoundinmiddlealti-tudesofEastPokotespeciallyinsteeprockyareas.Flowersattractbeesandaresheddur-ingrainyseasons.Fruitsareedible.
Orowos Aninediblemushroomthatgrowsduringrainyseasonandnormallythinnerthankelio-mogh.
Orion AshOtupo Atraditionalwoodencontainerusedfordrinkingmilkorwaterwhilepeopleareaway.Pengat LongrainseasonPeny Animalflesh,beefPeugh Theouterenclosureforcows.
Pilill Acacia oeforta.Asmallacaciabranchingfromthebaseandfoundinseasonallyfloodedareasandonrockyground.Branchesarecommonlyusedasatorch.
Pirir ReddishPiyapai Atypeofflyingtermitesmallerthannaleputoandwithblackstripesontheabdomen.Pures GoatdungRell WhitecolorRipot GivingsecurityRiron Delonix elata.Riwoi TwinsRokokon TreesbranchesthatarecommonlyusedasatorchRongo UpRooloi Periodwhenanimalsarecoughing
Rotin Kigelia africana. Thisisthesausagetreethatbearslongsausage-likefruitsusedinthefermentationofbrews.Rotii(sing.).
S’kon AnimaldungSangak Lowlandareas
SapanaTraditionalceremonythatisheldtograduateyoungmentoamorerespectableindividualwhocanmarryandlead.Aftertheceremonyoneisallowedtositwitheldersandsharemeatinthesamecircle.ItisnormallycarriedoutduringSeptember-December.
Selemoi Nicknamegiventoapersonwhohaskilledawoman.
SesAcacia tortilis. Abigcommonacaciafoundalongwatercoursesandonrockyground.Flowersareinwhiteballsappearingduringthedryseasons.Fruitsarepodsthatareverypopularwithlivestock.
Set BiggourdforstoringmilkSimbol Whitecolorofacow
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Simotwo Ficus thonningii. A sacredtreewithahugetrunkanddensecrown.Eldersgotoprayunderit.
Siolop Atraditionalheadgear(cap)madefromcalabash.Siraha Skin
Sirkon Smallpieceofmeatslicedinazigzagmannerandsundriedordeepfriedanddippedinhoneyforfutureuse.
Skin Roots
Sitot Grewia bicolor.Asmallspreadingtreewithediblefruits.Branchesarecommonlyusedasatorch.
Sombuu Hugeskinbagwhichcanholdupto200litresofcontent.Itisusedtraditionallyforbeerandforstorageofseed.
Somongu Atraditionalgourdcontainerwithlittleopeningonthehandlepartandusedforservingbeer.
Soponut Pluralofsapana
Sorich Boscia coriacea.Ashruborsmalltreethatgrowsinlowlandareas.Itbearsfruitswithed-ibleseedswhencooked.
Sorichon. PluralofsorichSout Prayerforacamelsaidbeforeitisslaughtered.Songo’k Safariants.Sowo Alsosawe.Nameofanageset.Suiyoan WilddogSukar Driedtermitespoundedusingamortar.Sukun SkimmedmilkSus Grass Takat Chest
TalamoghAcacia mellifera.Thewait-a-bitthorn,asmalldeciduousacaciathatgrowsonlowlandpartsofEastPokot.Stemshavehookedprickles.Itbearswhitepricklesofflowersthatgivehighqualityhoney.
Tamas Camels Tapa GroundtobaccoinformofblackpowderwhichissniffedbyPokoteldersTany Cows
Tapoyo Lannea triphylla.Ashrubwithedibleroots.Theseareratheracidicandcanirritatethemouth.
Tapoyotin PluraloftapoyoTapuk FlowersTaran PluraloftoronwoTiaty SacredmountainofthePokotTichchotisierr PregnantcowTilam Pluraloftilomwo
Tiluluu Puffballs.Afungusthatlookslikeauriengoandgrowswhenitrains.Theheadisagreysacofsporeswhicharereleasedlikedustwhenitishit.
Tilomwo Ziziphus mauritiana.AshrubthatgrowsonthelowlandpartsofEastPokotandbearsed-iblefruits.
Tilwo TermitemoundTipay PluraloftipoyuoTipn Uncircumcisedgirls
Tipoyuo Capparis tomentosa.AshrubthatgrowsatthelowlandpartsofEastPokotandgoodfod-derforgoats.
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Tiyok,tiyokpoku-mat
Beeswaxremainingafterhoneyhasbeensqueezedfromthehoneycomb.Itisusedtosmearorsmokeuninhabitedbeehivestoattractbeestosettle.
Toghöi ContainerforapasteofcrusheddriedflyingtermitesToho LowtomidaltitudepartsofEastPokot.Tokwogho MorningTokol SpiderTomunyo Cuttingoflivestockearsforidentification.Too VisitorsTor Clay potToronwo Grewia tenax.Ashrubthatbearssmallnumerousfruits,redandediblewhenripe.Toropochon PotTorit BirdTudo FewlargespotsTupacho MilkingcowTuw BlackishTuwan Halvesofgourdusedfortakingbear.
Tuwot Diospyros scabra.AbigtreefoundinlowlandpartsofEastPokotandshadesflowersdur-ingdryseason.
Tuyunwo Balanites aegyptiaca.Atreeabout5-6mhighwithediblefruitandleaves.Werkoyon APokotspiritualleader,theequivalentofoloiboniamongtheMaasai.Yalero,tomunyomonikorya Name of a clan
Yiot SmokeYomot Wind
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Chow Corchorus olitorius V
Chuchween(plu-ral) Dovyalis macroalyx F
Chuchwenion Dovyalis macrocalyx F
Chururkchir Erucastrum arabicum V
Chuwugh Acacia seyal B,G
Dengu Green gram P
Kabich Cabbage V
Kamol Vangueria madagas-cariensis F
Kamra Crotalaria brevidens V
Kamra Crotalaria ochroleuca V
Kaprimot Digera muricata V
Kaptirmam Ipomoea longituba R
Karat(sing.) Carrots R
Karatai(pl) Carrots R
Karaturwa Dovyalis abyssinica F
Karelmet Cleome gynandra V
Karelmot Cleome gynandra V
Kasiyaka Yellow maize C
Katagh Commiphora africana F,B
Kaworiongo Hydnora abyssinica Fl
Kdou Adenia volkensii F
Kela(plural) Vatovaea pseudolablab P,R,V
Kelion Acokanthera schimperi F
Kelowo Vatovaea pseudolablab R,P,V
Kelowo Vatovaea pseudolablab V,P,R
Kelpomough(pl) Mushroom Fungi
Kelyomough Mushroom Fungi
Ketporapis Coccinia grandis F
Kinyat Ximenia americana F
Kinyotwo Ximenia americana F
Kipkodo Plantwithedibleroot R
Kiptanya Amaranthus thunbergii V
Kiptanya Amaranthus graecizans V
Kiptarpotich Flueggea virosa F
Kitunguu Onions S
Kolopocho Seeglossary R
Koloswo Terminalia brownii
Komol(plural) Vangueria madagas-cariensis F
Komolwo Vangueria infausta F
Kopko Acacia nilotica T
Appendix II: Food plants of the Pokot
Vernacular names Scientific and other names
Food type
Adome Cordia sinensis F
Adomeyon Cordia sinensis F
Alaskau Cucumis dipsaceus F,V
Allechuwa Commiphora africana F
Amuyany Pumpkin V,F
Aportotoyon Commelina forskaolii V
Ariapongos Coccinia grandis F
Arol(plural) Sclerocarya birrea F
Aron Tamarindus indica F
Asiokon Salvadora persica F
Aurieng’o Hydnora abyssinica Fl
Chapkamkam Strychnos henningsii F
Chekirio Digera muricata V
Chelaptut Commelina sp. V
Chemalokutan Mimusops kummel F
Chemanka Acacia senegal G
Chemchai Lippia carviodora T
Chementril Oxygonum sinuatum V
Chemintiril(pl.) Dovyalis abyssinica F
Chepchai Lippia kituiensis F
Chepiliswo Maerua decumbens F,R
Chepiwa Hoslundia opposita F
Chepkarkarian Corchorus trilocularis V
Chepkuratian Amaranthus spinosus V
Chepochepkai Flueggea virosa F
Cheprukwo Lannea schimperi F
Chepsitaki Galinsoga parviflora V
Cheptapesyit Lannea edulis F
Cheptuya Euclea divinorum F
Chererayan Digera muricata V
Cheretwo Commelina forskaolii V
Cheriyan Digera muricata V
Cherotwo Commelina forskaolii V
Chesapulian Cucumis dipsaceus V
Chesokisyon Leptadenia hastata V
Chesuwancha Vigna sp. R
Chesuwarian Vernonia cinerea V
Chokow’o Salvadora persica F
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Molkotwo Canthium pseudoseti-florum F
Monmonwo Rubus pinnatus F
Monmoon(plural) Rubus pinnatus F
Mosong Sorghum bicolour C
Muchelen Rice C
Muchuk(plural) Berchemia discolor F
Muikisia Uvaria scheffleri F
Nchuku Groundnut P
Ndision Banana F
Ng’eng’eech(fruit) Landolphia buchananii F
Njoronge Cassava R
Nokow’o Ficus vallis-choudae F
Nyanya Tomatoes F
Oota Mushroom-smalltype Fungi
Ooten(plural) Mushroom-smalltype Fungi
Opakado Avocado F
Oroluo Sclerocarya birrea F
Oron Tamarindus indica F
Orongwo Asystasia mysorensis V
Papai Pawpaw F
Pchichen Coccinia grandis F
Pchichin(fruit) Coccinia grandis F
Pembe Maize C
Pembee Maize C
PortotaCommelina africana, Commelina bengha-lensis
V
Portotiyon(pl)Commelina bengha-lensis, C. africana , C. forskaolii
V
Priak(plural) Pappea capensis F
Priokwo Pappea capensis F
Ptanya Amaranthus dubius V
Ptanya Amaranthus graecizans V
Ptanya Amaranthus thunbergii V
Puriokwo Pappea capensis F
Pusyoon Mimusops kummel F
Putar Canthium lactescens F
Pyasian Potato T
Rachan Basella alba V
Rena Acacia seyal G
Reper(plural) Syzygium cordatum F
Korosion Dobera glabra F
Ksoyo Solanum villosum, S. spp. V
Kukugho Strychnos spinosa F
Kunden Cowpea leaves P,V
Kutitany Cucumis dipsaceus V
Lakatet Carissa edulis F
Lamaiyua Syzygium guineense F
Lokimeta Commiphora rostrata T
Lolotwo Lannea rivae F
Lomion Balanites rotundifolia F
Lopou Sweet potato R
Lopou Sweet potato R
Lopowon Whitesweetpotato R
Lusotok Grewia sp. F
Machungwen Orange F
Maemben Mango F
Makow Grewia villosa F
Mamachemeloi Corchorus trilocularis V
Mamapatontolwo Corchorus trilocularis V
Marakwa,mara-kwen Beans P
Marakwen Beans P
Mataighio(sin-gular) Eleusine coracana C
Matay Eleusine coracona, fingermillet C
Muchukwo Berchemia discolor F
Meley Urtica massaica V
Merwo Garcinia livingstonei F
Meworil,chemin-tiril Oxygonum sinuatum V
Mintirilwo(sing.) Dovyalis abyssinica F
Mochonyon Lippia kituiensis T
Moikut Cyperus blysmoides R
Moino Lannea schweinfurthii F
Mojonyon Lippia kituiensis T
Moken Cassava R
Mokoghio Grewia villosa F
Mokong’wo Ficus sycomorus F
Mokono Dactyloctenium aegyp-tium C
Mokuwo Grewia villosa F
Molkech Uvaria scheffleri F
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Tapa-murkutwoLippia carviodora (meaningtobaccoofthemurkutwoageset)
T
Taparer Cordia monoica F
Taparper Vangueria apiculata F
Tapirpirwo Vangueria volkensii F
Tapoyo Lannea triphylla R
Taran(plural) Grewia tenax F
Tarmuch Coccinia grandis F
Tilam(plural) Ziziphus mauritiana F
Tiling(plural) Meyna tetraphylla F
Tiling’wo Meyna tetraphylla F
Tilomwo Ziziphus mauritiana F
Tinkas(plural) Flacourtia indica F
Tinkoswo Flacourtia indica F
Tirak(plural) Ziziphus abyssinica F
Tirkirwo Vitex doniana F
Tirokwo Ziziphus abyssinica F
Tirokwo Ziziphus mucronata F
Tlomwo Ziziphus mauritiana F
Tomekekwo Uvaria scheffleri F
Toporewo Cordia monoica F
Toprepirwo Vangueria apiculata F
Toronwo Grewia tenax F
Tumeiwo Portulaca oleracea V
Tuyun(plural) Balanites aegyptiaca F
Tuyunwo Balanites aegyptiaca F
Source:Maunduetal.,1999B=bark;C=cereal;F=fruit;Ga=gall;P=pulseorlegume;R=rootortuber;S=spice;T=tea;V=vegetable
Reperwo Syzygium cordatum F
Ses Acacia tortilis F
Sesoi(plural) Acacia tortilis F
Sikukuu Amaranthus spinosus V
Simayon Hoslundia opposita F
Simaywa Hoslundia opposita F
Simbai(plural) Hoslundia opposita F
Simboywo Hoslundia opposita F
Simotwo Ficus thonningii F
Sirya(pl) Rhus natalensis F
Siryowo(sing.) Rhus natalensis F
Sitet Grewia bicolor F
Sitowonyon,Aminitoyon
Acacia draepanolo-bium Ga
Skuma Sukumawiki V
Sonkoou(plural) Zanthoxylum cha-lybeum T
Sonkouwo Zanthoxylum cha-lybeum T
Sorich(plural) Boscia coriacea F
Sorichon Boscia coriacea F
Spinach Spinach V
Sunkululwo Boswellia neglecta G
Suriyo Cleome gynandra V
Takayua Hyphaene compressa F
Tamrenwo Uvaria scheffleri F
56
BirdsAkales Ostrich
Aluru Quail?
Cheprum,kapulkeret Dove
Cherungus,Atokoroo Spurfowl?Francolin?
Kechiryomolok Typeofdove
Kokoroi Hen
Mangarach Guineafowl
Ptuko/kiptuko Dove
Sewach Quilea
InsectsKaperwo/kaperon(pl)/talamia Grasshopper
Naleputo Termite
Ngokoi Termite
Pyipaiy Termite FishSamakian Fish
*FishistraditionallynoteateninPokothencetheSwahili-derivedname.
Soo(buffalo)
Appendix III: Edible wild animals of East Pokot
MammalsAdr Thomson’sgazelle
Akoru Giraffe
Akunyuk Squirrel
Akwetea Grandgazelle
Amekur,kipturuny Mongoose
Aran Goat
Asarich Eland
Chemarmar Zebra
Chemul Impala
Chepnyokoswo Typeofgazelle
Cheptanuru Wildebeest
Cheptirkich Duiker
Kachey Typeofgazelle
Kech Sheep
Kiptuko Eland
Kplekwa Rabbit
Lokuto Antbear,anteater
Mulonjo Warthog
Murrian Rat
Ntrikwo Hippo
Pelion Elephant
Plekwa Hare
Poan Type of antelope
Pturuny Wildpig
Saput Porcupine
Seromat Kudu
Sikirio Donkey
Siran Dikdik
Soo Buffalo
Tany Cow
Kaner Rockhyrax
57
Akwetea(Thomson’sgazelle)
Chepnyokoswo(wildebeest)
Akales(ostrich)
Pelion(elephant)
Akoru(giraffe)
Mulunjo(warthog)
58
Ntrikwo(hippo)
Chemarmar(zebra)
59
Division.Storyofmilkandfruits.LinahRomo,ChemoingotDivision.Storyof
milkandfruits.SelinahTwarit,Chemolingot.StoryoffruitsJohn Kamama, acting Assistant Chief,
Chemolingot.CeremoniesMary Loribo, Salina Tuwarith, and Linah
Loimr,StoryofmilkMengichi Krop and Leah Sapan, Story of
honeyKamketKotukoi,StoryofherdingMr.JohnNgimor,RetiredTeacherSharonNyoru(Chemolingot)MikeKukat(Nginyang)
Photographers, ChemolingotSonofLeahSapan,pupilatChemoringotprimaryschool
Other East Pokot Contacts:DistrictCommissioner,NginyangWycliffeMaritim,CultureOfficer,EastPokot&BaringoDistricts.HenryLosikiriatum,FieldCoordinator
Appendix IV: Resource persons and other useful contacts
Resource persons in Churo and TangulbeiMadingKipterer,RrdSr.ChiefChuroGraceLokidap–storyoffruitsCheptakarDonget–storyoffruitsAnnetSuter,translatorMakalMutalChuro–storyofmushroomsSamsonLokidap–storyoftermitesChepokopil Churo – story of edible roots
andtubersSamuelSamalit,chiefinChuroDivisionKabata,teacherChuroprimaryschoolSilasKapeta,teacherChuroprimaryschoolJohnLukea(Churo)SamsonLokudoit(Amaya)JoelKapkomor(Orus)
Photographers, Churo.SammyLokea,class8pupilChuroprimaryschool
Resource persons in Chemolingot and NginyangLeah Sapan, chair person, Rural Women
BeesKeepingLink,EastPokotandchairMaendeleo ya Wanawake, Nginyang
64
Supported by
Safeguarding IntangibleCultural Heritage
IntangibleCulturalHeritage
United Nations Educational, Scienti�c and
Cultural Organization
ThisbookavailsinformationonfoodsofthePokotcommunityofKenya–howthefoodisobtained,processedandconsumed.Whileprovidingsuchinformation,thebookalsoattemptstoprovideaninsightintofoodrelatedcustomsincludingbeliefs,taboos,genderissuesandalsowhencertainfoodrelatedactivitiesarecarriedout.Onlytenthemeshavebeentreatedhere,selectedonthebasisoftheirimportance.ThisbookwillbevaluabletoanyoneinterestedinunderstandingthefoodwaysofthePokotandspecificallythoseoftheEastPokotcommunity.Someofitsfeaturesare:• 10foodthemeswithover130foodsofplant,animalandfungioriginwithmore
thanhalfofthesecoveredindetail• 133Colourphotographstoshowspecificfoodsandfoodrelatedactivities• Foodrecipes• AglossaryofPokottermsusedwithover230termsexplained• Alistof430localnamesofplantsandtheirscientificequivalents• AlistofedibleanimalsofthePokot
ISBN 9966-955-07-0