When the late British-born American anthropologist Colin M Turnbull first publicised the Ik people of Uganda's in his 1972 award-winning and controversial book "The Mountain People", he painted a very bleak picture of a living purgatory among the Ik during the devastating 1965 famine in Karamoja. Legendary British director Peter Brook later created an internationally staged drama based on Turnball's book.

Originally the Ik were probably driven from the Nile Delta region during the decline of the Egyptian empire. Today they inhabit a chain of volcanic mountains about 2,000 metres above sea level, on the east African escarpment. Their villages are strung out between the Timu forest bordering Kenya on the east, and Kidepo valley national park on Uganda's northern frontier with Sudan.

Their restriction to this area is largely the result of the declaration of the Karamoja highlands as central forest reserves in 1946, and the creation of Kidepo National Park between 1958 and 1962. The loss of the former deprived them of free access to fertile, agriculturally productive land, whilst the Kidepo area had been a choice hunting ground and fine area for gathering wild fruits, vegetables and roots.

In spite of natural deprivations and Turnbull's biased portrayal, the very rich and vibrant cultural heritage of the Ik waits to be explored. Being traditional cultivators, the Ik, like all mature farming communities in Africa and elsewhere, have developed a religious outlook which revolves around important crops. Of their four agricultural rituals, 'itowes-es' is perhaps the most important since it begins the cultivating year (the others are 'Iroilos', 'dziber-ikames', and 'inum-es').

'Itowes-es' begins in late December or early January, depending upon the lunar calendar and availability of food. At this time Ik women must observe a number of restrictions. These include the felling of trees, burning of the grass (in preparation for the new planting season) and quarreling! Violation requires the slaughtering of an animal, probably a goat.

During the eve of 'itowes-es' up to one kilogramme of seed for planting is collected in gourds or calabashes from each family. Male elders then perform a ritual at the 'Diwa' or male communal sitting place on a nearby hill. Here a branch of an ibit tree is cut and wrapped in leaves called 'emusia'. The elders announce "We have planted this branch of a tree as well as passing the year without problems," and the communal seeds are then sown.

The following day Ik elders await the presentation of beer prepared by the women. This is from a variety of grains, including maize, millet and sorghum, and is carried to them in gourds and calabashes elaborately designed and bearing motifs particular to specific families. As the women make their way up the hill to 'diwa' - adorned in their traditional ankle-length goatskin skirts and jangling their zebra or giraffe-tail arm whisks and leg bells - they sing joyful songs for the rain to fall. The most senior male takes the first sip and the beer is passed, by seniority, to each of the other six or seven elders. Then begins the dancing, including the ubiquitous 'edonga' or traditional jumping dance of the Karamoja which signals the end of the old year and the start of the new.

In traditional communities like the Ik, the success of a harvest affects not only rituals related to cultivating but also other cultural events for the harvest, and provides both the food and the new ingredients for beer, a vital component to any celebration in Karamoja, including weddings.

A marriage ceremony follows an "engagement" when a girl, who may be little more than seven years old, is given a bracelet by an interested suitor, and taken under his watchful eye.

The first part of the wedding begins with a ritual called 'tsan-es', or "smearing". Following the official handing over of a girl by her parents the couple are ceremonially annointed with oil by an old woman who is in charge of 'tsan-es'. The following morning this same woman takes the bridegroom to a tree at which he is asked to throw a spear. This is to demonstrate his prowess as a hunter. If he misses he is said to become a poor hunter. The bride is then directed by the old woman to grind grain (using a traditional grinding stone) and to cook for her future husband's family: one calabash for the old men; one for the old women; another for relatives and friends; and a portion for her intended husband and herself. The remainder is given to the children.

During the following weeks the bride is supposed to serve her husband's clan. She fetches water, collects firewood and assists other women with their domestic chores. During this time her ability to co-operate with them is tested.

The second part of the marriage ceremony is devoted to strengthening the social bonds between the future couple's families and clans. This involves the bridegroom's family paying a visit to the girl's parents. They take a bull, a goat, maize and fried sorghum or millet for brewing beer. The visitors are welcomed with beer and that evening a discussion takes place wherein any problems between the two families are settled. The following day the bridegroom's family brew beer and slaughter the animals they have brought. Two or perhaps three days later the visit ends and the bride is escorted by her ister to her new home. There then follows a series of minor ceremonies, which help to integrate the newly weds into Ik society.

Sadly the Ik are continually plagued by famine and drought which, on the average, occurs every four or five years. It is mainly Oxfam, the British aid organization, and the Roman Catholic Church at Kaabong who have catered for the Ik in such times of need.

However, according to Father Simon Lokodo, formerly a parish priest at Kaabong, the Ik have become more self-reliant: "Before, they left everything to nature. Now they are taking their lives into their own hands".

Riding the wave of this new found self-reliance, tourism could well be a continual source of badly needed income in Ikland. Some elderly Ik are highly skilled carvers and produce beautiful objects such as ebony stools, walking sticks and traditional spears. The Ik are also reknowned bee-keepers. However, it may be Ikland's scenic beauty and ideal location of walking tours that will prove its main attraction.

From the Ik village of Kamion, about 25 kilometres north of Kaabong, there is a spectacular panoramic view of the Turkana plains below the escarpment. Distant mountains in Kenya are veiled in bluish haze. Behind every rocky crag a tiny Ik manyatta, or village, seems mysteriously to appear where none had existed before. Mount Morungole, which the Ik say is not only frequently shrouded in mist but is also haunted by mischievous spirits, offers the novice mountain-climber an easy challenge. It's a place of cool, clear rivers, like the Usaake, and sparsely wooded forest that is the home of numerous antelopes and gazelles.

Presently the Ik have been virtually untouched by tourism of any kind. Even tourists who fly direct from Entebbe Airport to Kidepo Valley National Park rarely take the opportunity to visit them in spite of the fact that their territory borders Kidepo. Certainly one reason why the Ik entertain few foreigners - besides curious researchers like myself who are interested in seeing their present conditon - is Turnbull's unflattering portrait of them in "The Mountain People".

The visitor, however, is sure to receive a warm welcome from a most congenial and interesting people, and to be fascinated by their unique culture and traditions.

The Ik as Hunters

Hunting, like gathering, has played a vital supplementary role in the economic life of the lk. It occurs year round but hunting expeditions are particularly popular in the dry season (November through February) after the burning of the grass.

Traditional weapons included nets, neck snares (nyakola) and leg traps (nyalats), but today's hunters are equipped with spears, pangas, knives, a fire-drill and possibly even automatic rifles.

On reaching a promising site, spears are placed between two bushes in a narrow place. Everyone is seated, the young hunters behind their elders. The elders then begin beating the spears with branches from a tree. One takes two stones, puts one down but cradles the other in his hands and says: "Any animal around this bush being either small or big is to meet the spear of my children". Everyone then responds in chorus "yes". Elders then bow down their heads while the hunters pick up their spears and proceed forward without looking back. They divide into two groups then conceal themselves. When the two groups meet one person says loudly "we have met". Younger children venture inside the bushes to chase out any animals that might be there. If an animal does run out, a young boy gives an alarm by saying, "Ayah, kill from east (or from whatever direction the animal is charging from). It is there coming."

When the first animal is speared, the hunter, if he is married, traditionally gives the buttocks to his in-laws and keeps the intestines and heart. If he is a bachelor he receives all three parts. The second hunter to spear an animal gets the hide and leg of the quarry. The third hunter also receives a leg, and the fourth gets the neck.

American writer Curtis Abraham is currently working on a book about the Ik people. He has been visiting Karamoja since 1994 with Canadian photographer David Pluth, who has published a book "Uganda Rwenzori - A Range of Images".

Published in Travel Africa Edition Two: Winter 1997/8. Text is subject to Worldwide Copyright (c)