head of the household. Fines for offenses are assessed in cattle. The Nuer also pursue agricultural pursuits, but cattle labor is their favorite type of work.
The Nuer language is a Nilotic language, closely related to the speech of the Dinka and Atuot, and the language is uniform, with no definable dialects (Jenkins). The Nuer are organized into tribes which consist of further subdivisions by lineage. The lineages are the major structural factor for determining political order, and the territorial and lineage groupings are more closely aligned for some purposes than others. There is no overall political authority among the Nuer tribal structure. Political activity involves different groupings or separation of the many territorial and clan groupings (Columbia University; Jenkins). Under the ôcondominiumö with Egypt from the beginning of the 20th century, the British influence caused major changes for the Nuer (Jenkins). The colonial policies of the British focused on establishing fixed boundaries between the Dinka and the Nuer, which effectively halted the long-term dynamic process of culture change that had happened between these two people for centuries. Neither have been active in the politics of the Sudan.
The Nuer culture is built around cattle, but because of their proximity to the Upper Nile, fish (particularly perch) play an important role in their economy (Jenkins). Their diet is supplemented by grains and vegetables. The Nuer do not produce food commodities for marketing. Cattle are not used primarily for food, but the Nuer do drink milk. Meat is eaten only on important celebrations when an animal is sacrificed.
The life of the Nuer is dictated by the season (Columbia University; Jenkins; The Dinka). As the rivers flood, the people have to move further away onto higher ground, where the women cultivate millet and maize, and the men tend the cattle nearby. In the dry season, the younger men take...