Author/ Ethnographer Somjee reads a draft copy of the second Alama's Walk

 

Author/Ethnographer Sultan Somjee views a draft copy of the second book in the Alama’s Walk series. It is scheduled to be released in October 2022.

Alama’s Walk Healing the Earth is much larger, 150 pages compared to the first 90 page graphic novel. In this book Alama meets many new and interesting characters as he moves from his desert scrubland, to rich farmlands and villages. Along the way Alama hears more peace stories and meets both hospitable villagers and corrupt city officials. 

Alama’s Walk, The Oracle Speaks, the first graphic novel is now being used for training of peace and civic educators in the mitaani (slums) of Kenya.

All graphic novels are adapted from One Who Dreams is Called a Prophet, a book about a lone elder’s walk in pursuit of the last traces of Indigenous knowledge of Utu during conflicts. Utu in Swahili means the quality of being human or simply humanness or humanity. The walk resulted in cultivating conversations on reconciliation in a conflicted country, among diverse cultures, in diverse languages and diverse arts that led to the making of the Community Museums of Peace in eastern Africa. 

Each book has a running meme on Utu as viewed by 10 Indigenous cultures through elders’ memories, the environment, material culture, community stories, rituals and spirituality.   

Map Game with People and Animal Cutouts

This map game may be used as a resource to learn about the Indigenous peace traditions as you read the graphic novel, Alama's Walk, The Oracle Speaks. You will be introduced to East African Indigenous customs, stories, traditional clothing, artifacts and ornaments. Great for older kids too :-)

1) Print and glue the map onto card paper 

2) Print and cut out the people and animals along the dotted line
3) Glue onto card paper
4) Fold on the solid line at the base so they stand upright

5) Play the characters on the map and enjoy Alama's Walk

Alama, the nomad, starts his journey in search of peace from his village of Kataka. He walks to Maragoi and ends up near Tamba, both towns in the northern region of Yeta. Alama is guided by the Oracle who lives in the acacia tree at the Red Brown River and the Kokoloko bird. Along the way, he meets elders and people from various cultural communities from across the land. The elders exchange stories and their walking sticks made out of peace trees. 

Trees for Peace Documentary

In 2001 Sultan Somjee was named by the United Nations as one of the twelve exceptional “Unsung Heroes of Dialogue Among Civilizations.” Here is a short Vimeo documentary by filmmaker Bruno Sorrentino about Somjee's work as an ethnographer in East Africa.

Trees for Peace.mp4 from bruno sorrentino on Vimeo.

About "One who dreams is called a prophet" book

Alama, a nomad from the northern desert, sets out on a walk accompanied by Koko Kigongo, his walking stick. Along the journey, he meets women and men who are on a similar walk to find the Source of Peace. Like Alama, they are troubled by post-independence violence due to greed, misrule and corruption. Yet, the elders know that the Source of Peace lies in indigenous knowledge that lives in memories of every community of Yeta. But why can they not have peace? The dilemma confronts Alama. When they meet, the elders exchange their walking sticks and stories. 

Alama’s walk is inspired by the author ethnographer’s journey into the world of material culture, stories and nature that describe utu, Swahili for ‘being mtu’ or simply ‘being human’.