The Mbuti Culture - Research Paper Example

The Mbuti Culture Introduction Africa is known for its diversity of culture all around the world. It is known to incorporate many tribes all over the region which have different cultures and subsistence. Mbuti is a diverse group of people belonging to the Congo region of Africa. The tribe consists of nomadic people who have been hunters and gatherers all over their lives. These people reside in the Ituri rain forest of Zaire which is located in the Central Africa. As the world has developed the tribes have also grown in number. The numbers of Mbuti range up to 20,000 to 50,000 people. Mbuti’s are known as pygmies all around the world because of their short stature. An average Mbuti adult is often four feet six inches tall. The word Pygmies is not preferred by the tribesman as it usually refers to people with a disability. They are known to be nomadic who move from one area to the other for benefits of hunting. The Mbuti people are also known as Bambuti as the word pygmy carries with it different meanings. Pygmies has generally been used in the medical terminology to refer to dwarves who are suffering from physiological problems. In comparison to pygmies these people are normal human beings who are eager to fight with people who insult them in anyway. If they find anyone denying their existence they consider it as an insult and fight for it. Thus it is better for non Mbuti people to claim that they have met with the person before. This essay would further revolve around the people who belong to Mbuti culture and would prove as to how their mode of subsistence is affecting different aspects of their culture (Adinoyi-Ojo 1996; Kent 1996). Primary mode of subsistence It is famous in Africa that the Ituri forest is owned by the Mbuti’s. The tribe is further divided into two classes on the basis of language. The true Mbuti are known to speak Bantu language whereas the Efe are known to speak Sudanese. Both of these subgroups are known to rely on hunting and gathering food in the forest. They gather food and then trade it in the city for commercial meat purposes. These people in return get farm produce which they use for their own purposes. Agricultural labor is also sought by these people as they mostly rely on agriculture as their source of food. The Mbuti exchange their gathering with the villagers for the things that they want. Thus it can be said that the Mbuti have developed an interdependent relationship with the villagers. The Efe similarly maintain the relationship with the villagers but it is not necessary that they use the means of hunting and gathering. Mbuti basically carry out their hunting by using nets as the primary means. They also use bows and spears to catch their predator whenever needed. Similarly the Efe do not use nets but rather use arrows to catch their hunt. The Efe also use bows and spears whenever needed. Their mode of persistence has influenced their lives in every possible way (Kent 1996). Economic organization  As the Mbuti tribe relies more on hunting it can be analyzed that their economic organization is completely different from the villagers. Their primary mode of subsistence is the base from which they develop their economic organization. At many instances it has been seen that the Mbuti tribe give gifts to boost their economic ties with the villagers. The tribe believes in trading with the villagers for mutual benefits. Agricultural benefits and manual labor is sought by the Mbuti tribe in exchange for the hunting that they do for the villagers. The relationship between the villagers and the tribe has been referred to as pseudo kinship. It is this trading that helps to develop the economics of the Mbuti tribe so that they can survive on the agricultural grounds. The trading helps the tribe to work hard for their primary mode of subsistence and deliver to the villagers as has happened for many decades. Moreover hunting and gathering also affects other aspects of the culture (Kent 1996; Cultural Anthropology 2010). Political organization The primary mode of subsistence of the Mbuti tribe does not affect the political organization of the tribe as such. The tribe has an egalitarian view about everyone as each of the members has the right to speak for themselves. The hunters are respected by the members but a social structure is not formed within the tribe. Everyone has an equal access to resources within the tribe which proves that the tribe follows an egalitarian view (Kent 1996). Social Change As the tribe has been foraging for decades it follows a system which would not be changed ever. The members of the tribes follow in the footsteps of their ancestors and carry out everything like them. As they carry out hunting their way of life has remained same over the years. The members of the tribe construct a one room shelter in which a person cannot even stand. The shelter is meant to be for these small people where they can bend their legs and sleep. But this shelter is different when it is made for the married people or girls. The shelter is larger for the families and girls. The basic reason for such a living is that the Mbudi tribe does not believe in change as their ancestors have been living in the same way for a long time. They fall in the category of nomads so they don’t need comfortable homes which would become a permanent residence. The clothes that the members of the tribe wear are also in the fashion of a G string which does not cover the whole body. Moreover the trend of shoes is not common within the members of the tribe. As these people are hunters they do not use shoes as it would make sound and the prey might run away in the process. They try to walk slowly and take advantage of their short stature into the forest so that they can easily hunt and gather food. The tribe does not opt for a social change as the rituals have been carried out from a long time (Adinoyi-Ojo 1996). Beliefs and Values The Mbuti tribe is known for the rituals that it follows. One of the most famous rituals is known as The Molimo amongst the tribesmen. The ritual revolves around the belief that the forest is the savior of the tribe. They believe that they have to pay the forest back in every possible way. A trumpet is used in the ritual by men and women, which is then hidden in the trunks of the tree. This specific day is celebrated after a bad event occurs with the tribe. The tribesmen believe that the forest has slept and is not saving them anymore. Food and firewood are gathered by the tribesmen so that they can celebrate this ritual. Hunting is directly related to the event as they believe that this ritual would help them to enhance their hunting skills. On this specific day some of the tribesmen even go out to hunt so that they can celebrate the event (Kent 1996). Gender relations  The Gender relations of the Mbuti tribe are also affected by their permanent source of subsistence. Hunting gives respect to some of the people who hunt and hence these people are famous within the tribe. The people who are good hunters are wanted by many families. Men interact with each other casually but when an expert hunter comes in the chat he is respected and cautiously talked to. On the other hand an egalitarian system is also established by the tribe where the gender relations would not be affected much by hunting. Conclusion The Mbuti tribe has much to deal with hunting and gathering. It is because of this that most of the aspects of their life are affected by it. The economic organization and trade is the most significant factor of the tribe that is affected by hunting and gathering. Hunting and gathering help the tribesmen to earn respect along with a good trade with the villagers. This trade between the tribe and the villagers helps them to get certain crops on which they feed. The tribe is organized in a fashionable manner following an egalitarian point of view. Most of the tribe is known to be consisting of nomadic gatherers. In conclusion it can be said that the life of the tribesmen is greatly affected by their mode of subsistence. References Top of Form Cultural Anthropology: The Human Challenge. Wadsworth Pub Co, 2010. Print. Bottom of Form Top of Form Adinoyi-Ojo, O. (1996). Mbuti. New York: Rosen Pub. Group. Top of Form Kent, Susan. Cultural Diversity Among Twentieth-Century Foragers: An African Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Print. Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Read More