 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Mekan people" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(June 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 56,585 (1998) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Ethiopia | |
| Languages | |
| Me'en language | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Surmic peoples |
TheMekan orMe'en are aSurmic ethnic minority group inhabiting southwestern Ethiopia. The 1998 census lists them as consisting of 56,585 individuals.[1] The Mekan traditionally participate in a unique festival known as Ka'el, during which the Mekan women sexualize the process of Mekan men gaining weight, and assist and encourage them in becoming as fat as possible. Mekan women will often select partners during this festival, typically from among the men they assisted in becoming larger.[2]
The Mekan or Me'en speak theMe'en language, which is a member of theSurmic language family. The population is subdivided into two groups: the highland Tishena, who are agriculturalists, and the lowland Bodi, who are pastoralists.
In 2020, photographerJoey Lawrence (photographer) traveled to a village in Southern Ethiopia's Omo Valley to photograph the Kael competitors and make a behind the scenes documentary.[3]
• 2021 winners: Oypocha and Gontidi[4]
Media related toMekan people at Wikimedia Commons
