The Oreet (pl. Ortinuek or Ortinweek) is a kinship group among the Kalenjin people of Kenya that is similar in concept to a clan. The members of an oreet are not necessarily related by blood as evidenced by the adoption of members of the Uasin Gishu Maasai by Arap Sutek, the only Nandi smith at the time. His proteges would later be adopted into almost every other clan as smiths.Hollis A.C, The Nandi - Their Language and Folklore. The Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1909, p. 36 More famously, the lineage of the Talai Orkoiik were adopted members of the Segelai Maasai.Hollis A.C, The Nandi - Their Language and Folklore. The Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1909, p. 49
Description
Membership and identification by Oreet traditionally served the purpose of regulating marriage (by prevent inbreeding since marriage within Oreet was largely not permitted),Hollis A.C, The Nandi - Their Language and Folklore. The Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1909, p. 6 arbitrating in murder cases and a support system when payment of blood money was required.Hollis A.C, The Nandi - Their Language and Folklore. The Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1909, p. 73-74
In modern Kenya, identification by oreet is declining among the Nandi and Kalenjin. However oreet histories have consequently gained prominence as a means of studying the settlement and formation of the Nandi sub-tribe of the Kalenjin. Like the wider Kalenjin Occupation of the Rift, a look at the individual Nandi clan histories shows that the narrative of origin, though containing elements of truth, largely over simplifies the formation of the Nandi sub-tribe.
Sub-tribe The Nandi sub-tribe was formed through the settlement of the Nandi region by members of various Kalenjin clans from different regions. The traditional Nandi account is that the first settlers in their country came from Elgon, and formed the Kipoiis clan, a name that possibly means 'the spirits'. They were led by a man named Kakipoch, founder of the Nandi section of the Kalenjin. They are said to have settled in the emet (county) of Aldai in south-western Nandi. Kakipoch's people were later joined by a few Kipsikis, who were then followed by people from the other Kalenjin branches.
Settlement The account of settlement by the 17 clans present in the early decades of the 20th century is as follows;
From Elgon & Lumbwa (Kipsigis) Kipoiis Kipamwi Kipkenda Kipiegen
From Lumbwa (Kipsigis) Tungo Kipaa Kipasiso and Kapchemuri (Chemuri) Elgoni (Kony)
From Elgon Kipkokos
From Elgon & Elgeyo Kipsirgio Moi Sokom Kiptopkei Kamwaikei
From Lo-'sekelae Masai Kipkoiitim (also partly from Elgon) Talai, the medicine men's clan (partly also from Kamasya) Toyoi
The Nandi ortinuek are each identified by an 'animal' or tiondo, which no clan member could hunt. Clan symbols (tiondo) range from birds, wild animals, frog and snake to bees. Although the sun is not an animal, 'she' has oreet and is called 'tiondo' in the same sense as a lion.
Kipkenda Maimi Segemiat (bee) Kiboiis Lelwoot (jackal) Solopchoot (coackroach) Mooi Kong'oony (Crested Crane) Soeet (Buffalo) Kergeng, Cheptirkiichet (Dik-dik) Kipkamoriet Kogos, Chepkogosiot (Eagle *all eagles which have a white patch) Kipsirgoi Toreet (palee kut ak kutung') Kipamui Kergeng (Antelope) Sogoom Chepsirereet (Eagle *african crowned eagle) Talai Ng'etuny, Lion (Kuutwo, Talai Orkoi) Ng'etuny, Lion (Talai Nandi) Kipoongoi (che kwees tibiik) Taiyweet Kibiegen (kap rat setio let) Moseet (Monkey) Muriat (rat) Kipaa (koros) Ndareet (Snake) Tisiet (Baboon) Toiyoi (moriso) Ropta (rain) Birechik (Safari Ants) Kap Oiit Beliot, kiramkeel koe mooi (Elephant) Kipleng'wet (rabbit) chameleon Kipasiiso (Kap koluu) Asista (Sun) Kuchwa Mororochet (frog) Tungo (korap oor) Kimageetiet (Hyena) Kiptabkei Chereret (vervet monkey)
Notable Oreet Customs
It is claimed that Kong'ony (crested crane) was the first animal allocated a family. Hence Moi (Kong'ony) is regarded as the 'leader' and in child stories this is shown as the source of babies in a family.
The Hyena (Kimageet, oreet of Tungo, korap oor) is claimed to have been the last tiondo to be allocated and comes along with several rules of favour (ostensibly to hide the fact that it was the last). Hence, even though the Nandi claim 'Cheptaab oreet age ne wendi oreet age' literally 'a daughter from one clan goes to another clan and belongs in the new clan', to mean a woman has no clan, the Tungo girls are permitted to retain their clan identity.
Kiboiis is the largest clan in Nandi. It comprises two tottems ("tiondo"): Solopchot (cockroach), also known as Mende Keruus and Lelwot (jackal), which was praised as "cherotei keringet agenge en kabula" (believed to be 'ghafla'), which is Oreetab Kibois. Kibois is used largely by eight families: Kaprotuk, Kapchebwai, Kapkong'eluk, Kapkerebei, Kaptiireei, Kapcherige, Kaptot, and Kapcheptembur. Lelwek is normally praised in Kaprotuk, by their daughters but during Koito (prewedding). Solobchot is widely mentioned (less praised). Others use Lelwot interchangeably with Kaprotuk, Kapkong'eluk and Kapchebwai and regard each other as "oor mwendo". Earlier grandfathers especially from Kaprotuk were worried that the two families of Kaprotuk and Kapchebwai would "moiyo tiondo" (each will claim Lelwot is theirs) so they allowed Solopchot to be used as alternative.
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