Feature Commentary

In the heart of Oromia, spanning the central highlands and vast stretches of West, East, Southwest, and North Shewa, thrives the Tuulama nation—one of the great pillars of the Oromo people. More than a demographic bloc, Tuulama represents a civilization anchored by an ancient and dynamic socio-political system: the Gadaa.

The Tuulama nation is traditionally structured around three major branches—Daacci, Bacho, and Jiille—each a vital artery in the body of the community. Historically, its lands were expansive, bordering Macca, Jimma, Arsi, and the Abbay River. Its political and spiritual heart, for a time, was the legendary Odaa Nabee. Today, the administrative capital of Ethiopia itself, Finfinnee, stands on Tuulama land, a fact that speaks to its central, yet contested, geopolitical significance.

A History of Resistance and Erasure
This centrality made Tuulama a prime target for empires bent on dismantling Oromo sovereignty. From Menelik to Haile Selassie, successive Abyssinian rulers waged war not just on the land, but on its very identity. Their strategy was multifaceted: military conquest, the establishment of foreign churches and settlements on sacred Gadaa grounds (Ardaa Jilaa), and a systematic campaign of renaming. Mountains, rivers, and towns that had carried Oromo names for millennia were stripped of their meaning, an attempt to sever the people from their historical memory and annex both territory and legacy into a new narrative.

The Gadaa: Not a Relic, but a Framework
Yet, what these forces underestimated was the nature of the Gadaa itself. It was never merely a government to be toppled; it is a comprehensive framework for life. The Tuulama Gadaa, organized under its Saglan Yaa’ii (Council of Nine), is a self-sustaining system of governance, justice, and social order. It operates on profound principles:

• Impartiality: It serves the community without favor, accepting neither bribe nor gift.
• Integrity: It holds a covenant so sacred that breaking it is believed to bring curse and ruin.
• Equity: It sees kin and stranger with an equal eye.
  This inherent fairness and deep-rooted legitimacy are why it commands unparalleled trust and love among its people.

Modern Rebirth and Relevance
Emerging from over a century of suppression, the Tuulama Gadaa has not just survived; it is experiencing a powerful renaissance. While its original seat at Odaa Nabee remains inaccessible, the system has demonstrated remarkable adaptability. It has re-rooted its central office in Bishooftuu, establishing a functioning administration with branches across 42 districts of Tuulama. Here, elected Abbaa Gadaa officials work not by imposed authority, but by grassroots accountability, reporting to the central council and serving as conduits of the people’s will.

In today’s Oromia, amidst complex social and legal challenges, this is where the Gadaa’s modern relevance shines. Increasingly, communities are choosing a profound alternative: bypassing the state court system and taking their disputes to the Waajjira Gadaa Tuulamaa (Tuulama Gadaa Office). This is not mere tradition; it is a conscious vote of confidence in a system perceived as more legitimate, transparent, and culturally coherent.

Conclusion: The Unbroken Covenant
The detractors exist—those who fear its power, those who covet Oromo resources, those who dismiss indigenous systems as obsolete. But their voices are drowned out by the system’s tangible growth and utility. The Gadaa of Tuulama, once bent by the storms of history, has straightened itself. It has fortified its structures, not for a return to a mythical past, but to meet the concrete needs of the present.

Its current strength sends a clear message: the covenant between the Tuulama people and their Gadaa system was strained but never broken. It is an unbreakable framework, now firmly retaking its place not only as the guardian of culture but as a living, breathing institution for justice, unity, and self-determination. In its resilience lies a lesson for all of Oromia and for the world: a system built on genuine social contract can be suppressed, but it cannot be erased.