Beja video data on the Internet: Local and Global Dimensions of Identity

Introduction. The article considers the processes of identity manifestation and construction of the Beja people on the Internet. Materials and methods. The study was carried out as part of an interdisciplinary research of the history, anthropology, geology, and ethnography of the Atbay region in northeastern Sudan, initiated by Lomonosov Moscow State University. The authors emphasize the importance of the online space for the identity manifestation of stateless cultures. The analysis of online sources is preceded by a consideration of the historical conditions and special traits of Beja self-perception. Comments from YouTube video hosting users on videos dedicated to the history and culture of the Beja people are involved as sources for the study. Results and discussion. As a result of their analysis, four main patterns of Beja identity are determined: supra-ethnic cooperation with the “Arab world”; the association of Beja with the "pancushitic" community; and "ethnic identity" limited by the boundaries of the Beja community itself. The authors conclude that the Beja identity on the Internet is constructed in two dimensions: "global" and "local". The "global" level is represented by mainly the African diaspora, the "local" one – by Internet resources that are used by residents of the East African region. The findings made in the online study are compared with the ethnographic materials collected by the authors in Atbay region among the Beja Bishariin, physical anthropology data and historical evidence. Some excerpts from an interview with Mr. Onur, who comes from the Beja Ertega tribe (acted as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Sudan to the Russian Federation until 2022) are also included in analysis. Conclusion. As a result of comparing all types of data, the authors conclude that the Beja identity exhibits a high degree of lability. It is suggested that the reasons for such lability may be related to the historical conditions of the Beja ethnogenesis on the periphery of ancient civilizations and to the significant heterogeneity of the historical population of the Eastern Desert in all the historical periods under consideration. @ 2023. This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 license