The Mursi tribe is one of the most popular and attractive tribes in Ethiopia. This people are mainly located in the Debub Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region, and it is closer to the border with South Sudan.
Report from the 2007 national census suggested that, there are up to 11,500 Mursi, 848 of whom live in urban areas while a total number of 92.25% live in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region.
Most interestingly, they are surrounded by mountains between the Omo River and its tributary the Mago, their home is widely regarded as one of the most isolated regions of Ethiopia. They also have great neighbors which include the Banna, the Aari, the Mekan, the Kwegu, the Karo, the Nyangatom, and the Suri.
According to our research, it was found that they were grouped together with the Me’en and Suri by the Ethiopian government under the name Surma.
The Mursi Tribe’s Religion and culture
There are so many ways people or tribes experience forces but the Mursi experience a force that is greater than themselves which they call Tumwi.
This greater force is usually located in the Sky and sometimes manifests itself as a rainbow or a bird. They have a principal religious and ritual office in their society which is known as Kômoru, the Priest or Shaman.
When the community or the society is being threatened by calamities like drought, diseases, crop pests, the Kômoru in this case serves as a conduit for communication between the community and the deity (Tumwi). He also represents the wellbeing of the group as a whole.
Ideally, the Kômoru should stay in Mursiland or even with his local community in order to maintain this connection between the people and the Tumwi. (bhuran). There are priestly families in two other clans, namely Garikuli and Bumai, but Komortê is generally regarded as the preeminent priestly tribe.
Even though some Mursi have embraced Christianity, the faith of the Mursi people is categorized as Animism. In the northeastern region of Mursiland, there is a Serving in Mission Station that offers Christian instruction, primary medical treatment, and educational services.
