Cattle and Economy
These animals are the foundation of Nuer life, wealth, and status.
Cattle
The Nuer trace their descent through this line of the family.
father's line
The Nuer build their houses close to this.
cattle enclosures
The supreme spirit in Nuer religion.
Kwoth
The Nuer primarily live in this country.
south sudan
Nuer people drink this from their cattle as a daily food source.
Milk
A marriage is not official until this has been exchanged.
bridewealth cattle
Nuer villages move seasonally to follow this.
water and grazing lands
Cattle are often used as these to honor spirits and ancestors.
sacrafices
Conflict and civil war have forced many Nuer people into these.
refugee camps or displacement
Cattle are rarely killed for food because they are mainly valued for this.
symbolic and social importance
Nuer society is described as “acephalous.” What does this mean?
having no centralized political authority
The Nuer’s environment is known for these two seasonal extremes.
flooding and drought
These ceremonies mark important life events like marriage and initiation.
rituals
This economic system is slowly replacing cattle exchanges in some areas.
cash economy
Cattle are exchanged as part of marriage payments known as this.
Bridewealth
The children of a marriage belong to the lineage that provided this.
bridewealth cattle
These elders act as spiritual mediators in disputes but hold no real power.
leopard-skin chiefs
The Nuer use cattle to maintain harmony between humans and this realm.
spirital world
Modernization challenges traditional systems of what?
exchange and kinship organization
Cattle are also used to settle these types of disputes.
blood feuds or conflicts
Kinship among the Nuer replaces this kind of institution.
formal government
This term describes the seasonal movement of herds.
transhumance
Nuer religion ties together these three major aspects of life.
family, cattle and ancestors
Despite modernization, this continues to define Nuer identity
cattle and kinship