Meet The Surma People

 The Surma people live in Upper Omo Valley in Ethiopia. The Surma tribes comprises of the Suri tribe and the Mursi tribe. Looking at the way they choose to modify their bodies, they certainly qualify as weird tribes

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The Suri are very proud of their culture and traditions. When a boy comes of age, or when a man wants to take a bride they have to prove themselves by performing a martial art called saginé. It is basically stick fighting or ceremonial dueling.

When a girl becomes of marrying age on the other hand, they often get her lower teeth knocked out with a rock. Then they cut the lower lip with a razor and stretch the lip with a wooden plate. They keep replacing the plate for a bigger one until they reach the desired shape.

After a while the lip stretches so much they fit a clay plate around it. This is regarded as a form of beauty and status for Suri women, a girl’s dowry increases in tandem with the size of her lip.