Gabbra IV – Thomas Kelly

Above all, this is a good land for camels, and it is their camels that define the Gabbra. The camel, haughty and cantankerous, is thought of as belonging solely to the dying world of the nomadic pastoralists. But, for the Gabbra, the camel ensures survival. Social activity, settlement patterns, population dispersal, the duties and divisions of labor are all directly or indirectly related to the camel. The Gabbra know their camels like children each one by name and lineage. The Gabbra economy is almost entirely based on reciprocity–the camel will be loaned or given to other Gabbra in need and a future act of reciprocity is expected. Much ritual surrounds the treatment of camels. They are considered to be on the same moral plane as people and to have a mystical relationship to God.