'Dagu' as a Cultural Regulator Among the Afar People

The Afar are a pastoral community that live in the North Eastern Part of Ethiopia. Because of their predominantly pastoral way of life, they have an indigenous, unique information exchange system called Dagu. The Dagu is an oral, interpersonal communication performance done as a ritual by the members of the Afar ethnic group in Ethiopia. It is held in a highest of regards by the Afar due to the fact that their livelihood is very much dependent on the information they get from Dagu. They get any current information ranging from weather to availability of grazing lands for their cattle. Studying such indigenous knowledge systems and making sure that they are taken seriously in the entire processes of human development is not a common sight in the world of academia these days. Therefore, by doing such study, the author hopes to make sure that unique indigenous systems like Dagu are studied and stored systematically.