About one quarter of Pokot are cultivators
("corn people" Pi Pa Pax), while the remaining are
pastoralists ("cow people" Pi Pa Tix) and nomadic.
Among both groups wealth is measured by the
number of cows one owns. Cows are used for barter, exchange, and
most significantly as a form of bride wealth. A man is permitted
to marry more than one woman, as long as he has sufficient
number of cows to offer to her family in exchange. This is the
primary way for wealth and resources to change hands in Pokot
society. Cows are rarely slaughtered for meat because they are
much more valuable alive. They provide milk, butter, and cheese,
which provide an important component of Pokot dietary needs.
Pokot society is governed through a series of
age-grades. Group membership is determined by the age at which
one undergoes initiation. For young men this occurs between ages
fifteen and twenty, while for young women it usually occurs
around age twelve at the onset of menarche.
After initiation,
young people are allowed to marry and are permitted to begin
participating in local economic activities. Young men and women
form close bonds with other members of their initiation groups,
and these bonds serve for future political ties. When a man or
woman reaches old age among Pokot, he or she is accorded a
certain degree of status and respect. Responsibilities of elders
include presiding over important community decisions, festivals,
and religious ceremonies.
Tororot is considered the supreme deity among
Pokot. Prayers and offerings are made to him during communal
gatherings, including feasts and dances. Such ceremonies are
usually presided over by a community elder. Diviners and
medicine men also play a significant role in maintaining
spiritual balance within the community.
Pokot believe in sorcery
and use various forms of protection to escape the ill will of
sorcerers. Pokot also revere a series of other deities,
including sun and moon deities and a spirit who is believed to
be connected with death. Dances and feasts are held to thank the
god for the generosity and abundance, which he bestows upon
Pokot communities.
Source: Art and
Life in Africa, 1998
The
inhabitants of West Pokot are Pokot Peoples. 
