Banna

Bana, and Benna are other spellings for the Bena people.Banna and Tsamai people are the first tribes you will meet on the way to Omo Valley Tribes at southern Ethiopia. When you first see them, you understand what really does mean to be in Africa with people still living the same life as they used to live hundred years ago. They are neighbors with the Hammer tribe and Tsemai it is believed that the Bena actually originated from them centuries ago. The markets in Key Afer and Jinka are often visited by them.

Just like most of the indigenous tribes in the lower Omo Valley, the Bena practice ritual dancing and singing. The men often have their hair dressed up with a colorful clay cap that is decorated with feathers. Both the men and women wear long garments and paint their bodies with white chalk. Women of the tribe wear beads in their hair that is held together with butter.

The Bena look very similar to the Hamer and are often called the Hamer-Bena. Common rituals and traditions of other tribes are shared by the Bena. The boys in the tribe participate in bull jumping. When it is time for the boy to become a man, he must jump over a number of bulls naked without falling. If he is able to complete this task, he will become a man and be able to marry a woman.