Mekan people

For the tribe in Pakistan, see Mekan (tribe).

The Mekan or Me'en are a Nilotic ethnic minority group inhabiting southwestern Ethiopia. The 1998 census lists them as consisting of 56,585 individuals.

The Mekan or Me'en speak the Me'en language, which is a member of the Surmic branch of the Nilo-Saharan language family. The population is subdivided into two groups: the highland Tishena, who are agriculturalists, and the lowland Bodi, who are pastoralists.

See also

• Surma people

References

• Abbink, Jon G. 1990. "Tribal Formation on the Ethiopian Fringe: Toward a History of the 'Tishana'." Northeast African Studies. Volume 12.1: pp. 21-42.
• Abbink, Jon G. 1991. "The Deconstructions of Tribe: Ethnicity and Politics in Southwestern Ethiopia." Journal of Ethiopian Studies. Volume 24: pp. 1-21.
• Abbink, Jon G. 1992. "An Ethno-Historical Perspective on Me'en Territorial Organization (Southwest Ethiopia)." Anthropos. Volume 87.4/6: pp. 351-364.