Anuak Share Tales of Rich Culture and Uphill History April 4, 2006 Pat Delaney
Anyuak means “share.” That is what the local Anuak community members did Saturday night when they hosted their cultural celebration event in the CSU Ballroom. The Anuak shared their culture including cultural dances, music and food as well as the story of their difficult history. “This is the first annual Anuak cultural celebration,” said Michael Fagin, dean of institutional diversity at MSU. Fagin said the goal of the evening was for students, faculty, staff and members of the community to have a better understanding of Anuak culture, as well as current political and economic problems done through presentations of art, dancing, music and food,” Fagin said.
Guest speakers at the event included Anuak themselves, Fagin, professor Doug Ganss, and Mankato Mayor John Brady. Fagin read a letter by Sen. Norm Coleman. Other speakers included long-time social worker Jill Anderson, Partners in Africa representative Paul Lindberg and journalist Doug McGill, who has written extensively about the Anuak and traveled to Ethiopia. “We’re here to stay,” said Okony Cham, an Anuak student at MSU. The reason for this is largely the troubled history of the Anuak people who come from the Gambella region of Africa, located in southwestern Ethiopia. “We come here like orphans,” Cham said. “Thank God for giving the Anuak the U.S.A. If the Anuak had been without it, I would have been dead a long time ago.” The troubled history of the Anuak was the topic of Lero Odola, a former Sudanese congressman. Odola and others made the point in their presentations that the Anuak are a distinct cultural group different from the groups that surround them, such as the Nuer in Sudan or the “Highlanders in other parts of Ethiopia.
Gambella, the area the Anuak come from, is a resource-rich area that contains fertile soil, water resources and recently discovered oil. During the Sudanese civil war, Odola, said refugees were placed in Anuak communities and the Ethiopian famine resulted in many Highlanders being placed in Anuak villages. McGill said this led to violence against the Anuak, who were unarmed due to periodic sweeps by the Ethiopian government, which removed their arms. McGill said it was a recipe for violence, and when there was a dispute, the Nuer or Highlanders were armed and the Anuak were not. “They were only too happy if the Nuer, as proxies of the Ethiopian government, murdered Anuak,” said McGill, explaining Ethiopia’s stance toward the Anuak. “Killing has been going on-since 1955,” said Odola. The events of Dec. 13, 2003 were a large part of the evening’s discussions. On that day, the Ethiopian military killed 420 Anuak, according to McGill and others, including human rights organizations Genocide Watch and Human Rights Watch. Violence, rape and the burning of houses followed, according to reports by said human rights organizations. “Four-hundred twenty of the relatives of the people in this were killed,” McGill said. On the day of the massacre, McGill said, Anuak students he knew in Minnesota were listening to the violence in Gambella on their cell phones. Odola expressed his discontent about the lack of media coverage concerning the December 13, 2003 incidents and what followed. “[A lot of people are] focusing on Darfur, [but] nobody is talking about December 13, 2003, no ongoing media,”
Odola said. “Anuak are being killed everyday.” McGill said because of the violence in Gambella, many of the “best and brightest” of the Anuak leaders are now living in Minnesota. Speakers Ganss and Fagin spoke about helping the Anuak in Minnesota and how the Anuak present the state with rich cultural gifts. “(There are) no other people I’ve had a greater honor to work with,” said Ganss. He spoke fondly of the Anuak’s “visions of hope” and “democratic nature”. He and Fagin spoke of similarities between the Anuak and Native Americans. Ganss said the Anuak are in a parallel situation to that of Native Americans because they are “facing possible extinction” because of “genocidal polices being carried out” against them. Ganss said there were things the community should do to help immigrants, including “developing the type of jobs immigrants can work in, including socially responsible childcare and possibilities to learn the English language,” better college access opportunities and attention to older youth. Ganss also said there should be more appreciation for their culture and ability to preserve their culture to make their “Americanization” easier. The event also contained political support for the Anuak. Fagin read a letter sent by Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman.
“The sad events of December 2003 brought me fully aware of the Anuak people in Minnesota, and also of your family and friends suffering from horrible violence- In response to our joint concerns, I contacted my colleagues in the United States Senate, the State Department, the U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia and Prime Minister Meles to demand that the United States pressure Ethiopia on this issue, and to work to ensure that the violence cease, the refugees return home, and those responsible be held accountable-This is a day for recognition, renewed determination and celebration. I hope that this Anuak day is a wonderful day of hope, prayer and brotherhood. Thank you for your contributions to our state,” said Coleman in the letter. Mankato Mayor John Brady attended the event to learn about Anuak culture. “I will be a champion for the cultural richness you bring to Mankato,” Brady said. He spoke of his own travels to Africa and juxtaposed it against his own experiences. “I grew up a privileged little white boy in southern Minnesota. “I didn’t realize how privileged I was,” Brady said. “There is so much pain in the world. The pain in Africa is immense.” “Thanks for bringing richness to this beautiful valley,” Brady said. A traditional Anuak meal was served as well as lively cultural dances. Jon Swedien is a Reporter staff writer Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) More
Anyuak means “share.” That is what the local Anuak community members did Saturday night when they hosted their cultural celebration event in the CSU Ballroom. The Anuak shared their culture including cultural dances, music and food as well as the story of their difficult history. “This is the first annual Anuak cultural celebration,” said Michael Fagin, dean of institutional diversity at MSU. Fagin said the goal of the evening was for students, faculty, staff and members of the community to have a better understanding of Anuak culture, as well as current political and economic problems done through presentations of art, dancing, music and food,” Fagin said.
Guest speakers at the event included Anuak themselves, Fagin, professor Doug Ganss, and Mankato Mayor John Brady. Fagin read a letter by Sen. Norm Coleman. Other speakers included long-time social worker Jill Anderson, Partners in Africa representative Paul Lindberg and journalist Doug McGill, who has written extensively about the Anuak and traveled to Ethiopia. “We’re here to stay,” said Okony Cham, an Anuak student at MSU. The reason for this is largely the troubled history of the Anuak people who come from the Gambella region of Africa, located in southwestern Ethiopia. “We come here like orphans,” Cham said. “Thank God for giving the Anuak the U.S.A. If the Anuak had been without it, I would have been dead a long time ago.” The troubled history of the Anuak was the topic of Lero Odola, a former Sudanese congressman. Odola and others made the point in their presentations that the Anuak are a distinct cultural group different from the groups that surround them, such as the Nuer in Sudan or the “Highlanders in other parts of Ethiopia.
Gambella, the area the Anuak come from, is a resource-rich area that contains fertile soil, water resources and recently discovered oil. During the Sudanese civil war, Odola, said refugees were placed in Anuak communities and the Ethiopian famine resulted in many Highlanders being placed in Anuak villages. McGill said this led to violence against the Anuak, who were unarmed due to periodic sweeps by the Ethiopian government, which removed their arms. McGill said it was a recipe for violence, and when there was a dispute, the Nuer or Highlanders were armed and the Anuak were not. “They were only too happy if the Nuer, as proxies of the Ethiopian government, murdered Anuak,” said McGill, explaining Ethiopia’s stance toward the Anuak. “Killing has been going on-since 1955,” said Odola. The events of Dec. 13, 2003 were a large part of the evening’s discussions. On that day, the Ethiopian military killed 420 Anuak, according to McGill and others, including human rights organizations Genocide Watch and Human Rights Watch. Violence, rape and the burning of houses followed, according to reports by said human rights organizations. “Four-hundred twenty of the relatives of the people in this were killed,” McGill said. On the day of the massacre, McGill said, Anuak students he knew in Minnesota were listening to the violence in Gambella on their cell phones. Odola expressed his discontent about the lack of media coverage concerning the December 13, 2003 incidents and what followed. “[A lot of people are] focusing on Darfur, [but] nobody is talking about December 13, 2003, no ongoing media,”
Odola said. “Anuak are being killed everyday.” McGill said because of the violence in Gambella, many of the “best and brightest” of the Anuak leaders are now living in Minnesota. Speakers Ganss and Fagin spoke about helping the Anuak in Minnesota and how the Anuak present the state with rich cultural gifts. “(There are) no other people I’ve had a greater honor to work with,” said Ganss. He spoke fondly of the Anuak’s “visions of hope” and “democratic nature”. He and Fagin spoke of similarities between the Anuak and Native Americans. Ganss said the Anuak are in a parallel situation to that of Native Americans because they are “facing possible extinction” because of “genocidal polices being carried out” against them. Ganss said there were things the community should do to help immigrants, including “developing the type of jobs immigrants can work in, including socially responsible childcare and possibilities to learn the English language,” better college access opportunities and attention to older youth. Ganss also said there should be more appreciation for their culture and ability to preserve their culture to make their “Americanization” easier. The event also contained political support for the Anuak. Fagin read a letter sent by Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman.
“The sad events of December 2003 brought me fully aware of the Anuak people in Minnesota, and also of your family and friends suffering from horrible violence- In response to our joint concerns, I contacted my colleagues in the United States Senate, the State Department, the U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia and Prime Minister Meles to demand that the United States pressure Ethiopia on this issue, and to work to ensure that the violence cease, the refugees return home, and those responsible be held accountable-This is a day for recognition, renewed determination and celebration. I hope that this Anuak day is a wonderful day of hope, prayer and brotherhood. Thank you for your contributions to our state,” said Coleman in the letter. Mankato Mayor John Brady attended the event to learn about Anuak culture. “I will be a champion for the cultural richness you bring to Mankato,” Brady said. He spoke of his own travels to Africa and juxtaposed it against his own experiences. “I grew up a privileged little white boy in southern Minnesota. “I didn’t realize how privileged I was,” Brady said. “There is so much pain in the world. The pain in Africa is immense.” “Thanks for bringing richness to this beautiful valley,” Brady said. A traditional Anuak meal was served as well as lively cultural dances. Jon Swedien is a Reporter staff writer Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) More
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