Okiek

Africahunter-gatherers
Map
expand_more Description

“Okiek” is a collective name for a number of dispersed groups who speak a common language and live in the highland areas of west-central Kenya and northern Tanzania. The Okiek are marginalized and looked down upon by larger groups such as the Maasai and Kipsigis, with whom they interact economically. Originally hunter gathers, the Okiek practice a diversified economy that also includes farming and herding. They are organized into lineages, clans and age-sets, which vary in their importance depending on the group. Traditional beliefs in gods and ancestral spirits have been complimented by a growing presence of Christian missionaries and settlers in the region since 1980.

Identifier
Region
  • Africa
Subregion
  • Eastern Africa
Subsistence Type
  • hunter-gatherers
Samples
Countries
  • Kenya
  • Tanzania
External Links