Women keep busy with fishing and construction of their cottages, while men go hunting. Moving often to be able to find game animals, Pygmies prepare wooden and stone arrows and spears to hunt monkey, antelope, gazelle and elephants.
They are also famous for their mastering of climbing trees. Recently, the Cameroon government initiated social integration programs to make Pygmies adopt to settled life. Under the context of the programs, Pygmies are given education in various areas such as agriculture, apiculture and animal breeding.
Although they have been accepted as citizens of the countries they live in over time, they still cannot benefit from many social services like health care. Regulating their social life according to highly complicated rules, Pygmies generally prefer persons out of their tribe for marriages.
The rainforests in which Pygmies live, are being quickly consumed by lumbering and mining. Their living spaces are narrowing down day by day, as they are not allowed to live in forests which are turned into national parks. Speaking a language called "Mabi," or "Mabea," which is peculiar to them, Pygmies have poems and epic stories which are passed on by the generations.
Worshipping one single god called "Komba" and believing everything was created by him, the Pygmies also believe in an afterlife. But it is common that, within a family, everyone participates in all activities to get a better harvest or more abundant meat. The Pygmies live from day to day, without thinking of the next day. They do not store or accumulate resources that they can get when needed wood, leaves, stones, plants, etc… Traditionally, they exchange what nature cannot provide.
They exchange their products with their Bantu neighbours. This makes them the victims of the economic system of their Bantu neighbours, based on the appropriation of wealth.
Indeed, the Bantu do not limit these exchanges to the resources of the forest. Very often, they employ Pygmies for agricultural work such as forest clearing or carrying wood, construction of huts, and then pay very poorly in bags of flour or cassava. Although this provokes international reactions, it is generally accepted that the Bantu treat Pygmies as their slaves. Social organization Traditional social structures are based on an affiliation and age-class system. The affiliation system is based on family, lineage, sub clan, and clan.
The clan is composed of individuals claiming the same ancestor, real or fictional. Among the Baka, the clan is designated by the term Ye, Yelikemba means for example clan of Likemba. Political Organization A Pygmy community is subject to the verdict of the Council of Elders and placed under the authority of a traditional chief. Far from being a formal structure, the Council of Elders meets only occasionally, to solve a specific problem that arises in the camp.
The authority is usually in the hands of an old man whose power is exercised by right on the whole community. For lack of information, but especially because of the non-recognition of their identity, the Pygmies populations are not interested in the national political life and take no part in the elections, social changes, economic developments…. This parasite lives in soil and sand, and burrows into feet; if it is not extracted it causes infection and eventually deformity.
His is a mild case compared with those of the many children crippled by infestations. Traditional medicine remains the first port of call for many Baka, and an overwhelming belief in sorcery and witchcraft often creates a fatalist attitude that stops them seeking proper medical treatment and sticking to drug regimes. The woman pictured below is being treated for a toothache, her cheek stained where traditional medicine has been applied.
The future looks certain through the eyes of Baka children. Here, they gleefully mimic the traditions of their community. For these young people, there are few opportunities. Hunting used to be easy: the forest used to be teeming with wildlife. But the severe depletion of animals has changed that. Hunting — and consequently eating — is now less reliable, tarnishing the appeal of traditional life for youth. Yet village life also holds little promise.
Young people are floundering, confused and too often taking refuge in tramadol , a powerful synthetic opiate available in nearby Bayanga town, and in glue-sniffing. Topics Global development Environmental sustainability Conflict and arms Indigenous peoples Conservation Trees and forests features. Reuse this content. They are in Beni because there is a school there.
But he only sees them once a year for twenty days or so. He is excited that he will be guiding me to Beni, because he will see his family. Enter a name, region, country, activity or keyword phrase, For example: "Alligator, Okenfenokee Swamp". All Rights Reserved. Images are protected under the U.
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