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The desert farmers

Shujaa Stories2020

National Museums of Kenya

National Museums of Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya

A long time ago, in the 16th Century, Burji and their cousins Borana and Konso lived happily in Liban in Southern Ethiopia. Because of the close bond that existed between them they are sometimes spoken of as “the three brothers” or “companions in fate”. Together, they carried out an annual sacrifice for the well-being of the land. The cousins took turns to provide a sheep for the purpose. They prepared their sacrificial sheep in advance, by preserving it in a special place for it to fatten.

One day, during the Borana’s turn to provide the sacrificial sheep, the Konso did something that would change the relationship between the three cousins forever. The night before the sacrifice took place, the Konso stole the Borana’s special sheep, ate it, and threw the bones in front of the Burji's door. This made it look like the Burji had stolen the sheep.

The next day the annual sacrificial ceremony did not take place; instead a joint meeting was called to investigate the theft. The Burji did not come to the meeting because he was the Liban elder and also because he had a clear conscience. The affair grew into a serious conflict and finally, the angry Borana drove the Burji and Konso out of Liban. Before they were driven out, however, important spiritual ceremonies had to be done under the Gada order, whose origins were in Liban. They each declared separate activities for their clan’s survival. They then set off to their new settlements in different areas of what is today referred to as northern Kenya.

The Burji swore to be farmers, to feed the Borana who had chased them away from Liban, with grains of life. From Liban, they carried with them African Moringa and various species of sorghum. They settled in Boohee Burji and perfected their love for agriculture, and became expert farmers. To date the Burji are highly regarded as agricultural experts famous for their skills and ability to farm the arid lands.

Bonus Information
Good agriculture is paramount to the survival of humankind. The Burji are referred to as expert farmers due to their skills in farming arid land.
Farmers hold the backbone of the agricultural system. For a country to progress, the gross domestic product should be reasonable and agriculture is one of the important parts. Without food, there is no life.

The agricultural system can only survive if crops are planted and harvested. Good farming also reduces the risk of harmful contamination of agricultural produce. Good farmers follow best practices for reducing microbial contamination to ensure that the food they sell to the public will not cause harm or illness for consumers.

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  • Title: The desert farmers
  • Creator: Shujaa Stories
  • Date Created: 2020
  • Location: Kenya
  • Rights: Shujaa Stories in collaboration with Nature Kenya and the National Museums of Kenya
  • Research statement: Research was undertaken through on ground field work in Samburu and Marsabit (for Gabbra, Samburu, Rendille, Saakuye, Dasanach, Elmolo, Waayu a.k.a Waata, and Burji superheroes/heroines), Embu and Tharaka (for Aembu, Tharaka, Ameru and Mbeere superheroes/heroines) and Taita-Taveta/Voi (for Taveta superheroes/heroines) capturing all information about the heroes from the 30 selected ethnic groups/communities by Museum’s research team.
  • Community: Burji
  • About Shujaa Stories: This is a Kenyan superhero display of the country’s pre-independence legends who fought for their communities’ land, freedom and spiritual well-being; and are revered by their communities to date. Conceptualized in 2017, the idea was the brain-child of Masidza Sande Galavu (1993-2020) who was a Creative Director and co-founder at Shujaa Stories and Tatu Creatives in Nairobi. ‘Shujaa’ is a Swahili word that means brave or courageous. It also refers to someone who is a hero. Shujaa Stories made its public debut with an exhibition at the Nairobi National Museum in 2018. It shined light on 28 of Kenya’s greatest heroes and heroines. Each story was coupled with a bonus text on conservation related to the heritage sites surrounding where these legends once lived. In 2020, supported by National Museums of Kenya and Google Arts and Culture, Shujaa Stories Ltd completed over 30 new shujaas that cut across the major and marginalized Kenyan communities. Kenya is rich in history and culture. Some of this richness has been brought out in our books, museums and in theatre. But there is one major section of our history that has been left out, especially to the younger generation of Kenyans, which are our pre-independence legendary heroes. Some of these heroes are known well beyond their communities due to the respect they managed to garner across the region. Many of them have a well-developed and sophisticated folklore which embodies their history, traditions, morals, worldview and wisdom. The design language chosen for the entire exhibition is animated illustrations that seek to bring out the superhero character of each shujaa.
National Museums of Kenya

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