Chok people

The Chok were a society that lived on the Elgeyo escarpment in Kenya.

Etymology

It is noted that the old men living in Pokot during the early 20th century were unanimous in declaring that;

there always were two original Suk tribes living on the Elgeyo escarpment. The names of these two tribes were Chok or Chuk which is the name for a short sword like implement, and Sekker which means 'cowrie shells'

— The Suk -Their Language and Folklore, Beech, M., 1911

Territory

Their territory was "on the Elgeyo Escarpment" and while they lived on the Elgeyo escarpment the Kerio Valley was occupied by the Sambur. "..If ever the Suk descended from their fastness, they were raided and harried by this tribe".

Economy

See also: Sirikwa_people § Irrigation

The Chok were a "purely agricultural people, cultivating millet and eleusine grain grown in the cold air of the summit and possibly a little tobacco." The "millet [was] grown on the fertile and well watered flats at the base of the Elgeyo escarpment, and [was] watered by means of irrigation, while eleusine grain (was) grown high upon the hill sides and was dependent on rain". The irrigation system as Beech noted, "is most ingenious, and it's original construction must have required a vast amount of toil and patience".

Industries

The Chok had two notable industries, pottery and iron-smithing, the former performed by women and the latter by men.

Among the Nandi in the early 20th century, there was a tradition recorded among the smiths regarding their ancestors arrival in Nandi. They say that a man named Arap Sutek had been the only smith in the country then but that after the Uasin Gishu Maasai quit their homes and split up in different directions, some of those who wandered into Nandi were hospitably received by Arap Sutek and by the early 20th century every clan had a smith. There was also a sword in use among the Nandi by then known as rotuet-ap-chok (sword of/from Chok) which was being manufactured alongside the previous rotuet that had been made in Nandi. It is however not clear if the Chok had exported these weapons prior to this time.

Trade

The Chok obtained donkeys from the Turkana and it would appear they took a number with them to Nandi but were obliged to get rid of them as it was felt that they would spoil the grazing for cattle.

Culture

The most noted item of their culture was the Chok from which they got their name. Beech notes that as of 1911 it was only women he saw carrying these swords "...on their way to the grain fields".

Marriage

A custom unique to the Chok was the payment of dowry in palm wine or honey.

Assimilation

The Chok were raided by the Laikipia Masai forcing some of them to flee to Kapukogh in Uganda.

Once the pastoral Chok were established, a desire arose many agricultural Chok to adopt pastoralist culture. Thus, once the battle at En-ginyang had been won and the Kerio Valley evacuated, the aim and ambition of every agricultural Chok became to amass enough cattle to move into the Kerio Valley and join their pastoral kin. Hence by the early 20th century, the pastoral Chok were expanding as many of their agricultural joined their rank and by that time, many Pokot who were termed Suk by the colonial administrators did not recognize this name for their tribe.

Pokot expansion

Chok memories recorded among the Pokot recall their expansion under their new identity, they remember that a time came when "... there arose a wizard among the Suk who prepared a charm in the form of a stick, which he placed in the Sambur cattle kraals, with the result that they all died."