Ethnicity and Local Identity in the Folklore of the Southwestern Oromo of Ethiopia: a Comparative Study

The primary concern of this research project was carrying out a comparative study on folkloric constructions and expressions of ethnic and local identity among the southwestern Oromo (Macha) of Ethiopia. The focus was on identification, documentation, description and sub-group-oriented comparative analysis of folklore, specifically oral narratives – seen as local discourses of and expressive basis for local groups and collective action. It was aimed at gaining insight into the issue of local identity and (sub-)group formation within the south-western Oromo of Ethiopia, a complex multiethnic state. An attempt was made to clarify how, on what bases, in what situations and to what end each local Oromo group understands itself in relation to ‘others’ within and beyond the wider ethno-regional Oromo grouping. Ethnicity is here seen essentially as a cultural interpretation of descent among a specific people or group. Thus the study essentially touches upon the construction and expression of ethnic and local group identity, specifically in its discursive self-presentation.