Nomadic People Way of Life

Abstract 

The objective of the paper is to addresses the nomadic people way of life. To achieve this, some sub-headings are used to break down the main theme of the paper. The origin of the term nomad is addressed in the introduction bit. Further, the origin of nomadic pastoralism is addressed in details to put into further context the aim of the paper. Nomadic people are known to be pastoralists in nature. To understand their way of life, the paper will discuss their social, economic and political setup since the three are the pillars that define any culture. The patterns of their migration dependent on the season and time of the year will also be discussed. Some features distinguish nomadic pastoralists from the rest of the people, in this paper, those characteristics will be highlighted. When this is well understood, it becomes easier to identify these groups of people in our society. 

Like any other economic activity, nomadic pastoralism has challenges. The setbacks may range from pests and diseases affecting the livestock to hostile climatic conditions that affect the availability of pasture. The paper will address some of the challenges that are faced by nomadic people. The paper also aims to make a comparison between nomadic living and sedentary living. The similarities, as well as differences between the two, will be discussed. Lastly, the pros and cons of nomadic pastoralism will be highlighted in the paper. The livelihood of the nomadic people often times is threatened; the paper will suggest practical methods that can be adopted to improve their livelihood. 

Introduction 

Nomad originates from a Greek terminology nomas which mean a ‘wanderer.’ Therefore, a nomad is a person within a social group people of who occasionally moves from one place to another at specific times in a year in search of food, water, shelter and pasture for their animals between diverse places (Honeychurch, W., & Makarewicz, C. A., 2016). These social movements are usually influenced by climatic changes or war in their current homes. Distinct routes characterize the nomadic movement, destinations and time periods in pursuit of livelihood and economic activities. There are three distinguishable forms of nomadism namely; non-sedentary nomads who practice trading, and tinkering activities, pastoral nomads and nomadic hunters and gatherers. Pastoral nomads are the most common form in the world. For a deeper understanding, I will thereby discuss these forms in details. 

Pastoral Nomadism 

It entails the temporary movement of nomads and their animals within different time periods and between different places in search of food, water, pasture, and shelter. It is most prevalent in arid and semi-arid regions resulting from an agricultural offshoot along dry borders of rainfall farming (Honeychurch, & Makarewic, 2016). 

The mostly reared types of animals include horses, reindeers, yaks, horses, sheep, goats, yaks, camels and donkeys. Nomads depend on these animals for their meat, milk, hides, and skins, as well as camels and donkeys, provide transport services. The hides and skins provide clothing worn during cold seasons. Most nomads are found in West Africa’s Sahel region and Central Asia. 

The Origin of Nomadic Pastoralism 

Nomadic pastoralism resulted from the Neolithic revolution where the people started domesticating animals and as a result begun developing cities. The nomads traded the agricultural products such as hides and skins, meat and milk in these cities. Henri Fleisch cautiously suggested that the Shepherd Neolithic industry of Lebanon may date back to the Epipaleolithic and it might have been used by nomadic pastoralists found in the Beqaa valley in the first cultures ( Lindner, R. P., 2017). 

A man by the name of Andrew Sherratt demonstrated that populations involved with early farming mainly reared livestock for meat. He continues to state that other uses were explored as the nomads adapted to new environmental situations. Initially, it was affirmed that nomads archaeologically left no evidence as to their residence at a certain place. However, this has been challenged by the early Eurasian nomads who were believed to leave behind extremely rich kurgan graveyards. 

Archaeologists use different techniques in identifying nomadic pastoral locations. These techniques vary from determining the presence or absence of grains as well as equipment used for processing these grains, distinctive and partial architecture, ethnographic correspondence and determining the prevalence of bones from the goats as well as sheep. 

Pastoral nomadism started as a way of life for the nomads in the early 6200 BC. During this, there was a climatic catastrophe which leads to the Harifian pottery hunters and gathers located in the Sinai to joint with the Pre-Pottery Neolithic agrarians. These joint give rise to the Munhata way of life. The Munhata culture is mainly involved in the domestication of animals such as goats and sheep. This culture later developed to the Yarmoukian culture from which emerged circum-Arabian nomadic-pastoral complex and later onwards spread among the Proto-Semitic idioms . 

Patterns that Nomadic Pastoralists Follow 

In the definition of the word a ‘nomad,’ it is stated that these people move within specific periods of time in a year as well as specific locations. These specific periods thereby give rise to different movement patterns that are followed by the nomadic pastoralists. It is known that nomadic groups in the traditional society settled in seasonal regular transhumance patterns. To understand this better, below is a highlighted example of a regular nomadic sequence from the northern hemisphere. 

Spring- begins in the early April and ends by the end of June. 

Summer- starts from the end of June and lasts until the end of September. 

Autumn- begins in the middle of September and lasts until the end of November. 

Winter- commences as at December to the end of March. 

The above example has movements which have stretches of between 180 kilometers to 200 kilometers. In the northern hemisphere, the nomadic pastoralists usually build camps at the same location annually. Semi-permanent accommodations are built along the migration routes. 

Another perfect example is the Chad sub-region whose cycle is as follows; 

During the rainy season, the nomadic pastoralists dwell in villages made of clay. On the onset of the dry season, the energetic people move their animals while the old men and women are left behind in the clay structures. These clay structures provide them with comfortable shelters. 

During the dry season, the nomadic pastoralists move their herd to the villages in the southern parts this time characterized by a more temporary appeal. 

Durable villages in Chad are called hille whereas the less robust ones are known as dankhout while the tents are termed as ferik. 

Nomadic Pastoralism in the World 

Nomadic pastoralism is situated in the less productive parts of the earth historically. It is most common in little rainfall areas such as the Arabian Peninsula which is occupied by the Bedouins , and Northeast Africa occupied by the Somali people. The nomads here mainly keep animals such sheep, camel, and goats. In areas of harsh climatic conditions, transhumance is very prevalent and include areas such as Northern parts of Europe and Russia which are occupied by the native people of Chukchis, Nenets, and Sami. 

Worldwide there is an estimation of 30 to 40 million nomads with the most prevalent being the nomadic pastoralists and the semi-nomadic pastoralists. However, nomads are less popular in countries such as Afghanistan with at most 4%, Saudi Arabia less than 3% and Iran with 3%. 

Eurasian steppe is commonly known to be inhabited by nomads since timely prehistoric periods ( Harris, D. R., 1996). They were later succeeded by people known as Yuezhi, Scythians, and Saka . 

Nomadic transhumance was practiced by the Mongols currently known as Mongolia, China, and Russia. Eastern Europe Turkic people ( Tatars) and Central parts of Asia on the harsh steppes of Asia who up to date have some portions of their population practicing nomadism while about 40% of the Mongolia nomads continue to practice the traditional nomadic way of life. 

Unfavorable climatic conditions such imperturbable temperatures make agriculture difficult in Himalaya of Nepal and the Middle Hills thus people here practice transhumance and nomadism. Distances amongst winter and summer might be short. For example, at Pokhara , a gorge at the height of about 800 meters is less than 20 kilometers. 

The Sami people who inhabit the northern parts of Finland, Russian Kola Peninsula, Norway and Sweden practice transhumance mainly centered on reindeers. The Sami’s herd according to their traditional territories concerning their family lines. Up to date, transhumance is still practiced among the Sami people, but it is dying elsewhere in Europe ( Liechti, K., & Biber, J. P., 2016). 

The Mesta is comprised of the religious orders and the Spanish nobility in the medieval Castile. The Mesta are known to keep large herds of sheep. They took action against small peasants in Canadas to reserve privileges of their culture of transhumant flocks ( Dong, Kassam, Tourrand, & Boone, 2016). 

The Mimi, Kreda, and Zaghawa are the nomads found in Chad. Bedouins practice nomadism in western Libya and Egypt as you move to the northern parts of Africa ( Anfinset, 2016). 

Characteristics of Nomadic Pastoralism 

Communal grazing of animals 

Numerous raids midst themselves or the adjacent people. 

Practiced in regions of little and erratic rainfall. 

They kept a range of animals from goats, sheep, and camels to reindeers. 

Their nomadic movement is influenced by water and pasture availability as well as the presence of insects such as the tsetse fly. 

They practice subsistence nomadism because they depend on their livestock for milk, meat, hides, and skins. 

The size of a nomad’s herd highly determines his social status in the society. 

They are motivated to keep many herds of livestock rather than concentrating on their quality. 

The Social and Economic Setting of the Nomadic Pastoralists. 

The Social Setting ; the nomads, for example, the Mesta live in divided groups according to their family lines. They, therefore, use these social units to organize herding units with different territories. It was a rule that one group should not cross the others’ grazing territories. Different nomads had different ways of organizing themselves into social units, but the most similar thing is that they have boundaries set as well as leaders who would be answerable if an animal went missing. The nomads’ social and hierarchical setting comprised of the chief, men and women, and children. This social setting enhanced peace as well as gave rise to responsible adults. 

Nomads use tents for shelter while others use manyattas such as the Maasai of Kenya. Their dwelling structures are mostly non-sedentary because they are occasionally moving from one place to the other. These structures are mostly made of clay and grass. Once the nomadic pastoralists move from one place to the other, they demolish these structures leaving no clues as to their existence. This is because they might never camp at the same place twice or it might take ages to go back to the same point. 

The Economic setting; the nomadic pastoralists primarily rear livestock for their products. They depend on their livestock for meat, milk, hides, and skins as well as their. Also, camels and donkeys are a means of transport for the nomad people. These livestock products are also traded with products from other communities which have led to the emergence of trading centers and cities. The nomads also use their livestock for the payment of dowries and initiating peace treaties between warring neighbors. Livestock is the livelihood of the nomads. There is no way that they can be separated from their animals. To ascertain this, most of the nomadic communities measure their prestige in the society with the number of livestock they have. 

Challenges facing Nomadic Pastoralists 

The most challenging factor as long as nomadism is concerned is climatic changes. Places in which nomadic pastoralism is practiced are characterized with little and inadequate rainfall, cool temperatures. Due to these climatic changes, they are faced with shortages of water as well as pasture for their livestock thus resulting in unhealthy livestock. 

Overstocking which leads to overgrazing is another challenge. Animals lack efficient pasture thus poor quality and due to overstocking, land is left exposed as a result of overstocking which results in soil erosion. 

Animals suffer from insect bites such as tsetse flies thus die because nomads lack the knowledge on treating insect bites. Also, their livestock suffers from diseases and die as a result. 

Their livestock suffers from malnutrition because natural pastures available are of poor quality and non-nutritious. 

During the nomadic movements between different areas, animals are endangered. At most times, they attacked by wild animals which also might harm the herders if caught off-guard. Attacks from wild animals lead to tremendous losses to the nomads. 

It is normal for raids to occur between nomad communities. However, raids are a big set back because it leads to loss and death of animals hence is a major problem among the nomadic communities. 

They also face unavailability of the market due to poor transport systems. This makes it very difficult for them to market their livestock products as well as make a living from their nomadic activities. 

Importance of Nomadic Pastoralism 

Land found in areas of low and inadequate rainfall is fully utilized through pastoralist activities which would otherwise be seen as a wasteland. 

Pastoralism largely contributes to the world’s production of meat. Many households depend on meat hence get a means to acquire meat. As a result, the world earns income leading to economic growth. It also contributes to a country’s foreign exchange through export. 

The manure from the animals makes the land fertile thus restoring the lost soil minerals and nutrients which as a result facilitate the growth of healthy pastures.It largely aids in carbon requisitioning. 

In some countries such as Chad and Libya, animals such as camels and donkeys are used as a means of transport. These animals are also exported to foreign countries thus earning the country foreign exchange. 

Disadvantages of Nomadic Pastoralism 

In Africa nomadic pastoralism has led to desertification due to overstocking and overgrazing. This is because land is left bear which leads to global warming thus resulting in deserts. 

Livestock is prone to attacks from insect bites and diseases which might be easily transmitted to the people. For example, during the nomadic activities, the herders are also attacked by tsetse flies thus suffering from Nagana . This endangers the lives of the herding communities as well as the people consuming their animal products if not treated. 

It is time-consuming and yields too low returns due to the poor quality of the animals. This means that a person cannot entirely depend on it as a means of income. 

Comparison between nomadic living and sedentary living 

Nomadic living encompasses temporary settlements within a short period and moving to a new area after a certain period while sedentary living encompasses permanent settlement of people in urban areas without the intention of moving. 

Similarities 

Both lifestyles had a societal and hierarchical setting. The setting of the nomads comprises of chiefs, men and women and children while that of the sedentary people was more complicated. 

In both the nomadic and sedentary living, they practice domestication of animals. People from both lifestyles concentrate more on the livestock’s products relatively than just meat. 

In both the nomadic and sedentary living, there is the presence of grazing grounds called pastures for their animals. 

Both the sedentary and nomadic type of living are found mostly in the Locally Developed Countries or relatively poor areas such as the Middle East and South West Asia. 

Differences between nomadic and sedentary living 

In nomadic living, the pastoralists usually move from one region to another in search of resources for their animals while in sedentary living, they settle in a specific fixed region. 

There is a lot of free time which could be used for taking part in leisure activities in sedentary living as opposed to nomadic living where all time is spent in movements in search of pasture and water for their livestock. 

In sedentary living, the pastoralists can take part agricultural activities since they reside at a fixed region unlike in nomadic living where pastoralists settle temporarily at specific regions then move after some time in search of resources for their animals. 

Ways of improving the livelihoods of nomadic pastoralists 

This can be enhanced through disaster management of drought and climatic conditions. The meteorological department should give rain patterns as well as sensitize on the importance of tree planting. 

Also, pastoralists could be given early warnings and alerts on the prevalence of certain animal diseases outbreaks as well as ways of preventing their livestock from transmitting the latter. 

The Governments in different pastoralist countries could provide them with security against animal raids as well as attack from wild animals (by fencing wild animal prone regions). Also, the government could provide subsidies in the form of medicine and vaccines for their livestock. 

Conclusion 

The nomad way of living is a broad topic with very interesting features as highlighted above. It dates back to the evolution of man hence is the backbone of all economic activities currently practiced in the world. Therefore, it should be highly appreciated. 

Bibliography 

Honeychurch, W., & Makarewicz, C. A. (2016). The Archaeology of pastoral nomadism. Annual Review of Anthropology , 45 , 341-359. 

Lindner, R. P. (2017). Nomads and Ottomans in medieval Anatolia . Routledge. 

Liechti, K., & Biber, J. P. (2016). Pastoralism in Europe: characteristics and challenges of highland-lowland transhumance. Revue Scientifique et technique (International Office of Epizootics) , 35 (2), 561-575. 

Dong, S., Kassam, K. A. S., Tourrand, J. F., & Boone, R. B. (Eds.). (2016). Building Resilience of Human-Natural Systems of Pastoralism in the Developing World: Interdisciplinary Perspectives . Springer. 

Anfinset, N. (2016). Metal, nomads and culture contact: the Middle East and North Africa . Routledge.