From Battlestar Wiki, the free, open content Battlestar Galactica encyclopedia and episode guide
Sagittaron is a colony located within the star system Cyrannus and is one of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol, it is noted to be one of the poorer colonies due to centuries of exploitation. The Sagittaron capital is the city of Tawa (TRS: Serge's Twitter).
Geography and Climate
The planet's land masses are profoundly mountainous in nature, with hundreds of isolated valleys dotted amongst them. Of note is the river Acheron, winding through the mountain ranges for perhaps several thousand kilometers, finally finding its way to the sea through a delta at which end lies an active volcano several kilometer offcoast.
The capital Tawa is situated over 1,600 kilometers inland where two rivers flow into a confluence, either merging to form the Acheron, or joining the main stem of the river. It is a city of marvelous temples and egg-shaped storage structures as a precaution for flooding and storms.
The climate in Sagittaron's fertile valleys is said to be agreeable, something that cannot be told about the mountain trails connecting them, which experience difficult weather circumstances and become impassable during winter, isolating the communities during this time of year.
This continued even during unified Colonial rule, so that eventually Tom Zarek of the S.F.M. led an organized series of terrorist acts against the established government there, many years before the fall of the Colonies. One of these acts include blowing up a government building (TRS: "Bastille Day"). Under Sagittaron penal law, convicted felons lose their citizenship, but have it automatically reinstated after they finish serving their sentences. This included the right to vote and to stand for election (TRS: "Colonial Day").
The Sagittarons practice a form of the Colonial religion that can trace its roots back for at least 1,000 years. Like the Gemenese, they developed a staunch religious stance but with possibly a greater emphasis on traditional folk practice than scripture. They view medicine as "an abomination, a sin against the gods," and instead use charms and natural remedies to promote health, such as the soma braid or the burdock root. This stubbornness and their perceived backwards nature has led to a bitter dislike by members of the other Colonies. During the Second Exodus, the bitterness is reinforced by the fact that many Sagittarons on New Caprica did not help to fight the Cylons, suggesting that the Sagittarons are also pacifists by nature.
They are strong adherents of herbal medicine and reject much of modern medicine, which has lead to derogatory terms such as "stubborn rootsucking jackasses". Dr. Michael Robert expresses skepticism about its effectiveness, however his statement implies that there has not been any serious research on the subject. Many Sagittarons wear soma braids around their wrists, believing it will bring them health.
Given the long history of exploitation and persecution of Sagittaron, their rejection of modern medicine and distrust of the military may have a common source. Dualla, who is a Sagittaron herself, describes her people as "paranoid, pigheaded, and argumentative" (TRS: "The Woman King").
In Other Continuities
Sagittaron is depicted differently (and extensively) in Dynamite Comics's comic series that focus on the life of Tom Zarek before and leading up to the Fall of the Twelve Colonies. See Sagittaron (alternate) for details.