Fighting Finger Knife – Nyangatom Clan – Ngigolio – Karamoja, Uganda

Hand wrought iron, copper. Cm. 9.4 high (3.70″); grams 32.8 (1.16 oz.).

The Karamojong are a Nilotic ethnic group. They are agro-pastoral herders living mainly in the north-east of Uganda. The name Karamojong derived from phrase “ekar ngimojong”, meaning “the old men can walk no further”. According to tradition, the peoples now known as the Karamojong Cluster are said to have migrated from Abyssinia between the 1600 and 1700 AD as a single group.

The main livelihood activity of the Karamojong is herding livestock, which has social and cultural importance. Due to the arid climate of the region, the Karamojong have always practiced a sort of pastoral transhumance, where for 3–4 months in a year, they move their livestock to the neighboring districts in search of water and pasture for their animals. The availability of food and water is always a concern and affects the Karamojong’s interaction with other ethnic groups.

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