In 2009 I had the privilege of reading Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration from Africa by Hans Silvester. This book is a collection of photographs depicting two groups of people from the Omo Valley in Ethiopia, the Mursi and the Surma. This book made an indelible impression on me with the incredible beauty and dignity evident in these people. I have chosen to focus on the Mursi for the purposes of this article. The Omo Valley is located in southwestern Ethiopia. The Mursi share southwestern borders with six other groups; the Suri, Dizi, Me'en, Kwegu, Bodi and Nyangatom tribal peoples. These people are native to Ethiopia and have inhabited the plains of the Omo valley for several hundred years. http://www.ethiopianriftvalleysafaris.com/pics/map2.jpgThe Mursi are a nomadic people, who move in search of water for themselves and their children. livestock. The Mursi are an agricultural-pastoral group. The Mursi raise livestock and grow sorghum and corn when conditions allow. The Mursi, on the other hand, live in fixed places depending on the time of year. This lifestyle of following the seasonal movement of livestock is known as transhumance. The life of the Mursi populations is tied to periods of intense drought. These prolonged droughts have brought the modern world knocking on their doors. The Mursi and all tribal peoples of the Omo Valley are currently facing the loss of everything they hold dear. The Ethiopian government has leased land in the Omo Valley to farms to grow cotton, sugar cane and palm oil. To provide water for these crops, the Ethiopian government plans to build the Gibe 3 dam. The Ethiopian government also plans to resettle all indigenous peoples living in large villages. Th...... middle of paper......ine." Natural History Magazine. Web. 01 March 2012. "Mursi Online." Mursi Online. Web. 07 March 2012. "Seven Tribes Threatened by National Park Ethiopian." Native Solutions to Conservation Refugees. Web. 02 March 2012. .Silvester, Hans W. Natural Fashion: Tribal decoration from Africa. London: Thames & Hudson, 2009. Print."StoryCulture." Les Tribus De L'Omo Web . 02 March 2012. . This website includes fifty photographs by Silvester".. 2012. .