Week 15 - Social Studies-Hands On

May 28-May 30

Monday morning we loaded me, 8 University of Virginia students, their two advisors plus our two drivers, Fred and Haji, and our cook, Rama into 2 jeeps for our safari to the land of the Hadzabe Tribe. The roof was piled with backpacks, tents and sleeping bags. The UVA students had all their belongings with them since they were not returning to Moshi. We drove to our campsite on Monday stopping in Arusha for about an hour and a half for the UVA group to make some arrangements for a later part of their trip. Arusha is over twice the size of Moshi and the traffic and number of people out and about is at least double. Bustling takes on a whole new meaning in Arusha and the driving tactics make Moshi feel like a drive in the countryside.

Our drive was very scenic with mountains in the distance and rolling landscape nearby. We passed through a number of Massai villages and noticed many of the youth in all black with decorative white face paint. It was explained that they are preparing for their circumcision ceremony. The Massai are one of the tribes who take many wives and Fred pointed out a government school that was built to accommodate the 100 children of ONE Massai man!

Arriving at camp, the jeeps were unloaded, tents set up, and dinner prepared.  We met our guide, Tofa, who is of the Datooga tribe and speaks Hadza, Swahili, English as well as his tribal language. The plan was to leave by 6:30 in the morning so it was an early night. I woke up around 5:00 and sat outside star gazing. The southern sky is glorious on a clear night. The stars appear much larger and brighter, easily reminding one of “diamonds in the sky”.

We drove at least an hour into the “bush”. I wouldn’t call what we drove on as “roads”. Pavement was non-existent and the paths were seldom discernible. If we weren’t driving in deep loose sand, we were bouncing over rocks, stones, and potholes. We only got stuck once and that was in the sand. Our drivers were amazing and I am convinced there could be an Olympic sport created around this maneuvering. We passed thru a few villages and then the housing became sparser the deeper in we drove until we saw no housing at all.

The Hadzabe (also known as Hadza) are the ethnic group often referred to as Bushmen. They are concentrated in north-central Tanzania, living around Lake Eyasi in the Central Rift Valley and in the neighboring Serengeti Plateau. Only 400 Hadza hunter-gatherers remain, living much as their ancestors have for thousands or even tens of thousands of years. They are the last of the full-time hunter-gatherers in Africa. Archaeological evidence suggests that the area has been continuously occupied by hunter gatherers much like the Hadza since at least the beginning of the Later Stone Age, 50,000 years ago.

From the 18th century onwards, there has been increasing contact from the outside. Initially farmers and herders tried to enter Hadza territory. The colonial government as well as the later independent Tanzanian government attempted to settle the Hadza.  Foreign missionaries also entered their areas trying to convert the tribe to Christianity. The resulting conflicts between these groups (often hostile) led to a decline in the population. These efforts largely failed, and many Hadza still pursue virtually the same way of life as their ancestors.

An interesting David and Goliath story occurred in 2007 when the local government leased 6500 km² to a United Arab Emirates royal family for use as a “personal safari playground”. Both the Hadza and Datooga tribes were evicted; and some tribespeople were imprisoned for resisting. Fortunately, after protests from the tribes as well as negative international press, the arrangement was retracted. Furthermore, the Hadza are the only people in Tanzania who are not taxed by the government,

The jeeps were parked and we walked to an area where two tribesmen and a younger boy (maybe 10-12) were sitting around a fire. Behind them were a group of women and small children. The women were beading. We exchanged greetings and the men then demonstrated how they start a fire. They use a tall stick which is placed in a creviced section of a smaller but wider piece of wood. This smaller piece sits on the blade of a knife. One person rubs the tall stick rotating it back and forth while moving their hands up and down the stick. It took no time and smoke, then fire, arose from the wood. They made it look simple but when a few students tried it, they failed miserably! The hot ash was then placed in a pipe which they proceeded to smoke. The Hadza are marijuana smokers, believing that it helps them remain sharp for hunting. I was unable to find out how long this has been going on as it does not grow wild where they live and they must travel to purchase it from another village. Prior to marijuana they smoked other plants or tobacco but seem to now have a preference for marijuana. It is not uncommon to start the day with a pipeful and is also smoked by the women and youth. According to Tofa, the Hadzabe are unaware of health issues related to tobacco, or marijuana use.

We were to accompany the two men and boy on a hunt through the bush. I really was curious about this because I figured we would be too noisy for them to ever catch anything. They carried spears tipped in a poison. Baboon fur is worn on the head as camouflage. We hiked with our guide as the men and boy went off in different directions but within the same area as our guide was leading us. There are no trails in the bush and although the hiking was only mildly strenuous, the terrain was treacherous. Much of the area is loose rocks and stones. We climbed up and down hills and the downhill was literally sliding and trying not to lose your balance. The “age card” totally worked for me as the guide took my arm for most of the downhill. I found a walking stick which helped but holding the guide’s arm made me feel the most secure. Typically when hiking, you can grab onto branches and bushes for support but these bushes were covered in thorns that constantly caught in your clothing and hair. Our guide also showed us a tree whose branches are used for teeth cleaning. When the bark is torn away, the inside is fibrous and works like a toothbrush.

Watching the hunters sprint stealthily through the bush, oblivious to the thorns and rocks was a sight to behold. Their dress consisted of shorts, no shirt and sandals. Thorn scars were visibly etched in the hunters’ bodies. Most of our group wore hiking boots and we were all in long sleeves and pants.

About an hour into our hike the men spotted 2 squirrel-sized lemurs in a tree. One of the men speared the first animal right through the heart. They then shook the tree to loosen the lemur from its branch and bring it to the ground. The lemur was removed from the spear and laced through the hunter’s belt. The spear did not pierce the heart of the second lemur so when it fell from the tree was still alive. The hunter proceeded to break its legs and then bang its head on a stone to break the neck. This definitely killed the animal.

We returned to the starting point where the hunters placed the whole animal including fur on an open fire for cooking. The hunters had no utensils and used their hands to turn the animal. The lemur was soon de-furred and smaller parts broken off as the animal was thoroughly cooked. The young boy brought parts of the animal around, cutting a small piece for each of us to try. Surprisingly it was quite tasty reminding us of pork tenderloin.

A traditional dance was performed and we were all invited to join in the dance circle. Next we were encouraged to try shooting their bows and arrows. My college archery skills served me well as I was able to shoot the arrow a decent distance!

It was a remarkable morning. I had a bit of apprehension that this excursion might feel professionally commercial and contrived. I had felt this way when we visited the Massai several years ago and found that experience uncomfortable. I was pleasantly relieved as I felt, and the others agreed, that the tribespeople were carrying on as though this was a typical day and we were there observing. I felt they were genuine and sincere in welcoming us and sharing a part of their reality.

Returning to camp, we ate a delicious lunch and rested before a late afternoon visit to the Datooga tribe. I spent this rest time with Tofa inquiring about the Hadza and Datooga cultures. Even though Tofa speaks several languages, his English is a bit weak so Fred and Haji joined in to both translate and learn about the tribes we were visiting. I cannot attest to the accuracy of what I was told plus the mere fact that we were translating between several languages may have distorted some of the facts.

Both tribes have been resistant to cultural changes over the years. I was informed that neither tribe believes in a god or gods and follows no particular belief system. Medicine men are active in both tribes not only for medical care but also for prophesying.

Both tribes are patriarchal. The elders and decision makers are men. Roles are also defined. For the Hadza, the men are the hunter-gatherers while women collect berries, tubers and greens. Both the men and women forage for honey and Baobab fruit, sometimes together. The men cook the meat and the women prepare the meals.  The Hadza diet is dependent on the season and what is available. The tribe is nomadic and will migrate to areas where animals are more readily found or where berries are in season. Meat is the primary source of food and although hunting is illegal in the Serengeti, the Tanzanian government recognizes the Hadza as distinct and they are not bound by the hunting laws. In recent years, the Tanzanian government has also provided corn flour to the Hadza.

The Datooga, who number approximately 90,000, are primarily cattle farmers but also raise goat, sheep and chickens. Men and boys tend to the animals. The women sell the meat at market and do the cooking. Their diet consists of meat and Ugali (traditional food made of maize flour and water, cooked to a dough-like consistency).

In both tribes, caring for the children is primarily the women’s responsibility but “It takes a village to raise a child” is a widely-held philosophy. There are no rituals among either tribe for the birth of a child. While the Hadza do not circumcise their boys, the Datooga tribe does. There is much ritual surrounding this event which usually takes place when the boys are around 10 years of age. A large cow is cooked and shared among the village; the celebration also includes dancing and drumming.  

Each tribe has a distinct approach to death. For the Hadza, they will abandon their camp when someone becomes ill and dies. They associate the illness with the area where the person became ill. There is also a belief that another person may be the cause of death. This explanation was not clear to me but I used the following analogy and Tofa agreed with my understanding. If someone has had a conflict over something and holds negative feelings for another person the harboring of negativity will result in death. The Hadza have a history of not burying their dead. However, due to the potential health issues, the Hadza inform the local government when a death occurs and the government removes and buries the body.

Within the Datooga tribe, death is a week-long celebration. The first day is a day of mourning and the rest of the week includes the killing and sharing of cows; drinking of local brew; and much dancing. The Datooga do not believe that the person is gone as they communicate and meet with their dead through the dreams of the medicine man.

Marriage is the man’s choosing. The Hadza are monogamous; the woman has no say in the choice of a husband. The Hadza man will kill an animal to bring to the wife’s family as an act of proposal. The Datooga have a 3-day wedding celebration. Some brides are as young as 15, however, no one keeps track of age. The Datooga have multiple wives and they all live together.

Celebration among both tribes incorporate music, singing and dancing. The Hadzabe dance with a tambourine-like instrument wrapped around their ankles. Drums are a focal point for both. Dancing among the Datooga consists of jumping, similar to the Massai. The Datooga also make and use a 2-string banjo-type instrument.

Discipline issues are handled by the tribal chief and council. Since the Datooga are not nomadic, a crime such as stealing would result in isolation from the tribe for a year. The Hadza resolves conflict by one of the parties voluntarily moving to another camp. Corporal punishment is used to discipline children, typically by caning.

It wasn’t until the early 2000’s that tourism came into existence for the Hadzabe’s. Ironically this was a result of documentaries shown on PBS and the BBC. Tribes still exist deeper in the bush who have not entered into tourism and keep their way of life untainted by the outside world. As is characteristic of Western encroachment, tourism brought a monetary system to the Hdazabe along with the introduction of alcohol which has resulted in alcoholism and deaths from alcohol poisoning. Tuberculosis is also a serious concern. Needless to say, there is an ethical conflict for me when I engage in this type of activity. I have a strong desire to learn about other cultures but unfortunately this type of exploration comes with risks. The mere fact that there are less than 1,000 Hadzabe is alarming. Some of the traditions are changing for those who live closer to other tribes. For those who are involved in the tourism industry, animal skin clothing has been replaced with clothing, such as the shorts the men wore and the cloth dressings of the women. The Tanzanian monetary system has replaced trading. The women are involved in bead making for additional income.

At the close of our conversation, I asked how they felt about the changes taking place within the Hadza tribe. Fred remarked that it made him feel sad to see them move away from their traditions. Tofa saw the shift as progress and a good thing. Although he did state that it will lead to the subsequent loss of traditions. Haji did not see the changes as a good thing as he fears the Hadza tribe will eventually die off.

Our afternoon visit to the Datooga tribe proved to be another interesting adventure. The people lived in huts and ground their own corn with stone. Datooga do not hunt but use arrows to keep wild animals away from their livestock. They are also blacksmiths. We watched a man take a long nail (8 penny) and make it into a perfectly shaped arrowhead. They also make jewelry and other items for sale to tourists. They will use old aluminum pots and door handles that they melt down and shape into bracelets and rings. I noticed a very colorful knife sheath and it was explained that the colors were from thrown away plastic (probably buckets) patterned decoratively on the sheath.

We observed the blacksmithing while another Datooga man played the banjo-like instrument. We also participated in a traditional dance. Although we felt genuinely welcomed by this group it felt a bit more commercial than our visit with the Hadzabe. The women were especially friendly and warm. Their traditional dress was gorgeous. They wear either a sheep hide skirt or dress decorated with colorful beading. The process takes about a month and the result is well worth the time. Jewelry is worn by the women in place of a wedding ring. They wear multiple bracelets adorning both arms. One of the women had something around her eye. After inquiring I was told that it is a common circular pattern that is tattooed as a decoration around one’s eye.

There was more planned for Wednesday morning and fortunately we didn’t have to leave until 8:30am. We visited Lake Eyasi which is a shallow salt lake with the plains of the Serengeti as its backdrop. During the dry season the lake can easily be crossed by foot. During the wet season, hippos gather to drink at the shores. Lake Eyasi supports fishing and I watched a man with his catch. He was using a reed to weave thru the gill and mouth of each fish in order to tie them together. None of the fish were longer than 8 inches. It was incredibly windy which we were told was the reason the lake was very brown in color. We also discovered flamingos in a small inlet area.

Our final destination was an onion farm. It was a bit uncomfortable traipsing thru this huge field observing the workers harvesting the onions. It had to be backbreaking work and when asked we were told they make about $5 USD/day.

We returned to camp, ate lunch and loaded up. We stopped in Arusha to drop off the students and advisors. We arrived home a little before 10pm and although I was filthy, exhausted and hungry, this adventure was a truly amazing experience.