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Hunting
Hunting is not a full time occupation in Ekpeye land. It is carried side by side with farming. Earlier, in many parts of Ekpeye, hunters moved from an area of one forest to another for wild and other animals. People can know families who have brave hunters by the animal skills displayed in their family alter, called Unu-obodo, meaning family unity.
Wild animals such as tigers, lions, and buffalo etc. were not sold by the hunter. They were shared by the family, and any expenses accrued in regard to the victory parade called “ Ulu-ugo” were borne by the entire family or community.
Individuals will set traps in the bush and regularly check them every morning. Hunting, at times, is done by a group of hunters with guns and bamboo nets called ota. The ota is spread in an area and each hunter joins his ota to another, after which, animals are chased in the bonded ota. The game is shared among the hunters. Though shared equally, the picking is done according to seniority.
European involvement in trade facilitated the monetary economy in Ekpeye land. Articles of trade in Ekpeye are as follows; yams, cassava roots, garri, cocoyam, plantain bananas, pepper, pineapple, corn, vegetables, palm oil, palm wine, fishes, meat etc. Almost every village now has its own daily mini-market that is held in the morning or evening when people have returned for farms.
Each market has its operational days in the Ekpeye calendar of a four-day week. No day is set aside in which the people are not expected to go to farm. Unless on the belief of a particular family that their portion of land forbid entry to farm on that day. Eke is generally forbidden for marriages and burials. Recently the population of Christians has increased, and as a result, people rarely attend markets on worship days such as Sunday.
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