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Rituals
Gaar Scarring
Healing ceremonies
Marriage
Marriage is considered a concept that is believed to be the ultimate goal in life for the men and women of the tribe and is also considered to be the primary ambition of all children.
Kinship
The Nuer Tribe are native to South Sudan and are located near the upper Nile province around the junction of the Nile river with the river Bahl el Ghazal and Sobat rivers, and extending up to the Ethiopian border.
Some Nuer people indulge in incest to keep the wealth in the families while others marry outside of their family. Polygamy marriages are most common in this tribe if the groom can afford multiple wives
The history of the Nuer is closely tied into that of the Dinka, who inhabited territory that came under Nuer control during the 1800s. From circa 1820 to 1860, the Nuer expanded, mostly into regions inhabited by Dinka. Floods may have displaced the Nuer, causing them to attempt to gain new lands, or war may have been declared for the gain of cattle or women. The Nuer were superior warriors, and often carried a bow, a club, and a large lance or spear. Nuer military strategy involved surprise attacks and ambushes, and the Dinka were no match for Nuer tactics and fighting ability.[2] The inclusion of the Dinka people into Nuer culture was made easier by the fact that the two groups appear to share common ancestry, as well as the fact that their cultures and languages are similar in nature.[1]
Also in the late 1800s, the Nuer had a number of conflicts with the neighboring Anuak, whom they also raided and from whom they attempted to seize lands. At one point, the Nuer had nearly wiped out the Anuak culture, but when the Anuak obtained guns from Ethiopia, they were able to fight back successfully and the Nuer ceased their expansion into Anuak lands.[3]
The intrusion of foreigners, including British colonialism affected a great many peoples of southern Sudan, including the Nuer. Before the late nineteenth century, Arabs from northern Sudan would raid the south for slaves, as they viewed the southerners as inferior pagans.[4] When the British arrived in Sudan, they made a concerted attempt to control the interactions of the Sudanese people. The British attempted to stop the raids that the Nuer conducted upon neighboring peoples, which, in the case of the Dinka, led to more organized battles.[2]
Cattle's role in marriage
The giving of the valuables and cattle has a sense of readiness. The groomsmen can withhold the valuables and the cattle until there is enough negotiation between his family and the bride’s family. The withholding of the valuables is usually a tactic that makes the bride’s family make the wedding date sooner than later.