Mbuti

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The Mbuti are one of several indigenous hunter-gatherer groups in the Congo region of Africa.

Mbuti
Total population 30,000-40,000
Regions with significant populations Democratic Republic of the Congo
Language Balese, Bira, Mangbetu
Religion Bambuti mythology
Related ethnic groups Pygmies, Batwa, Bushmen

Contents

[edit] Overview

Of the Pygmies, Batwa, or Bushmen, the Bambuti is one such group of hunter-gatherers. One of the oldest inhabitants of the area, the Bambuti are composed of bands which are relatively small in size, ranging from 15 to 60 people. The Mbuti population totals about 30,000 to 40,000 people. There are three distinct cultures, each with their own dialect, within the Bambuti. These are the Efe, which speak Balese, the Sua, who speak Bira, and the Aka who speak Mangbetu [1].

The Ancient Egyptians, around 2,500 B.C. made reference to a "people of the trees" that could be the Mbuti. [2].

[edit] Location

The Mbuti live in the forested Congo region, located in the heart of Africa. The country is now called The Democratic Republic of Congo. Specifically, they sustain themselves by hunting and gathering in the Ituri forest, in northeast Zaire [3]. The Mbuti escape many influences and pressures from the national government by living a traditional way of life in the forest. Civil war and violation of human rights has affected the lives of many of the Mbuti. Some of the hunter-gatherers choose to move into modern-day villages instead of retaining the customary Mbuti life, due to pressure from the government. If there are disputes or wrongdoing from an individual, the Mbuti usually take matters into their own hands by either banishing, beating, or in smaller incidences, ridicule [4].

[edit] Environment

Map of Ituri within the DRC.
Enlarge
Map of Ituri within the DRC.

The forest of Ituri is a tropical rainforest. In this area, there is a high amount of rainfall annually, ranging from 50 to 70 inches [5]. The rainforest is 70,000 square kilometers. The dry season is relatively short, ranging from one to two months in duration [6]. The forest is a moist, humid region strewn with rivers and lakes. Several ecological problems exist that affect the Mbuti. Disease is prevalent in the forests and can spread quickly, not only killing humans, but plants, and animals, the major source of food, as well. One disease, carried by tsetse flies, is sleeping sickness, which limits the use of large mammals [7]. Too much rainfall and droughts can greatly diminish the food supply as well.

[edit] Settlement architecture and organization

The Mbuti live in villages that are categorized as bands. Each hut houses a family unit. At the start of the dry season, they leave the village to enter the forest and set up a series of camps [8]. This way the Mbuti are able to utilize more land area for maximum foraging. These villages are solitary and separated from other groups of people. Their houses are small, circular, and very temporary. Unlike many modern architects, they do not use blueprints, but instead trace the outline of the house into the ground [9]. The walls of the structures are poles that are placed in the ground and at the top of the poles, a vine is tied around them to keep them together [10]. Large leaves are also used in the construction of the huts.

[edit] Food and resources

The Mbuti are primarily hunter-gatherers, foraging for food in the forest. The Mbuti have a vast knowledge about the forest and the foods it yields. Crabs, shellfish, ants, larvae, snails, fruits, roots, leaves, and cola nuts are some of the assortment of food that the Mbuti collect [11]. Other food sources yielded by the forest are animals for meat consumption, root plants, palm trees, and bananas [12]; and in some seasons, wild honey [13]. Yams, legumes, beans, peanuts, hibiscus, amaranth, and gourds are also consumed [14] . The Mbuti utilize large nets, traps, and bows and arrows to hunt game. Women and children sometimes help out by trying to drive the animals into the nets. Both sexes gather and forage. Each band has its own hunting ground, although boundaries are hard to maintain [15].

[edit] Trade

Trading does exist between the Bantu villagers and the Mbuti. The Bantu villagers produce many items that the hunter gatherers trade some of their products for. The village goods include iron goods, pots, wooden goods, and basketry [16]. The hunter gatherers can trade meat, animal hides, and other forest foods in exchange [17]. Meat is a particularly frequently traded item. They can also trade to obtain agricultural products from the villagers. In market exchanges, prices are usually arbitrary, and people usually try to bargain for prices or trade one good for another [18].

[edit] Labor

Hunting is usually done in groups, with men, women, and children all aiding in the process. Women and children are not involved if the hunting involves the use of a bow and arrow, but if nets are used, it is common for everyone to participate. In some instances women may hunt using a net more often than men. The women and the children try to herd the animals to the net, while the men guard the net. Everyone engages in foraging, and women and men both take care of the children. Women are in charge of cooking, cleaning and repairing the hut, and obtaining water. The kin based units work together to provide food and care for the young.

[edit] Kinship and descent system

The Mbuti descent tend to be patrilineal and residences is patrilocal post-marital, but the system is rather loose. The only type of group seen amongst the Mbuti is the nuclear family [19]. Kinship also provides allies for each group of people.

[edit] Marriage customs

Sister exchange is the common form of marriage [20]. Based on reciprocal exchange, men from other bands exchange their sister or another female that he has ties to [21]. In Mbuti society, bride wealth is not customary. There is no formal marriage ceremony: a couple are considered married when they begin sharing a household. Polygamy does occur, but at different rates depending on the group, and it is not very common.

[edit] Political structure

There is no ruling group or lineage, and no overlying political organization. The Mbuti are an egalitarian society in which the band is the highest form of social organization [22]. An instance in which leadership may be displayed is on hunting treks [23]. Men and women basically have equal power. Fire camps are where issues in the community and decisions are made by consensus, in which men and women engage in the conversations equivalently [24]. There is not much political or social structure among the Mbuti. If there is a disagreement, misdemeanor, or offense, then the person may be banished, beaten, or scorned [25].

[edit] Religion

See Bambuti mythology.

Everything in the Mbuti life is centered on the forest because that is what sustains them and they believe that it is a sacred place. They sometimes call the forest “mother” or “father.” An important ritual that impacts the Mbuti life is referred to as molimo. After events such as death, it is noisily celebrated to wake the forest up, in the belief that if bad things are happening to its children, it must be asleep. [26]. The time it takes to complete a molimo, as for many Mbuti rituals, is not rigidly set; instead, it is determined by the mood of the group. Food is collected from each hut to feed the molimo, and in the evening the ritual is accompanied by the men dancing and singing around the fire. Women and children must remain in their huts with the doors closed.

The molimo is also the name of a trumpet the men play during the ritual. Traditionally, it was made of wood or sometimes bamboo, but Turnbull also reported the use of metal drainpipes. When not in use, the trumpet is stored in the trees of the forest. During a celebration, the trumpet is retrieved by the youth of the village and carried back to the fire. [27].

[edit] Major challenges today

Unfortunately, the land that the Mbuti live on is threatened for various reasons. It is not protected by the law, and the boundaries that each band claims is not distinctly marked out. They are no longer allowed to hunt large game, so they have to trade with nearby Bantu villages. Due to deforestation, gold mining, and modern influences, from plantations, agriculturalists, and efforts to conserve the forests, their food supply is threatened. There is also a lot of civil unrest in the country.

[edit] References

1 ↑  Mukenge, Tshilemalea (2002). Culture and Customs of the Congo. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press.
2 ↑  Turnbull, Colin M. (1968). The Forest People. New York, Simon and Schuster, Inc.
3 ↑  Mukenge. Culture and Customs of the Congo.
4 ↑  Mukenge. Culture and Customs of the Congo.
5 ↑  Ehret, Christopher (1998). The Civilizations of Africa. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia.
6 ↑  Ehret. The Civilizations of Africa.
7 ↑  King, Glenn (2002). Traditional Cultures. Prospect Heights, Illinois: Waveland Press.
8 ↑  King. Traditional Cultures.
9 ↑  Mukenge. Culture and Customs of the Congo.
10 ↑  Mukenge. Culture and Customs of the Congo.
11 ↑  King. Traditional Cultures.
12 ↑  King. Traditional Cultures.
13 ↑  Turnbull. The Forest People.
14 ↑  King. Traditional Cultures.
15 ↑  Mukenge. Culture and Customs of the Congo.
16 ↑  Ehret. The Civilizations of Africa.
17 ↑  Ehret. The Civilizations of Africa.
18 ↑  Mukenge. Culture and Customs of the Congo.
19 ↑  Mukenge. Culture and Customs of the Congo.
20 ↑  Mukenge. Culture and Customs of the Congo.
21 ↑  Mukenge. Culture and Customs of the Congo.
22 ↑  Mukenge. Culture and Customs of the Congo.
23 ↑  Mukenge. Culture and Customs of the Congo.
24 ↑  Mukenge. Culture and Customs of the Congo.
25 ↑  Mukenge. Culture and Customs of the Congo.
26 ↑  Turnbull. The Forest People.
27 ↑  Turnbull. The Forest People.
28 ↑  Day, Thomas. The Largest Expanse.

[edit] External links

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