Acknowledging Oromo Indigenous culture + rights
Working together to create meaningful
cultural and contemporary living artworks
Article by Hussein Watta, ROBA with project artists, Sylvia Grace Borda, J.Keith Donnelly, and partner organisations
Oromo peoples have lived for thousands of years lived in the area of the horn of Africa. Oromo culture is complex. It has its own worldviews involving indigenous spirituality, well-being, balance, as well as laws of governance (Gaada) and celebrations around community care, clans, and Nature. Within this arena Oromo peoples have and remain active agro-pastoralists incorporating traditional indigenous knowledge as part of their daily life and hold these values in balance with also being devout and practising Muslims.
As part of 'Trees for Life' collaboration artists, Borda and Donnelly, and organisational partners (Dundee City council, Scotland and Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Canada) and in collaboration with Hussein Watta at ROBA as well as with additional support offered by former Ethiopian Women4Climate leader, Nura Beshir, have worked together to ensure that Oromo Indigenous and Muslim worldviews have been expressed and respected throughout this project.
The artist team from the start of the endeavour understood that throughout the arts development every aspect must pay respect to Oromo Indigenous world views and values. For example, Oromo community consultation was extensively taken in order to ensure the depicted living (satellite earth observation) artworks of the Ethiopian (Black) Lion, Tree Circles and Tree sapling were appropriate forms to represent on the land and did not conflict with indigenous or Muslim values. A central idea to this project is that trees and art are integral to everyday life, can incorporate traditional indigenous ecological knowledge and care as well as be part of actions needed for climate action. As a result of finding this balance between art, trees, and ecological knowledge the collaborators have been committed to make everyday Oromo life values and the community setting even more special while being part of climate action and the creation of contemporary art.
From both an Oromo Indigenous and Muslim worldview perspective the act of representing Nature or certain symbols can be problematic. Some are specific to sacred indigenous knowledge while in terms of Islam and according to the principles in the Qu'ran, representing Allah's—or God's—divine world, Allah is the only creator. Islamic art as a result is typically characterized by the absence of figures and includes instead extensive use of geometric and abstract floral patterns. Both Islamic and Oromo cultures highly value art that also seeks to portray the meaning and essence of things, rather than just their physical form. As such these cultures seek artworks where the overall aesthetic appeal transcends time and space, as well as differences in language and culture. Thus such artworks can be understood by all. These values are also key principles of well designed public artwork.
Trees for Life project partners have hoped this endeavour can illustrate to global communities that biodiverse, circular, healthy, and resilient places for both Nature and people are possible when we empower and support each other. The need to mobilize and to optimize planting trees can be deployed at both small and large scales. This transition to culture and nature driven spaces requires a respect for traditional ecological knowledge just as much as resource materials. If respect for indigenous traditional ecological knowledge is at the forefront of development we can truly work together to strengthen climate rehabilitation and mitigation timescales.
Decolonizing strategies
To support indigenization this project supported and enabled ROBA to celebrate and include the incorporation of Indigenous worldviews, knowledge and perspectives as part of its wider community learning and goals. The team and artists remain project allies, offering support to introduce this project to others who may not be familiar with Oromo cultural values, agro-pastoralism, or even climate art. The team outside of Ethiopia where appropriate will speak about the Indigenous context of the project but also understands that not all indigenous knowledge or values can be shared with wider non-indigenous peoples and communities. The act of sharing and learning about Oromo traditional ecological knowledge across this project is a gift. As a privilege to collaborate with traditional ecological knowledge providers the team realise and would like to share it is not a project right nor should it ever be exploited.
The team outside of Ethiopia acknowledge information shared across the website about Oromo culture and values comes from millennia of knowledge of living and being on the land used by Oromo peoples. Ethnobotanical knowledge and traditional songs, dance are to be respected. The information presented online is used with permission from Oromo project friends and colleagues as well as a other scholars. Where possible further resources (URLs) are included to assist the reader to further explore ideas and topics discussed. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) is an excellent reference document.
Ultimately Western use and co-opting of any indigenous knowledge without permissions becomes a colonial project. Our partnership goes beyond the realm of horticulture, science, earth observation and art by respecting indigenous rights and knowledge and being in dialogue to work together, we have created a true collaboration that has become the foundation and root development processes of 'Trees for Life.'
Oromo peoples have lived for thousands of years lived in the area of the horn of Africa. Oromo culture is complex. It has its own worldviews involving indigenous spirituality, well-being, balance, as well as laws of governance (Gaada) and celebrations around community care, clans, and Nature. Within this arena Oromo peoples have and remain active agro-pastoralists incorporating traditional indigenous knowledge as part of their daily life and hold these values in balance with also being devout and practising Muslims.
As part of 'Trees for Life' collaboration artists, Borda and Donnelly, and organisational partners (Dundee City council, Scotland and Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Canada) and in collaboration with Hussein Watta at ROBA as well as with additional support offered by former Ethiopian Women4Climate leader, Nura Beshir, have worked together to ensure that Oromo Indigenous and Muslim worldviews have been expressed and respected throughout this project.
The artist team from the start of the endeavour understood that throughout the arts development every aspect must pay respect to Oromo Indigenous world views and values. For example, Oromo community consultation was extensively taken in order to ensure the depicted living (satellite earth observation) artworks of the Ethiopian (Black) Lion, Tree Circles and Tree sapling were appropriate forms to represent on the land and did not conflict with indigenous or Muslim values. A central idea to this project is that trees and art are integral to everyday life, can incorporate traditional indigenous ecological knowledge and care as well as be part of actions needed for climate action. As a result of finding this balance between art, trees, and ecological knowledge the collaborators have been committed to make everyday Oromo life values and the community setting even more special while being part of climate action and the creation of contemporary art.
From both an Oromo Indigenous and Muslim worldview perspective the act of representing Nature or certain symbols can be problematic. Some are specific to sacred indigenous knowledge while in terms of Islam and according to the principles in the Qu'ran, representing Allah's—or God's—divine world, Allah is the only creator. Islamic art as a result is typically characterized by the absence of figures and includes instead extensive use of geometric and abstract floral patterns. Both Islamic and Oromo cultures highly value art that also seeks to portray the meaning and essence of things, rather than just their physical form. As such these cultures seek artworks where the overall aesthetic appeal transcends time and space, as well as differences in language and culture. Thus such artworks can be understood by all. These values are also key principles of well designed public artwork.
Trees for Life project partners have hoped this endeavour can illustrate to global communities that biodiverse, circular, healthy, and resilient places for both Nature and people are possible when we empower and support each other. The need to mobilize and to optimize planting trees can be deployed at both small and large scales. This transition to culture and nature driven spaces requires a respect for traditional ecological knowledge just as much as resource materials. If respect for indigenous traditional ecological knowledge is at the forefront of development we can truly work together to strengthen climate rehabilitation and mitigation timescales.
Decolonizing strategies
To support indigenization this project supported and enabled ROBA to celebrate and include the incorporation of Indigenous worldviews, knowledge and perspectives as part of its wider community learning and goals. The team and artists remain project allies, offering support to introduce this project to others who may not be familiar with Oromo cultural values, agro-pastoralism, or even climate art. The team outside of Ethiopia where appropriate will speak about the Indigenous context of the project but also understands that not all indigenous knowledge or values can be shared with wider non-indigenous peoples and communities. The act of sharing and learning about Oromo traditional ecological knowledge across this project is a gift. As a privilege to collaborate with traditional ecological knowledge providers the team realise and would like to share it is not a project right nor should it ever be exploited.
The team outside of Ethiopia acknowledge information shared across the website about Oromo culture and values comes from millennia of knowledge of living and being on the land used by Oromo peoples. Ethnobotanical knowledge and traditional songs, dance are to be respected. The information presented online is used with permission from Oromo project friends and colleagues as well as a other scholars. Where possible further resources (URLs) are included to assist the reader to further explore ideas and topics discussed. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) is an excellent reference document.
Ultimately Western use and co-opting of any indigenous knowledge without permissions becomes a colonial project. Our partnership goes beyond the realm of horticulture, science, earth observation and art by respecting indigenous rights and knowledge and being in dialogue to work together, we have created a true collaboration that has become the foundation and root development processes of 'Trees for Life.'
Oromo Language Facts:
Of note writing the Oromo language in written form was banned by Ethiopia's government under the rule (1930-1974) of Emperor Haile Selassie. During this period many Oromo speakers were moved towards assimilation by being given Amarhic names. Traditional and cultural Oromo names were not used as part of official government documentation or recording. It was only after 1974 and the end of Emperor Selassie's rule that a cultural revolution started and enabled many ethnic minority languages in Ethiopia to be written and distributed again in print or even broadcast on the radio.
The ability for the community to write and draw their own names, clan animals (Black lion) and symbols on the land for next generations to see and experience has been extremely powerful in this project.
- 37 or more million native speakers
- Spoken by 0.46% of the world population
- Language spoken in Ethiopia and Kenya
Of note writing the Oromo language in written form was banned by Ethiopia's government under the rule (1930-1974) of Emperor Haile Selassie. During this period many Oromo speakers were moved towards assimilation by being given Amarhic names. Traditional and cultural Oromo names were not used as part of official government documentation or recording. It was only after 1974 and the end of Emperor Selassie's rule that a cultural revolution started and enabled many ethnic minority languages in Ethiopia to be written and distributed again in print or even broadcast on the radio.
The ability for the community to write and draw their own names, clan animals (Black lion) and symbols on the land for next generations to see and experience has been extremely powerful in this project.
