The Dunn people live in the African country of Mali near the border of Burkina Faso. The climate is hot and dry. The temperature can reach above 100ºF in the hot season.
The Duun would prefer to live near the rivers because the vegetation is thicker and the heat is more bearable. However, the tsetse fly (which carries sleeping sickness) and the simulium fly (which carries river blindness) live near the rivers. These insects make the river areas almost uninhabitable and cause many Duun to suffer from associated medical problems.
For the Duun, the household is the basic economic unit. The villages are large and usually highly populated. Houses are rectangular with flat roofs, much like those of neighboring tribes. Duun villages have dome-shaped granaries which rise above the village walls. Each village may have at least 100 of these granaries. Every village has a headman who acts as the authority to family lineages, rather than as the authority to individual households.
Duun society is patrilineal in structure. This means the lines of descent are traced through the fathers. Private property is inherited by the eldest son, while household property is passed to the younger brother of the father. Married sons attach their households to the household of their father.
When a girl marries, the girl's family does not require a bride-price, as families in other West African tribes do. Instead, the groom gives premarital gifts to the girl's family. The gifts are usually animals such as chickens or goats. Like many other tribes in West Africa, the men sometimes practice polygamy, the marrying of several wives.
The majority of the Duun practice various ethnic religions, and a sizable minority are Muslim. Those who are Muslim hold to the five essential duties of Islam: (1) Affirming that "there is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet;" (2) praying five times a day while facing Mecca; (3) giving alms generously; (4) fasting during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim year; and (5) trying to make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca in their lifetime.
Like many other West African tribes, the Duun practice the tradition of worshiping dead ancestors. The people also believe that the "supreme god" is too distant to worship directly and that, therefore, the only way to serve him or to worship him is through a spirit. Consequently, a Duun will worship a statue or another object believed to house a spirit. The spirit, in return, will supposedly give the worship to the supreme god on behalf of the tribesman.
There have been efforts to evangelize these people, yet only a small number of Duun have become Christians. They need much prayer and further evangelism so they may learn the reality of God's love.
Ask the Lord to send forth laborers into Mali who will share the love of Jesus with the Duun.
Ask the Holy Spirit to grant wisdom and favor to any mission agencies presently focusing on the Duun.
Pray that God will give Duun believers boldness to share Christ with their own people.
Scripture Prayers for the Duun, Samogo in Mali.
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
People Name General | Duun, Samogo |
People Name in Country | Duun, Samogo |
Natural Name | Duun |
Pronunciation |
doon
|
Alternate Names | Duu; Duun; Duune; Duungo; Samogho; Western Duun |
Population this Country | 183,000 |
Population all Countries | 183,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
GSEC | 1 (per PeopleGroups.org) |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 4 |
People ID | 14677 |
ROP3 Code | 108583 |
ROP25 Code | 307193 |
ROP25 Name | Samogho, Duun |
Country | Mali | ||
Region | Africa, West and Central | ||
Continent | Africa | ||
10/40 Window | Yes | ||
National Bible Society | Website | ||
Persecution Rank | 14 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | ||
Location in Country | Sikasso region: Kadiolo and Sikasso circles; Bafini river north basin. Source: Ethnologue 2018 |
Country | Mali |
Region | Africa, West and Central |
Continent | Africa |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 14 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Location in Country | Sikasso region: Kadiolo and Sikasso circles; Bafini river north basin.. Source: Ethnologue 2018 |
Primary Religion: | Islam |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.02 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
30.00 %
|
Hinduism |
0.00 %
|
Islam |
69.98 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
Primary Language | Duungooma | |||
Language Code | dux Ethnologue Listing | |||
Language Written | Unknown | |||
Total Languages | 2 | |||
Secondary Languages |
|
Primary Language | Duungooma |
Language Code | dux Ethnologue Listing |
Total Languages | 2 |
Secondary Languages | |
Bankagooma | |
People Groups | Speaking Duungooma |
Primary Language: Duungooma
Bible Translation Status: Translation Started
Resource Type ▲ | Resource Name | Source |
---|---|---|
None reported |
Photo Source | World Agroforestry - Flickr Creative Commons |
Map Source | People Group location: IMB. Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project. |
Profile Source | Joshua Project |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |