The Tribes of Tanzania.

The tribes of Tanzania.

While we are travelling through Tanzania we have the privilege of getting up close and personal with several of the tribes of the area.

1. Maasai
One of the main tribes that forms the roots and traditions of this area of Africa is the Maasia people.  . They are primarily agrarian and live in little villages or communities, with a chief that leads the tribe. Their village is in the shape of a circle with the perimeter made from trees or shrubs. There are separate areas for cows and goats with fences made from piles of dried trees or brush,

Each chief can have numerous wives, some as many as fifteen or sixteen. Only the first is chosen by him, often through his family. After that, the first wife chooses subsequent wives.

The men gather the twigs and branches and grasses to build the house, but the women build it. The men hunt and the women look after the home and children, as is traditional. The children tend to the goats and cows. The water for drinking must be drawn and carried from a community well. The women or children must tend to that.

We are greeted by the school teacher and welcomed into their community. Small mud huts are dotted throughout the complex. He explain s how the houses are made by applying the mud surface, made of dirt, cow dung and urine, to the hewn wood. This is what they call 'Maasai cement". The hut is topped with grass for a thatched rood. The floor is dirt. There is a kitchen area, which consists of a small firepit area for cooking. The women and children sleep in one area and the man has his own sleeping area. This is current day, not 200 years ago!

The Maasai school teacher and the mud huts they live in.

All children must go to school. Girls are especially encouraged to go and often have more availability for funding for secondary education than boys now as they try to educate the girls.

Maasai women dress in colorful clothing and adorn themselves heavily with beaded collars and multiple earrings.

A young child sits on the ground while the tribes people busy themselves with chores.

The MAASAI WOMEN PERFORM A DANCE OF WELCOME FOR US.

The men also dance. Their ritual includes jumping, where they each jump to see who can achieve the highest jump.

2. Hunting with the Hadzabe Tribe.                                                                                                                                    

We head out early to join the Hadzabe tribe for their early morning hunt. The men are the hunters and the women look after the home and children. The young men make their own arrows before they head out, equipped with bow and arrow and spear. It is their job to gather enough food for the tribe.

A young hunter prepares his arrows for the hunt. Some are made of bone, others of metal.

This is one of the "stoner" hunters. Prior to the hunt they sit around a campfire smoking a joint and passing it around.

The hand made arrows are made with meticulous attention to detail.

The hunters dart in and out of the thickets and shrubs in search of small game or birds. The throw stones at trees and make calls to scare out the birds. They then aim and shoot their spears and arrows. During the several hours we followed them they caught 4 small birds like this one, certainly not much meat to feed the tribe. Then they started a fire, using only a stick and a wooden base, and ate the birds.... not sure what they were taking home to the others!

At the end we returned to the camp and were treated to a tribal dance and had a chance to test our skills with the bow and arrow. It was surprising taut and difficult to get enough of a pull back to launch the arrow any distance.

Our guide, Victor, tries his hand with the bow and arrow.

The landscape where we went with the hunters.

It was an interesting morning, to see how these simple people exist in their world, so primitive and basic. It is like time has stood still. Our guide informs me it has not changed much from their traditional ways, except now they wear more clothes (missionaries or churches give them clothing like pants) as they don`t like them to wear only the skins they would have worn traditionally. 

3. The Datoga Tribe.                                                                                                                                                                                

This group are blacksmiths or metal workers. They collect any materials that are metal and can be forged down   .They then melt down the metals and re-sue them to create new items. They make jewellery like bracelets which they sell in a market.

This group are all   the family of the chief. He has a number of wives, three of them captured here along with other family members. The one in black is not yet married. Once married they can wear colors.

                                              

The women`s dresses are made of rawhide and beaded intricately. Under their dress they wear another leather fringed garment that they receive when they get married and can never take off.

The men operate the forge , the women help make the jewellery and sell it. They also make other items like arrow and spear heads. The materials they use are all salvaged, like parts from vehicles or other abandoned metals,  Most are copper, aluminium or steel.                                                                                                                            

I had to try a few of the bracelets, of course.

Next, we are off to Ngorongoro Crater.for our game drives.... come with me. Let`s go find some animals.