culture, including religion, has been described as an "accretion" of outside influences, as the Moro adjust to the modern world while embracing traditional practices. Additionally, the Moro do not refer to themselves as the Moro, as they have no common tribal name, only being referred to as the Moro by neighboring ethnic groups. Ethnic identity In between 1929-1940, colonial administration enforced a policy dubbed the Nuba Policy, which attempted to preserve the indigenous cultures of the Nuba peoples and additionally prevent their Arabization. To do so, they grouped various Nuba peoples, including the Moro, into provinces governed by singular meks, or governing chiefs. Because of their close proximity, it was necessary for ethnic groups to differentiate from one another to preserve their cultures, which strengthened their ethnic identity salience and widened divisions between neighboring ethnic groups. For example, despite Sudan being a majority Muslim country, most Moro people practice a syncretic form of Christianity, introduced by British-sponsored missionaries, combining the Christian faith with traditional ritual practices. The Moro are neighbored by various Baggara tribes who also live in the Nuba Mountains, who dominate local trade. As a result, the Moro also identify with Christianity as an ethnic faith to differentiate themselves from their Baggara competitors, who are Muslim. Additionally, the Moro maintain this strong sense of ethnic identity by disallowing intermarriage between other ethnic groups, and the integration of non-Moro into their society. Some scholars suggest this is how the Moro have resisted Islamization in the Nuba mountains, which has affected other neighboring ethnic groups. Social structures Society is organized into patrilineal clans, with several clans occupying each hill. Individual clans also have specialized roles, including performing religious ceremonies and leading raiding parties. Before Condominium rule, the Moro had no system of tribal leadership. However, colonial powers implemented a system of elected meks, who had assistance from junior chiefs from surrounding hills. The Moro are split into five specific age groups, which are ngere (ages 1–15), epidi (ages 15–22), udoming (ages 23–30), maji (old adults, and utari (elders). Epidi commonly engage in stickfighting as a form of entertainment and friendly competition, and they are encouraged to do so. Each age group also has specialized responsibilities, such as ngere helping with household tasks and udoming leaving the plains to work in mechanized agriculture. The transition of age groups is often accompanied by ceremony closely related to agriculture. Language The Moro Nuba