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.
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