The Haro are hunters from Gidicho Island (32 km2) in Lake Abaya (1200 km2), the second largest lake in Ethiopia.
In order to fill this gap in our knowledge, ethnographic fieldwork undertaken in the frame of an M.A. research thesis by Fabienne Braukmann from July to September 2010 set out to study the ways in which the ethno-genesis and migration of the Haro is related to their local economy. Using the lake as their territory, resources from which they have been exploiting in special ways, the Haro are continually adapting to their social-ecological environment. Observations and interviews conducted with the Haro concerning their economic strategies showed flexible and on-going diversification of their economy in the face of state economic changes. The languages employed in the field were Amharic, English and Gamonia – a language which belongs to the Omotic language family and is related to the language spoken by the Haro.
Today, the Haro are no longer dependent on hunting as a sole means of subsistence. In the course of the last century they have integrated new economic features into their economic strategies which complement their still aquatic way of life.
Simulating a hippo hunt. Photo: Fabienne Braukmann, 2010 |
Women rubbing off corn for storage. Photo: Nigatu Dubale, 2010 |