By Ater Yuot R. Amogpai
This is a
complementary to article titled: Who are the People called Atuot and where did
they come from? As a native of Yirol West I am interesting and eager to share
the uniqueness of this people. What are their origins and where did they come
from? An American scholar John W. Burton (1952-2013) conducted anthropological field work among the
Yirol West people as they narrated to him in the 1970s.
Yirol West people
are divided into two main sections: Atuot (Reel) and Apak, but Atuot (Reel) is
classified into Luac, Jilek, Akot, Rorkec and Kuek. The Apak are an exception
to this classification in a number of ways. Their language can correctly be
called 'Jieng'. They are the largest West Yirol people section and the least
ethnically homogenous. The texts presented below were representatives of a
great many others collected by John W. Burton in response to the question
'where did the Yirol West people first come from?' Those texts were only collected
amongst Atuot (Reel) elders and chiefs of Nuon and Adok Nuer. No texts were
collected from Jilek, Rorkec and Apak sections in responding to their origins.
An elder chief of
the Kuek class of Atuot (Reel), Barnaba Madeo Bol Angui, replied,
The words we hear from the old people when we
were children say we were part of Nuer west people. Reel and Nuer where
brothers and had a quarrel over the bead called tik yang. Reel could not find
the bead once and accused Nuer that his cow had swallowed it. Reel said the cow
would have to be killed so the bead could be retrieved. This was done, but they
did not find a bead then they fought, but later settled by making an oath. After
all Nuer and Reel realized they could not stay together in peace and that Reel decided
to leave his place of birth for good. Reel went until he met with people in
this place and lived in the cattle camp called Panther, a Jieng term which
means the ancient home.
A second variant, collected among the Luac section, also
suggests the initial dispute which led to separation involved cattle,
At one time the father of Nuer and Reel
became very old and he told his sons to come early in the morning to his bedside
so he could divide his cow and calf between them. They left together but Nuer
went off on his own a short while later because he had arranged to meet a
woman. Reel came very early the next morning and took the calf, while Nuer
appeared much later in the day because he had been with his woman. He found
that only the old cow remained. Then the father died and Nuer later accused
Reel of stealing the calf. Nuer and Reel did not live to gather and Reel
decided to leave his place of birth forever.
A third variant,
collected from the Akot section elder told me,
Long ago we were Nuer. One of the sons was
killed and the others left Akorlil and crossed through the Ceic Jieng area.
When they came to Panther they found Luac and Kuek already there. Luac gave them
a daughter to marry and they became in-laws.
The last variant,
number of additional texts were collected from chiefs of the Nuong and Adok
Nuer, peoples with whom some sections of Yirol West share inland dry-season
pastures. They can be summarized as follows:
One time a cow of Nuer swallowed a bead
belonging to Atuot. Atuot claimed that since the cow of Nuer had swallowed the
bead, it would have to be cut open to bring it out. This was done but the bead
was not found. Nuer became very angry with Atuot because the cow was to have
given birth but was now dead. He demanded to fight with Atuot, who refused, and
suggested instead that he would replace the dead animal with three healthy cows
of his own. Nuer refused and once more demanded to fight. Atuot persisted for a
settlement but to no avail. Atuot then decided to leave the camp secretly and went
to live where Yirol West People now stay.
From the above the texts,
it was cleared that Atuot and Reel were the names to a one person and he was
the younger son and was not married and eager to have a wife. The texts shown
clearly that it was Atuot (Reel) who left the Nuerland. It is obvious that
Atuot (Reel) shared common historical account of their migration from Nuerland.
However, there is considerable disparity in the more numerous tales which
explain the origin of each section and clans within sections. These convey the
impression that there was a greater amount of movement across 'tribal
boundaries' than has commonly been accepted.
For example, the
Apak section includes clans which claim hereditary descent from the ancestor Atuot
(Reel), from peoples who migrated into Apak territory from Jieng Bor land on
the east bank of the Nile as well as others who initially came from Equatoria areas
on the south and from Agar (Rumbek) on the west.
Linguistic
authorities classified Atuot (Reel) language as a 'dialect cluster' of the Nuer
language, but a little difficulty is realized between western Nuer and Atuot
(Reel) dialect. The Atuot (Reel) then was a section of the Nuer who are
today separated from them by Jieng of Yirol.
It has come to my
attention and from the anthropology study done by John W. Burton that Yirol
West people went through many ethnical and linguistic changes but the Atuot (Reel)
language still very much sounds like the Nuer language. This clearly proved
their uniqueness, they speak Atuot (Reel) and face no difficulties to speak
Jieng. Therefore, it’s well accepted that Atuot (Reel) is a clan within Yirol
West people who emerged into Jieng of Yirol. The question is now who are Atuot
(Reel) within Yirol West people? This question needs more research and if any
of Yirol West sections narrated it’s original and last to Atuot (Reel) that
could be the Atuot (Reel) within Yirol West people.
The current Yirol
West people area were inhabitants by hunters and blacksmiths who also become part
of Yirol West people ancestors. It was not mentioned what was the ethnicity and
language of those hunters and blacksmiths. However, it seems that they have
come from nearby areas of Jieng of Ciec (Yirol East), Jieng of Aliab (Yirol), Jieng
of Bor, Mundari of Tali, Kakwa of Yei and Moro of Mobolo and Jieng of Agar
(Rumbek). In this regard, the current Yirol West people is a combination of several
ethnicity groups from surrounding.
No question, Yirol
West people especially Atuot (Reel) ethnicity has merged into Jieng from long
time ago and thus their songs, proverbs and poets are all in Jieng language. Their
food, homes and other social activities are the same with other Lakes states Jieng.
Atuot (Reel) cultural activities is completely dominated by Jieng whose origin
if not all from Nuer west of Nuong and Adok. The administration of Yirol West
is then compromised of six sections, Apak, Kuek, Rorkec, Akot, Jilek and Luac,
and thus, they should be known as Yirol West People (Jieng Section) of Eastern
Lakes State. Your current ethnic status cannot be determine by the origin of
your ancestors.
Here are some of the
Notable Firsts from Yirol West as follows,
1.
Hon. Isaiah Kulang Mabor, A former southern Executive Council Speaker
2.
Mathew Mading Riak, South Sudan First Pilot
3.
Prof. Ambrose Ahang Beny, Novelist
4.
Prof. Moses Machar, Higher Education Expert and Former Sudan Vice
President
5.
Prof. Fraser Tong Kuotwel, Former Under Secretary Ministry of Wildlife
and Tourism
6.
Francis Makuei Malual, Computer Science specialist
7.
Lt. Gen. Richard Makur Athorbei, Police Commissioner
8.
Gen. Andrew Makur, Anya-nya Commander and a Diplomat
9.
Hon. David Deng Athorbei, former Minister of Finance and Economic
Planning
10.
Prof. Farouq Akasha, Former Principle University of Bahr el Ghzal
11.
Prof. Abraham Matoc, Vice Chancellor Dr. John Garang University of
Science and Technology
12.
Prof. Abednego Akok, South Sudan Electoral Commissioner
13.
Judge. Telar Ring, Former Presidential Legal Advisor
14.
Gen. Rin Tueny, Commandant Military Intelligent
15.
Dr. Anyuot Bol Angui, Medical Doctor
16.
Lt. Gen. Dr. Henry Makeny Dhieu, Medical Doctor
17.
Paul Mabor Aliab, SPLA Commander and Veteran
18.
Dr. Mabor Makuei Awur, Medical Doctor
19.
Dr. Nhial Mager, Veterinary Doctor
20.
Dr. David Deng Dongrin, Political Scientist
21.
Henry Yuot Riak, Agriculturist and Crop Scientist
22.
Rev. Titus Telar Beny, Theologian
23.
Rev. Mark Akec, Theologian and Anthropologist
24.
Dr. Moses Hassan Ayet, Former Minister of Trade and Industry
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