A Comparative study

Of the tribes ofEgypt, Columbia and North east

India.

EGYPT

Bedouin Tribe

The Bedouin are the heart of the Arab peoples. Forged from the desert, the Bedouin have adapted to the harsh conditions before them and thrived to become one of the most well known and most respected cultural peoples in the world. They are the force behind so many achievements in the Middle East. They are world renowned for their honour, courage and hospitality, which are very dominant in all Bedouin.

FoodOne thing you will encouter while you stay here is Bedouin food: an important part of every culture is what people eat. Of course, this is also true for the us. Over the centuries, typical dishes and special ways to prepare them have been developed - secrets we are willing to pass on to our guests. Some things you might want to know can be found on this page, but for the real experience, you just have to come and taste it!Bedouin food is always cooked in the open fire, which adds a special taste to even the simplest dish. Usually, a meal is a social occassion, enjoyed with family or friends. We eat with our hands: for example, rice is rolled into a small ball and dipped into the sauce.

Traditional DressBedouin clothing is adapted for desert life. They wear loose flowing clothing that covers the skin so as to prevent heat stroke and sun burn, but allowing air to still flow around the body so that it can be cooled in the heat. The Keffiyeh is a large square coth folded in half so that it forms a triangle. This is then placed on the head and held in place with a woven cord called an Agal. This is a iconic symbol of the Bedouin, as it helps shade them from the sun, allows air to flow freely around the head, but also shades the face, and can be wrapped around the nose and mouth in case of a dust storm. They are usually coloured red and white, black and white, or just plain white. The Bedouin women generally wear the family’s wealth on them.

ReligionReligious Beliefs. Although a few Bedouin societies in Jordan have remained Christian since the early Islamic period, the vast majority of Bedouin are Sunni Muslims. The Five Pillars of Islam are the declaration of faith, the five daily ritual prayers, almsgiving, fasting, and the pilgrimage to Mecca. Most Bedouin societies observe the fast of Ramadan, perform the obligatory prayers, and celebrate the two major Islamic holidays—ʿIid al-Fitr and ʿIid al-Adhha. Some groups endeavor to make the hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca) more than once in a lifetime, and individual piety is sometimes reflected in the number of pilgrimages an individual manages to undertake.

Columbia

Kogi people

The Kogi are descendants of the Tairona culture, which flourished before the times of the Spanish conquest. The Tairona were an advanced civilization which built many stone structures and pathways in the jungles. They made many gold objects which they would hang from trees and around their necks. They lived not much differently from modern day Kogi. Before the Spanish conquistadors arrived, the Tairona were forced to move into the highlands when the Caribs invaded around 1000 CE. The decision to flee to the mountains proved beneficial and strategic by the time the Spanish entered modern-day Colombia in the 15th century.

Spiritual BeliefsThe Kogi base their lifestyles on their belief in "Aluna" or "The Great Mother," their creator figure, whom they believe is the force behind nature. The Kogi understand the Earth to be a living being, and see humanity as its "children." They say that our actions of exploitation, devastation, and plundering for resources is weakening "The Great Mother" and leading to our destruction.Like many other indigenous tribes, the Kogi people honor a holy mountain which they call "Gonawindua," otherwise known as Pico Cristóbal Colón. They believe that this mountain is "The Heart of the World" and they are the "Elder Brothers" who care for it.[5] They also say that the outside civilization is the "Younger Brothers" who where sent away from The Heart of the World long ago.

TraditionsThe Kogi have many characteristics that define their culture. For example, all Kogi men receive a "poporo" when they come of age. The "poporo" is a small, hollow gourd that is filled with "lima," a type of powder that is made by heating and crushing shells to produce lime. The men also continuously chew coca leaves, a tradition followed by many indigenous tribes to connect them to the natural world. As they chew the coca leaves, they suck on the lime powder in their poporos, which they extract with a stick, and rub the mixture on the gourd with the stick to form a hardened layer or crust. The size of this layer depends on the maturity and the age of the Kogi man.

Traditional DressKogi men and women alike have simple modes of dress. The women pick, card, and spin wool and cotton while men do the weaving of the cloth. Clothing for men consists of a tunic and simple pants tied with a string at the waist. Clothing for women consists of a single length of cloth wrapped around their bodies as a dress. The Kogi all wear only pure white clothing. They say that white represents the Great Mother and therefore the purity of nature.

North

East Indi

a

Bodo PeopleThe Bodos of Assam is a branch of the great Bodo group of Indo-

Mongoloid family. The Bodos are basically an agrarian people; still using traditional means to irrigate their land. Their chief produce is classified into the ‘Ahu' and the ‘Sali' crops. Bodo villages are situated in the plains of the valleys of Assam, and hence they are categorized into what is known as the ‘Plains tribe'. The Bodo people are expert in bamboo and cane craft; hence one would usually come across houses fashioned out of bamboo and wood in places where they live in majority. With the changing times, the Bodos have taken in large numbers to the services, business and other non-agricultural modes of livelihood.

Traditional Dress

Bodos have quite exquisite dresses which are exhilirating the beauty and glamours of women. Dokna is the dress worn by Bodo women which they themselves knit on their own hands. Shawls form the major fashion among Bodos and thus loom is the most important thing used in the courtyard of the Bodo House

Food

Bodo have favoritism and taste buds for some of the mouthwatering dishes. They are very much fond of conventional drink called Zu Mai, Zu means wine and Mai means rice. Rice is the main staple food but are savored with a non vegetarian dish like fish or pork. They now usually prefer non-vegetarian dishes. The main dishes are Oma Bedor, Onla and Narzi

Culture

The Bodo people, akin to most tribal peoples, are a festival loving people. The three main categories of festivals are ‘seasonal', ‘religious', ritualistic and ceremonial'. The seasonal festivals are (i) Baisagu, (ii) Domashi, and (iii) Katrigacha. These three festivals are parallel to the Bihu. Among the religious festivals of the Bodos, the ‘Kherai' is the most famous; usually understood to be the ‘national festival' of the Bodos.

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