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Guddifachaa: Adoption Practice in Oromo Society with Particular Reference to the Borana Oromo

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Guddifachaa: Adoption Practice in Oromo Society with Particular Reference to the Borana Oromo GUDDIFACHAA : ADOPTION PRACTICE IN OROMO SOCIETY WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE BORANA OROMO BY AYALEW DURESSA A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTERS OF ARTS IN SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY JUNE 2002 ADDIS ABABA DECLARATION I, the undersigned, declare that this thesis is my work and that all sources of materials used for the thesis have been duly acknowledged. Name Ayalew Duressa Signature Place Date of Submission June, 2002. This thesis has been submitted for examination with my approval as a University Advisor. Name Dr. Taddesse Berisso Signature Date ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful to my brothers, and many colleagues whose initiation encouraged me to be enrolled and join the MA programme. Their subsequent moral support has contributed a lot for materialization of this thesis. It is hardly possible to mention all of them by name. But the following deserve my special thanks. Primarily my deepest gratitude goes to my adviser, Dr. Taddesse Berisso for his invaluable, constructive and educative comments on each part of the draft of this thesis. Besides availing himself for consultation he provided me valuable academic advise during my course work and when writing this thesis. The Resarch and Publication Office (RPO) of Addis Ababa University and the Officials deserve my best regard for the kind financial grant to conduct my field research. Their support has major contribution to my success in fieldwork and in writing up of this thesis. Again I am also deeply indebted to my advisor Dr. Taddesse Barisso, Dr, Teferi Abate, the Head of Sociology and Social Administration Department and Dr. Hirut Terefe, MA Programme Coordinator for the support they accorded me to get the financial grant. During my fieldwork stay, Asafa Lami and Gamachu Mulata, the Mega Junior Elementary School teachers, provided me with accommodation and assisted me to get access to the officials and traditional elders. Chala Sori, the head of Borana Zone Culture and Information Bureau assisted me to get easy access to the Borana community members and informants. The officials of Social Security Authority who were willing enough to allow me to conduct my field research also assisted me to complete this thesis. All of this individuals deserve my high regards. My wife, Rahel Taddesse Chali, enormously contributed to my success by according me patience, taking full responsibility of looking after our infants and providing me valuable service in typing during the whole period of the course work and writing this thesis. She is the sole owner of my love and best regard. I am grateful to my brother Degefa Duressa, colleagues Adugnaw Fikre, Mulatu Gemmechu Tesfaye Degefu among others for their generous material support and/or typing service. Finally, the nurtarance, socialization and educative support given to me by my lovely mother Agitu Komboshi and my late father Duressa Obo persistently appear in all my achievements. Thus, I proudly express my high regard and respect for them. iii CONTENTS Pages Acknowledgments iii Table of content.. iv Glossary.......................................................................... vi Oromo Transcriptions .............................................................................. viii Abstract .................................................................................................... ix Preface.................................................................................................. x CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem 1 1.3. Objectives ....................................................................................... 3 1.2.1 General Objectives..................................................................... 3 1.2.2 Specific Objectives ................................................................. 3 1.4 Literature Review 3 1.5 Research Methods 10 1.5.1. Interviewing Key Informants .................................................... 11 1.5.2. Field Observation .................................................................... 12 1.5.3. Case Studies and Life Histories ................................................ 13 1.5 Significance of the Study .................................................................... 13 1.6 Limitation of the Study ........................................................................ 13 1.7 Organization of the Thesis ................................................................... 14 CHAPTER TWO DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA 15 2.1. The People ........................................................................................ 15 2.1.2. The Oromo Nation................................................................... 15 2.1.3. The Borana Oromo ...................................................................... 16 2.2 Location and Physical Feature of Borana Land ..................................... 17 2.3 Borana Oromo Social Organization ..................................................... 22 2.3.1. Kinship and Marriage ............................................................... 22 2.3.2. Household Structure and Community Organization .................... 26 2.3.3. Political Structure ..................................................................... 29 2.3.4. Religion .................................................................................... 31 2.4 Economy ............................................................................................. 33 2.5 The Origin of Guddifachaa .................................................................. 36 CHAPTER THREE CHILD ADOPTION AND FOSTERING AMONG THE BORANA OROMO 44 ...................................................................... 3.1. Request And Receipt of Infants 44 For Guddifachaa .............................................................................. 3.2. Ilmma Guddifacha to Secure Continuity of Lineage ......................................................................... 51 iv 3.3. Adoption of Ilmee Galuu ................................................................. 57 3.4. Eligibility for Guddifachaa ................................................................. 61 3.5. Gender Preference in Guddifachaa ....................................................... 64 3.6. Fostering Orphan Children .................................................................. 69 CHAPTER FOUR OROMSUU/BOORANSUU /ADOPTION 74 4.1. Adoption of Boojuu /War Captives .................................................... 74 4.2. Galaa Adoption ................................................................................. 77 4.3. Adoption of “Low “ Status Groups ..................................................... 83 4.4. Corporate Adoption ........................................................................... 87 CHAPTER FIVE VALIDITY AND EFFECTS OF GUDDIFACHAA 97 5.1. Validating Process And Ritual Symbols ............................................. 97 Implication of Gubbisaa/Mogaasa in Guddifachaa .................................. 99 5.3. The Role of Gosa Elders ( Hayyuu & Gadaa ) ...................................... 105 5.4. Effects of Guddifachaa ...................................................................... 109 CHAPTER SIX CHANGE AND CONTINUITY IN GUDDIFACHAA PRACTICES 117 6.1. Some Aspects of Social And Economic Changes .................................. 117 6.2. The Impacts of Conquests and Contacts on Guddifachaa .................... 120 6.3. The Influence of Adoption Law ........................................................... 122 6.4. Endurance in Guddifachaa Practices ................................................... 126 CHAPTER SEVEN SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION ........................................................ 131 Bibliography .............................................................................................. 137 MAPS AND ILLUSTRATION 1. The Map of Oromia in Ethiopia ............................................................. 19 2. The Map of Borana Zone ...................................................................... 20 3. The Map of Dirre District ..................................................................... 21 4. Borana Categories of Kinship ............................................................... 24 5. Subdivision of Borana Moieties ............................................................ 25 v GLOSSARY Aadaa - culture Aadaa-seeraa - culture and law, also used to mean custom and value system Aana/ Aantii - close kin Aannan dhangi'aa - milk given to adopted child by adoptive mother in lieu of breast milk Aannan - milk Abbaa - father, owner of something Abbaa Bokkuu - holder of scepter Abbaa Gadaa - president in Gada patri-class Abbaa Warraa - head of family or homestead Alkuma - marriage Andhuura - umbilical cord, heifer given to children or adopted individuals in process of hair shaving Balbala -literally means door, sub-sub-lineage Barcuma - sitting stool with three legs Boojuu - war captives Buna - coffee, used as symbol of multitude Buna qalaa - coffee bean roasted in butter for ritual purpose Butumee - gate of enclosures or compounds Buusaa- gonofaa - traditional social security system between gosa members for economic and other contingencies to redress or compensations Caaccuu/saqaa - women's embroidery, usually used by mother of son for ritual purpose Calanqaa- a tree planted on graveyard Cophii
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