The Surma Tribe

                                                               The Surma People.

The Surma people also known as Suri are well known for the giant clay plates their women wear in their lower lips, decorative scarification, and also because the men paint their bodies with white clay. Plus, Surma is the tribe of Ethiopia who avoided all western contact. This tribe lived in groups of a few hundred people for centuries. 

 

                       The Giant Lips plate that portrayed the uniquness of Surma's women

The Surma tribe is well-known by westerners for their giant lip plates. Lip plates are a strong part of the Surma culture. These traditional adornments are worn by almost all the adult Surma women usually at around the age of 15 to 18. The lip plates have significance in valuing the bride price of the woman. The lip plates have significance in valuing the bride price of the woman. 

   

         Donga Stick fighting is the most famous ritual for Surma tribe.

One of the Surma's main customs is the ritual sport of stick fighting, or Donga.  Donga or stick fighting is sometimes a way to settle conflicts, but very often it's a way for warriors to find girlfriends.  

On this occasion the men are out to demonstrate their courage to attract the most beautiful girl in the area who comes hoping to be chosen by the champions. 

The Decoration ritual is a must before Donga stick fighting.

Before preparing for Donga, they begin decorating their bodies for the fight which making intricate patterns on their skin with fingers dipped in clay body paintings they make are informal and playful. Furthermore, this decoration is meant to show their beauty and thus to catch the women’s attention.  

Blood meal ritual

Before a Donga, some Surma drink the fresh blood of their cattle in a ritual known as the "blood meal ritual". The warrior must drink the entire contents of the calabash in one go, because blood coagulates quickly. Sometimes they don't manage to down the lot, and vomit it up instead. The Surma people believe that the cattle’s blood is full of vitamins those able warriors to be fit. 

What is Surmas' future going to be? The main threat to the Surma's traditional way of life remains a government whose tourism and economic projects aren't always planned with a view to their impact on traditional life.