Dorobo
Encyclopedia
Dorobo is a derogatory umbrella term
for several unrelated hunter-gatherer
groups of Kenya
and Tanzania
.
In the past 150 years, many of these peoples have assimilated to the pastoralist economy of neighbouring peoples (mostly Maasai and Samburu
), and have, in the process, abandoned
their own languages.
expression il-tóróbò (singular ol-torróbònì) 'hunters; the ones without cattle'. Living from hunting wild animals implies being primitive, and being without cattle
implies being very poor in the pastoralist Maa culture.
origin; accordingly, the term Dorobo was thought to denote several closely related ethnic groups.
Although many of them happen to be Nilotic, Dorobo as used by the Maa simply refers to neighbouring hunter-gatherers regardless of their origin — the Yaaku for example (present-day Mukogodo-Maasai) are an Eastern Cushitic people, the Aasax
are of Southern Cushitic origin, while the Akie
(Mosiro) are Eastern Nilotes. Some of the people described in early accounts of the 'El Dorobo' are imaginary, or fictional accounts of 20th century savages such as "races of bearded men" as described by Charles Hobley.
Groups that have been referred to as Dorobo include:
Umbrella term
An umbrella term is a word that provides a superset or grouping of concepts that all fall under a single common category. Umbrella term is also called a hypernym. For example, cryptology is an umbrella term that encompasses cryptography and cryptanalysis, among other fields...
for several unrelated hunter-gatherer
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
groups of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
.
In the past 150 years, many of these peoples have assimilated to the pastoralist economy of neighbouring peoples (mostly Maasai and Samburu
Samburu
The Samburu are a Nilotic people of north-central Kenya that are related to but distinct from the Maasai. The Samburu are semi-nomadic pastoralists who herd mainly cattle but also keep sheep, goats and camels. The name they use for themselves is Lokop or Loikop, a term which may have a variety of...
), and have, in the process, abandoned
Language shift
Language shift, sometimes referred to as language transfer or language replacement or assimilation, is the progressive process whereby a speech community of a language shifts to speaking another language. The rate of assimilation is the percentage of individuals with a given mother tongue who speak...
their own languages.
Etymology
The term 'Dorobo' derives from the MaaMaa languages
The Maa languages are a group of closely related Eastern Nilotic languages spoken in parts of Kenya and Tanzania by more than a million speakers altogether. They are subdivided into North and South Maa...
expression il-tóróbò (singular ol-torróbònì) 'hunters; the ones without cattle'. Living from hunting wild animals implies being primitive, and being without cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
implies being very poor in the pastoralist Maa culture.
Classifications
In the past it has been assumed that all Dorobo were of Southern NiloticNilotic
Nilotic people or Nilotes, in its contemporary usage, refers to some ethnic groups mainly in South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, and northern Tanzania, who speak Nilotic languages, a large sub-group of the Nilo-Saharan languages...
origin; accordingly, the term Dorobo was thought to denote several closely related ethnic groups.
Although many of them happen to be Nilotic, Dorobo as used by the Maa simply refers to neighbouring hunter-gatherers regardless of their origin — the Yaaku for example (present-day Mukogodo-Maasai) are an Eastern Cushitic people, the Aasax
Aasáx
The Asa language, Aasáx was apparently a Cushitic language spoken by the Assa people in Tanzania. The language is extinct; ethnic Assa in northern Tanzania remember only a few words they overheard their elders use...
are of Southern Cushitic origin, while the Akie
Akie
The Akie are an ethnic and linguistic group based in Tanzania. In 2000 the Akie population was counted to number 5,268 . The Akie, like other hunter-gatherer peoples in Kenya and Tanzania, are sometimes called Dorobo or Wandorobo...
(Mosiro) are Eastern Nilotes. Some of the people described in early accounts of the 'El Dorobo' are imaginary, or fictional accounts of 20th century savages such as "races of bearded men" as described by Charles Hobley.
Groups that have been referred to as Dorobo include:
- Kaplelach OkiekOkiekThe Okiek , sometimes called the Ogiek or Akiek , are an ethnic and linguistic group based in Northwestern Tanzania, Southern Kenya , and Western Kenya...
and Kipchornwonek Okiek (Nilotic; Rift Valley Province, KenyaRift Valley Province, KenyaRift Valley Province of Kenya, bordering Uganda, is one of Kenya's seven administrative provinces outside Nairobi.Rift Valley Province is the largest and one of the most economically important provinces in Kenya. It is dominated by the Great Rift Valley which passes through it and gives the...
) - Sengwer
- Mukogodo-Maasai (the former Yaaku, sometimes Aramanik) (East Cushitic; Laikipia DistrictLaikipia District KenyaLaikipia District is one of the seventy-one districts of Kenya, located on the Equator in the Rift Valley Province of the country. The district has two major urban centres: Nanyuki to the southeast, and Nyahururu to the southwest...
, Rift Valley Province, Kenya) - AasaxAasáxThe Asa language, Aasáx was apparently a Cushitic language spoken by the Assa people in Tanzania. The language is extinct; ethnic Assa in northern Tanzania remember only a few words they overheard their elders use...
(South Cushitic; northern Tanzania) - AkieAkieThe Akie are an ethnic and linguistic group based in Tanzania. In 2000 the Akie population was counted to number 5,268 . The Akie, like other hunter-gatherer peoples in Kenya and Tanzania, are sometimes called Dorobo or Wandorobo...
(sometimes Mosíro, which is an Akie clan name) (Nilotic, northern Tanzania) - Mediak (Kalenjin, northern Tanzania)
- KisankasaKisankasaThe Kisankasa are an ethnic and linguistic group based in northern Tanzania. In 1987 the Kisankasa population was estimated to number 4,670 . The Kisankasa are distinct from other groups often called Dorobo....
(Kalenjin, northern Tanzania) - Aramanik (Kalenjin, Tanzania)
- Mosiro (Kalenjin, Tanzania)
- Omotik