Who are the People of Yirol West and What are their Origins?
By Ater Yuot Riak (PhD), Juba, South Sudan
Tuesday, January 14, 2020 (PW) — 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 fieldwork 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 its 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 are 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 are 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 determined by the origin of your ancestors.
Here are some of the Notable Firsts from Yirol West as follows,
- Hon. Isaiah Kulang Mabor, A former southern Executive Council Speaker
- Mathew Mading Riak, South Sudan First Pilot
- Prof. Ambrose Ahang Beny, Novelist
- Prof. Moses Machar, Higher Education Expert and Former Sudan Vice President
- Prof. Fraser Tong Kuotwel, Former Under Secretary Ministry of Wildlife and Tourism
- Francis Makuei Malual, Computer Science specialist
- Lt. Gen. Richard Makur Athorbei, Police Commissioner
- Gen. Andrew Makur, Anya-nya Commander and a Diplomat
- Hon. David Deng Athorbei, former Minister of Finance and Economic Planning
- Prof. Abraham Matoc, Vice Chancellor Dr. John Garang University of Science and Technology
- Prof. Abednego Akok, South Sudan Electoral Commissioner
- Judge. Telar Ring, Former Presidential Legal Advisor
- Gen. Rin Tueny, Commandant Military Intelligent
- Dr. Anyuot Bol Angui, Medical Doctor
- Lt. Gen. Dr. Henry Makeny Dhieu, Medical Doctor
- Paul Mabor Aliab, SPLA Commander and Veteran
- Dr. Mabor Makuei Awur, Medical Doctor
- Dr. Nhial Mager, Veterinary Doctor
- Dr. David Deng Dongrin, Political Scientist
- Henry Yuot Riak, Agriculturist and Crop Scientist
- Rev. Titus Telar Beny, Theologian
- Rev. Mark Akec, Theologian and Anthropologist
Prof. John W. Burton spent some time in Yirol West area collecting narratives but were only collected from Atuot (Reel) sections of Kuek, Luac and Akot. The other narratives were collected from Nuer of Nuon and Adok. Narratives of the other two sections of Jilek and Rorkec were missing as well as Apak section narrative. My next focus will be on Jilek, Rorkec and Apak sections of Yirol West People, what are their origins and connection to Atuot (Reel) origins.
The author, Ater Yuot Riak Amogpai, (Ph.D.), is the Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, School of Engineering & Architecture, at the University of Juba in South Sudan, and can be reached via his email: Ater Yuot Riak <ater.amogpai@gmail.com>
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