Lifestyle and Society 
Although they are for the most part cattle herders, some Nuer also engage in agriculture. They determine their calendar based on current activity and weather conditions. The fishing season begins in December and lasts until the season of rain (spring) begins. Next comes the time of crop growing (summer), followed by the season of winds (autumn). The Nuer are careful watchers of the stars and have their own names for various stars and constellations. The evening star, for example, is called “Lipai chiing.” To the Nuer, it looks like a girl in a village waiting for the moon to rise, and the name means “waiting in the village for the moon.” 

Nuer society is patrilineal; all rights, privileges, obligations and relationships are regulated through kinsmen. Marriage is one of the most important Nuer traditions, and is arranged by the families of the bride and groom. The Nuer believe in monogamy, but divorce is not unheard of, and is usually caused by a lack of children. If a woman does not produce children, a man can demand the return of the cattle he paid for the marriage and can send the woman back to her own village. 

Like many of his pastoral neighbors, a Nuer man's dearest possession is his cattle. Life depends on cattle and a Nuer will risk his life to defend them or to raid his neighbor's cattle. The Nuer worldview is built around the herds and prestige is measured by the quantity and quality of the cattle a man owns. Men and women take the names of their favorite oxen or cows and prefer to be greeted by their cattle names. While they do engage in agricultural pursuits, the care of cattle is the only labor they enjoy. It is said that conversation on virtually any subject will inevitably involve a discussion of cattle.

Cattle and War - The Nuer of Sudan
Numbering approximately one million, the Nuer are the second largest people group (second to the Dinka) in south Sudan. Traditionally, they are cattle herders whose complete way of life revolves around their livestock. Cattle are used for payment of fines and debts and as bride prices in marriage. Children mold clay figures of cows out of clay, ash, wood or any other available material. Young boys have a favorite ox who they give a name and treat as if it was a puppy. 



Unfortunately, Sudan’s civil war, which has lasted for over a decade, has devastated this traditional way of life and displaced many Nuer to the safety of the neighboring country of Ethiopia or to places in northern Sudan, such as the capital city of Khartoum. Many Nuer serve with the Sudanese rebel army, although some are at odds with the rebel leader, a member of the Dinka tribe. In the past, war and tribal fighting has broken out between Nuer and their Dinka neighbors.

The Nuer receive facial markings (called gaar) as part of their initiation into adulthood. The pattern of Nuer scarification varies within specific subgroups. One common initiation pattern consists of six parallel horizontal lines across the forehead, with dip in the lines above the nose. Dotted patterns are also common (especially among the Bul Nuer).

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