Meet The Koma People Who Remove Girls' Teeth To Prepare Them For Marriage

The Koma people believe in the existence of a supreme being called Zum or Nu, otherwise meaning the sun. The neighboring Chamba also uses the same word Su for the sun, as well as for Almighty God.

As part of promoting their cultural and ethnic identities, marriage amongst the Koma is endogamous and polygynous, though levirate is also allowed.

It is documented that, between the ages of 10 and l4, children undergo puberty rituals which involve circumcision for boys and extraction of teeth for girls. These are to prepare them for marriage and to show a sign of maturity.

Women have their own farms separate from men The occupation of the Koma people is around farming, hunting, and gathering. Apart from hunting, both men and women engage in weeding and gathering as well as cultivation.

Though women often have their own farms separate from the men, both sexes sometimes help each other on their respective farms.

Usually, younger children take care of the babies at home in the hills while their parents go to the valleys and plains to tend their farms.

Since markets do not exist in the hills, the Koma women usually bring their produce such as millets, guinea corn, and tobacco down for sale, particularly to the lowland markets of Betti, Choncha, and Karlahi.

They then use the proceeds to buy commodities they need for their communities. Farting during festivals According to a documentary by Alain Baptizet, Koma medicine men engage in extended farting sessions during public dancing ceremonies. They train with a master and fart for hours on end.

When the anus area becomes irritated from prolonged flatulence, it is soothed with a healing powder, according to sources. The practice is believed to have come from the mockery of puritanical Muslims, who used to enslave Komas and drove them to the hilly areas where they occupy now.