The Surma tribe is a small tribe that lives in the southwest region of the Omo Valley. They have ancestral and cultural associations with the Mursi and Me’en peoples and perform many ritual dances while singing. The Dizi and Suri peoples are their neighboring tribes. Surma people are semi-nomadic pastoralists and also engage in small-scale farming. They believe that singing and dancing strengthen community bonds and connect them with ancestral spirits. Surma women are well known for wearing large clay lip plates and decorating their bodies with intricate scarification patterns. Men often engage in ceremonial stick fighting called donga, which is both a sport and a rite of passage. Body painting is widely practiced using natural pigments made from clay and plants. Traditional dance is a central part of Surma culture, especially during weddings, initiation ceremonies, and festivals. A man’s wealth is often measured by the size of his cattle herd.