Yaka people

The Yaka are an ethnic group of Southwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola. They number about 300,000. They live in the forest and savanna areas between the Kwango and Wamba rivers. They are very artistic. Many of their religious and cultural customs transcend ethnic boundaries, and are shared with the Suku and Lunda.

Art

The Yaka are very artistic. They make statues, portraits, masks, tools for cooking, building, hunting, fishing or entertaining with additions of instrumments such as drums. Masks were frequently used in various ceremonies such as circumcision; initiation; celebration of birth of a child; marriage; or death of an important chief. Masks varied in styles based on their usage and the details on each mask conveyed an important message.

Bibliography

• Bourgeois, Arthur P. (1985) The Yaka and Suku. Leiden: Brill.

See also

• Jagas

Ethnic groups in Angola Ambundu Chokwe Herero Himba Kongo ǃKung Lovale Lozi Lunda Mbunda Mucubal Ovambo Ovimbundu Portuguese Angolans Twa White Angolans Xindonga Yaka Yombe Zemba

Ethnic groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Indigenous Alur Amba Avukaya Baka Bakwa Dishi Banda Banyamulenge Bemba Bembe Boa Budu Bunda Bwile Chokwe Dengese Efé Furiiru Garanganze Gbaya Great Lakes Twa Hema Hemba Holoholo Hutu Iyaelima Kakwa Kango Kele Keliko Kongo Konjo Lega Lele Lendu Logo Luba Lugbara Lulua Lunda Lungu M'Baka Mangbetu Mbo Mbole Mbunda Mbuti Mongo Mongo Twa Mono Moru Mpama Ndaka Ngando Ngata Ngbandi Nyanga Pende Sanga Songora Songye Tagbu Teke Tetela Topoke Tumbwe Turumbu Tutsi Vira Wochua Yaka Yakoma Yombe Yulu Zande Zyoba Non-indigenous Chinese Europeans Greek Jewish