Dinka

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(Redirected from Dinka tribe) Ten things you didn't know about images on Wikipedia Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the ethnic group; for the language see Dinka language. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references (help, get involved!) "nverifiable material may be challenged and removed #he Dinka are a group of tribes of south $udan, inhabiting the s%amplands of the &ahr el 'ha(al region of the )ile basin, Jonglei and parts of southern *ordufan and "pper )ile regions #hey are mainly agro+pastoral people, relying on cattle herding at riverside camps in the dry season and gro%ing millet (,nyan-ang) in fi.ed settlements during the rainy season #hey number around / 0 million people, constituting about 123 of the population of the entire country, and constitute the largest ethnic tribe in $outh $udan Dinka, or as they refer to themselves, Mounyjaang, are one of the branches of the River 4ake )ilotes (mainly agri+pastoral peoples of 5 ,frica %ho speak )ilotic languages, including the )uer and 6aasai) ($eligman 1780) #hey are dark ,frican people, differing markedly from the ,rabic speaking ethnic groups inhabiting northern $udan Dinka are sometimes noted for their height #he popular belief that Dinka 9often9 reach more than seven feet finds no support in the scientific literature ,n anthropometric survey of Dinka men published in 1770 found a mean height of 1:8 /cm, or roughly 0 ft 7 /0 in (;hali 1770) #he Dinka have no centralised political authority, instead comprising many independent but interlinked clans ;ertain of those clans traditionally provide ritual chiefs, kno%n as the 9masters of the fishing spear9, %ho provide leadership for the entire people and appear to be at least in part hereditary #heir language < also called Dinka as %ell as 9thuj thuongjang!9 < is one of the )ilotic family of languages, belonging to the ;hari+)ile branch of the )ilo+$aharan family #he name means 9people9 in the Dinka language =t is %ritten using the 4atin alphabet %ith a fe% additions:

,>a ?>@ &>b ;>c D>d Dh>dh 5>e A>B > > '>g > =>i C>D *>k 4>l 6>m )>n )h>nh )y>ny E>F G>o H>I > > P>p R>r #>t #h>th ">u J>% K>y

Contents
LhideM 1 Pastoral $trategies of the Dinka 2 Religious beliefs N Jar %ith the north and status as refugees / Jell+kno%n Dinka 0 References

[edit !astoral "trategies of the Dinka

>%iki>=mage:Dryseasonhuts png >%iki>=mage:Dryseasonhuts png,n e.ample of dry season site d%ellings )ote the conical roofs that are indicative of these Dinkan residences >%iki>=mage:#oichuts png >%iki>=mage:#oichuts png,n e.ample of rainy season temporary settlements )ote the stilts upon %hich the huts are built to protect against periodic flooding of the region $outhern $udan has been described as Oa large basin gently sloping north%ard (Roth 2PPN),Q through %hich flo% the &ahr el Jebel River, the (Jhite )ile), the &ahr el 'ha(al ()am) River and its tributaries, and the $obat, all merging into a vast barrier s%amp Rast $udanese oil areas to the south and east are part of the flood plain, a basin in the southern $udan into %hich the rivers of ;ongo, "ganda, *enya, and 5thiopia drain off from an ironstone plateau that belts the regions of &ahr 5l 'ha(al and "pper )ile #he terrain can be divided into four land classes: Sighlands<higher than the surrounding plains by only a fe% centimetersT are the sites for Opermanent settlements Q Regetation consists of open thorn %oodland and>or open mi.ed %oodland %ith grasses

=ntermediate 4ands<lie slightly belo% the highlands, commonly sub-ect to flooding from heavy rainfall in the 5thiopian and 5ast>;entral ,frican highlandsT Regetation is mostly open perennial grassland %ith some acacia %oodland and other sparsely distributed trees #oic<land seasonally inundated or saturated by the main rivers and inland %ater+courses, retaining enough moisture throughout the dry season to support cattle gra(ing $udd<permanent s%ampland belo% the level of the toicT covers a substantial part of the floodplain in %hich the Dinka resideT provides good fishing but is not available for livestockT historically it has been a physical barrier to outsidersU penetration 5cology of large basin is uniVueT until recently, %ild animals and birds flourished, hunted rarely by the agro+pastoralists (Roth 2PPN) the Dinka tribe (or 6uony-ieng) has nine subdivisions: ,tuot, ,liab, ;hie-, ,gar, 'ok, Rek, #%i-, 6alual, and )gok and 6alula is the largest of those those groups numbering over a million people #he DinkaWs migrations are determined by the local climate, their agro+pastoral lifestyle responding to the periodic flooding and dryness of the area in %hich they live #hey begin moving around 6ay+June at the onset of the rainy season to their Opermanent settlementsQ of mud and thatch housing above flood level, %here they plant their crops of millet and other grain products >%iki>=mage:&yre png >%iki>=mage:&yre png,n e.ample of a cattle byre )ote the immense si(e of the structure, indicative of a large investment in resources and labor that %ould only be found in a more permanent settlement #hese rainy season settlements usually contain other permanent structures such as cattle byres (luaak) and granaries During dry season (beginning about December+January), everyone e.cept the aged, ill, and nursing mothers migrate to semi+permanent d%ellings in the toic for cattle gra(ing #he cultivation of sorghum, millet, and other crops begins in the highlands in the early rainy season and the harvest of crops begins %hen the rains are heavy in June+,ugust ;attle are driven to the toic in $eptember and )ovember %hen the rainfall drops offT allo%ed to gra(e on harvested stalks of the crops (Deng 17:2)

[edit #eligious $eliefs

#he DinkaWs pastoral lifestyle is also reflected in their religious beliefs and practices (%hich are animist in character) #hey have one 'od, )hialic, %ho speaks through spirits that take temporary possession of individuals in order to speak through them #he sacrificing of o.en by the 9masters of the fishing spear9 is a central component of the Dinka ,ge is an important factor in Dinka culture, %ith young men being inducted into adulthood through an initiation ordeal %hich includes marking the forehead %ith a sharp ob-ect ,lso during this ceremony they acVuire a second co%+colour name $ome of the Dinka practice ;hristianity, a faith introduced to the region by &ritish missionaries in the 17th century

[edit War %ith the north and status as refugees

#he DinkaWs religions, beliefs and lifestyle have led to conflict %ith the =slamic government in *hartoum #he $udan PeopleWs 4iberation ,rmy, led by late Dr John 'arang De 6abior, a Dinka, took arms against the government in 17XN During the subseVuent 21+year civil %ar, many thousands of Dinka, along %ith fello% non+Dinka southerners, %ere massacred by government forces #he Dinka have also engaged in a separate civil %ar %ith the )uer #he e.perience of Dinka refugees from the %ar %as portrayed in the documentary movies "ost #oys of $udan by 6egan 6ylan and Jon $henk and %od %rew Tired &f 's #heir story %as also chronicled in a book by Joan Secht called The (ourney of the "ost #oys , fictionali(ed autobiography of one Dinka refugee is Dave 5ggersW novel What is the What Gther books on and by the 4ost &oys include The "ost #oys of $udan by 6ark &i.ler, %od %rew Tired of 's by John &ul Dau, and They )oured *ire &n 's *rom The $ky by ,lephonsion Deng, &enson Deng, and &en-amin ,-ak =n 2PP/ the first volume of the graphic novel W5choes of the 4ost &oys of $udanW L6edia:L1MM %as released in Dallas, #e.as, "nited $tates, chronicling in art and dialogue four lost boysW escapes from the destruction of their hometo%ns in $outhern $udan $i(able groups of Dinka refugees may be found in distant lands, including Jacksonville, Ylorida and ;larkston, a %orking+class suburb of ,tlanta, 'eorgia

[edit Well&kno%n Dinka

,mong %ell+kno%n Dinka are: Jilliam Deng )hial (Dengdit), Younder of $udan ,frican )ational "nion ($,)"), 4eading figure during the 1st liberation %ar against the *hartoum government ,ssassinated by elements of the *hartoum regime in 178X allegedly %ith the help of &ona 6alual and ,rab politicians %ho seen him as threat to the peace

bet%een $outhern Rebels and government of $udan Jilliam Deng )hial %as told not to go to $outhern $udan but refused to do so %hich resulted in his death Dr John 'arang de 6abior, PhD =o%a $tate, Yormer Yirst Rice President of $udan and President of $outh $udan, ;ommander in ;hief of $udan PeopleWs 4iberation ,rmy and ;hairman of $udan PeopleWs 4iberation 6ovement Se died on NPth July 2PP0 in an air crash %hich the subseVuent investigation blamed on bad %eather, but about %hich conspiracy theories continue to circulate ,bel ,lier *uai de *ut, Yirst southern $udanese vice president in the government of the republic of the $udan in the seventies and eighties Se has a masters degree in la% $erved under )umeiri and $adiV el 6ahdi Selped negotiate the infamous ,ddis ,baba ,greement %hich %as dishonored by )imeiri and as a conseVuent, southern $udanese officers led by *uanyin &ol staged a rebellion in &or, killing &rig ,bdallah *hamis and five senior officers before taking to the bush after five days of fighting, hence, giving birth to $P46>, 4t 'eneral $alva *iir 6ayardit, Dr 'arangWs successor as Yirst Rice President of $udan and President of $outh $udan, ;ommander in ;hief of $udan PeopleWs 4iberation ,rmy and ;hairman of $udan PeopleWs 4iberation 6ovement 4t 'eneral $alva *iir %as in )airobi %hen the crash that killed Dr John 'arang occurred 4t 'eneral $alva *iir %as elected to replace Dr John 'arang after his death 4t 'eneral $alva *iir had been a long supporter of Dr John 'arang and he is still loyal to Dr John 'arangWs vision $hockingly, he is presently maintaining close ties %ith &ona 6alual Rictoria Kar ,rol, ( + 17XP)+ Politician, 6ember of Parliament, Joman ,ctivist and the 1st $outhern $udanese %oman to graduate from "niversity Died in 17XP after a brief illness ,lek Jek, a notable fashion model 6anute &ol, Yormer )&, player one of the t%o tallest players in the leagueWs history 4uol Deng, current )&, player Yrancis &ok, abolitionist and former slave 4ueth Kak, one of the contribtors in "niversities and 6oral responsibity: 9Respecting Sumanity at Some and ,broad9 $yracuse "niversity 6a%ut ,chiecVue 6ach de 'uarak , former child soldier in $udan Se is also an active advocate for the independence of $outhern $udan 5mmanuel Jal is a Dinka+)uer ,rtist>Rapper %ith number one singles in *enya ,geer 'um (,geerdit), one of the fe% %ell kno%n southern $udanese %omen %ho -oined the %ar of liberation in 178Ps $erved as a commander in the $udanese PeopleWs 4iberation ,rmy ($P4,) until she died of natural causes in the late 177Ps ,kut 6aduot, is a youth leader, founder of $outh $udan )e.t 'eneration "nion organi(ation Daniel Deng, ;ivil, Disability and Suman Rights ,ctivist and ,dvocate, )onprofit ;onsultant, =;# ;onsultant, Jeb and 'raphics Designer + #e.as, "$, ,yak Ring #hiik, $inger ,kec )yal (6odern Yolk singer + &risbane, ,ustralia) )yankol (6odern Yolk singer + ;anada) Dr Yrancis 6ading Deng, J$D Kale, author, $,=$ Research Professor John &ul Dau, one of the 94ost &oys of $udan9, author of 'od 're% #ired of "s, his autobiography, and sub-ect of the documentary of the same title ,%ino 'am, $udanese actor appear in #ears of the sun and Roices of ,frica, the &ruce Jillis movie base on the )igerian &iafra %ar 6r Jaar+5mmanual ,kook is one of the ne% $outhern $udanese raggae musician 'eorge *ongor ,rop, former $udanese 2nd vice Presidnent and a retired Police 'eneral