African Tribes

Zehra Elif Kozan

Our world accommodates many people who speak different languages and come from different races. For centuries people lived on different continents all around the world. Over time their cultures differentiated, they created new languages and new traditions. Nowadays some indigenous cultures which consist of direct descendants of the earliest modern humans (homo sapiens) are living in Africa. These African people are living in Tribes. A tribe is an organization of people who share the same culture and language. The people who live in African tribes are among the people who try to preserve their culture and their traditions in our world despite European colonization. In 2002 the African people even joined other indigenous people to push for the interest of indigenous people in the World Summit. With this act, they managed to secure their property rights. Indigenous people are still attending worldwide events to defend their rights and protect their culture. Their traditional language and culture are threatened by urbanization and they are still facing many challenges to keep their language and culture alive. The African tribes also faced a lot of challenges from marginalization to nonrecognition by governments over the years. They are still struggling with poverty and dangerous illnesses. However, nowadays our world is more aware of their existence and even some countries are helping African tribes to develop their nation. African tribes are mostly unaware of technological developments in our world, so they solve their problems in more primitive ways, but they still love their culture and they hold on tightly to their primitive lifestyle. Africa is a very ancient continent and the world’s second-largest continent today, it is known that there are about 3,000 tribes in Africa that speak more than 2,000 different languages. Because of that, Africa is very rich in culture and the language they use, their rules, their traditions, and way of life vary from one tribe to another. Whereas the African population had immense changes over time. Some tribes no longer exist while some tribes have merged, and some tribes have been split into many smaller tribes. The following are several famous and oldest cultural tribes in Africa each with its own characteristics and traditions. We can’t divide the Africa continent into regions although we can group the people and the countries according to climates and vegetation factors.

North Africa

Whereas North Africa has borders with Mediterranean countries and the Mediterranean Sea some areas in the southern border of the Sahara which belongs to North Africa are really dry and people mostly live a nomadic lifestyle with their tribes. North Africa is a huge region so there is a significant diversity of people and their cultures.

Berbers

The Berbers who call themselves Amazigh are the indigenous people of North Africa. Their tribe is over ten thousand years old, some people believe that they exist in the Maghreb region of Africa since the beginning of recorded history in the area. They are the oldest African tribe known so far. The modern Berbers who live in north Africa are also descendants of the pre-Arab inhabitants. The Berbers were named by the Romans and the name Berber comes from the word barbarians (barbarous) in Latin. Their current population is between 20 and 30 million. The Berbers mostly live in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, France, and Mauritania. They use different kinds of Berber languages and marabi Arabic languages. The Berbers are now mostly Muslim. Traditionally the Berber man takes care of livestock and the Berber woman looks after the family and makes handicrafts. They travel to find water and food, so they live a nomadic and semi-nomadic lifestyle. The Berbers have difficulties in finding food and water resources, so they are obligated to live a nomadic lifestyle; it is sometimes hard for them to migrate to different locations. The Berber tribes weave kilims. The kilims maintain their traditional appearance and they are different for each tribe. They have a leader in each tribe. İn marriages the man selects women and mostly the family makes the final decision but in the Tuareg tribe which is a large Berber tribe the women choose whom she wants to marry. Berber cuisine is a traditional cuisine that hasn’t changed over time. Couscous dish and turkey tajine are their well-known dishes.

Dogons

The Dogons are an ethnic group living in the central plateau region of Mali, in West Africa but it is believed that they originally had it from the north to avoid Islamisation. They used to have their own African traditional religion but some of them are now Muslims and others are Christians. They use the Dogon languages and French. The population of the Dogon tribe is between four hundred thousand and eight hundred thousand. Their population is not as crowded as the Berbers. They are known for their astronomical knowledge, religious traditions, their masks, wooden sculptures, and their architectural style. Dogon art is mainly sculpture. They like hiding their sculptures from the public eye. They commonly hide their sculptures in their houses, sanctuaries, or with the Hogon. A Hogan is a spiritual and political leader in a Dogon village who plays an important role in their religion. Mostly the majority of marriages are monogamous but polygynous marriages are also acceptable. Women can divorce their husband before their first child but after having children divorce becomes a serious problem and the woman needs the participation of the whole village to get the divorce. The Dogons are mainly farmers in addition to farming they also collect wild fruits, nuts, and honey. The Awa is an important masked dance society. In the Dogon society, there are two endogamous castes: the smiths and the leather-workers. These caste members are separate from the rest of the Dogons. The Dogons build their villages near a source of water. A Dogon woman has her economic independence like in our modern society. She can make cotton or pottery to sell and she stores her personal belongings in a female granary, a place that her husband has no access to. To preserve their culture, they still wear their traditional masks and they obey their rules strictly. Dogons found out that the earth was round centuries before we did and it is believed that they have immense knowledge in sciences.

West Africa

There are also several tribes in west Africa. Yoruba, Ashanti, and Mbenga are the best-known tribes in west Africa. Like the tribes in North Africa, these western tribes also have different characteristic features, languages, and significant traditions.

Yoruba

The Yoruba people are a very large ethnic group who live in western Africa, mainly in Nigeria and Benin. They are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa and also, they are the largest tribe in the whole of west Africa. Their population is more than forty-four million in total. They speak their own Yoruba language, Yoruboid language, and English. The Yoruba people are proud of their outfits which they are well-known for. They make their clothing from cotton. They believe that their clothes reflect their personality and social status so they wear different clothes for different occasions. “Aso Oke” is a basic hand-woven clothing piece created by Yoruba people. Women and men wear different kinds of clothing. For menswear, they have “Dandogo”, “Agbada”, “Gbariye”. For womenswear, they have an “Iro” and “Buba”. They also have to wear a matching “Gele” (headgear) when they wear an “Iro” or “Buba”. There are many types of beads, hand laces, necklaces, and anklets worn by both men and women. The Yoruba people believe that they can only develop their nation by the development of men and women. In the earlier ages, they were forced to be slaves and they were forcibly transported to America as slaves, but this problem only helped them to spread their culture all around the world.

Ashanti (Asante)

The Ashanti tribe is located in central Ghana. This tribe lives near the west African rainforest and the west coast. Ashanti’s are the most indigenous tribe of the Akan ethnic group. Ashanti tribe dominated other smaller tribes near the coast. The Ashanti population is now nearly one million. They have their language called the Twi language. In some regions, Ashanti people can also understand English but they resist speaking English to protect their traditional language. Ashanti people have their traditional religion but nowadays it's slowly disappearing because of the influence of Christianity, Catholicism, Protestantism, and Islam. They still try to keep their dying religion alive by remembering it on special occasions. They have a strict law system that forbids sexual relations between men and certain women. The line of the descent is traced to true women. Ashanti people were always brave fighters. Ashanti has a symbol, a golden stool which represents their ancestors, their well-being, and their nation.

Mbenga

Mbenga is the best-known tribe of the pygmy Ethnic group. They mostly live in the western Congo Basin. They are called pygmies because their average height of males is 4’11 or even less. They speak Bantu and Ubangian. A specific number can’t be calculated about their population, but it is estimated that half a million of them live in Congo rainforests. They are so unaware of modern technology. These pygmies like Mbenga are most marginalized by the governments so they have huge problems fitting into our society and they are often mistreated by people. Sometimes pygmies are not even considered citizens and they have been forced to evict their lands in the past. They live an ancient lifestyle in harmony with nature and they are unreached from many people. In the Republic of Kongo, many pygmies live as slaves to Bantu masters. Nowadays pygmies are in danger of losing their houses. They also die at a very young age because of multiple diseases and poverty.

East Africa

Starting from the beginning of the rift valley in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi are very much likely part of east Africa even though they are landlocked. East Africa is very rich in wild animals, predators. The tribes in the east are not hunting as much as their old ancestors; some of them are now conservationists.

Maasai

Maasai is an indigenous ethnic group in Africa. Their tribe is older than three thousand years. They are living a semi-nomadic lifestyle and they are mostly located in southern Kenya and north of Tanzania. Maasai is among the most prominent African ethnic groups because of its different traditions, vibrant outfits, and distinct customs. They live near the most popular national parks and reserves of East Africa which makes their tribe a tourist attraction. The Maasai total population is now nearly nine hundred thousand. They speak Maa language, but they also speak the official languages ​​of Tanzania and Kenya. (Swahili and English). Even though the Kenyan and Tanzanian governments have created programs to encourage Maasai to leave behind their traditional semi-nomadic lifestyles, the Maasai people continue their centuries-old traditions. They are still having problems with the Kenyan and Tanzanian governments because the governments are forcing them to adopt a modern lifestyle but the Maasai tribe is fighting strongly to preserve their traditions. The Maasai people are monotheistic and their god is called Engai or Enkai. For the Maasai people who live a traditional lifestyle, the end of life takes place almost without a formal funeral, and the dead are left in the fields for scavengers. They don't bury the bodies of dead people because they think that the soil is harmful to the one who died. They have plenty of cattle and they measure their wealth by the number of children and cattle they have. Although removing tattoos and teeth with a knife is an early ritual, circumcision and excision are the most important rituals in a young life. In earlier times groups of young men were also required to build a new village and live within it for long periods, as part of their transition to masculinity. This practice is now dying out due to a lack of land.

Hadza

The Hadza tribe of Hadzabe is one of the most ancient people in the world. Their tribe is over a hundred thousand years old. They are the last true hunters and they haven’t changed their lifestyle or traditions over so many years. The manhunts with bow and arrow while the women search for edible berries and fruits. They are mostly located in Tanzania. They are not keeping any livestock. They do not have any homes and they are living a very strict nomadic lifestyle. They have their language called Hadza. Their population is really small compared to other African tribes. Hadza people are organized into bands called camps of twenty or thirty people. There are now between one thousand two hundred and one thousand three hundred Hadza people. They are currently facing problems like the growth of tourism in Africa which pose a serious threat to their traditional lifestyle. They have also been pressured by their neighbors which negatively affected them. They don’t have a tribal leader like most of the other tribes. They don’t have a formal religion, but they do believe in some spiritual rituals.

South Africa

South Africa was always the more developed area in Africa. South Africa is very rich in wildlife and mineral resources. South Africa has a variety of different ethnic groups.

San (bushman)

The san tribe is the oldest African tribe. It is believed that their tribe has been living in southern Africa for at least thirty thousand years. Some people also believed that they are possibly the world's most ancient race. They are mostly located in southern African countries like Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Their current population is around ninety thousand. They speak all of the Khoe, Kx’a, and Tuu languages. They are very skilled in hunting. They can keep track of animals easily. They can also make amazing bows and poisoned arrows. They believe in their religion called the san religion but some of them also believe in Christianity. San people used to do rock painting. They have their dance rituals: the great heeling dance and the rain dance are rituals in which everyone participates. They dance around a fire and they clap their hands with the rhythm.

Zulu

Zulu people are the largest ethnic group in South Africa. Their population is around ten and twelve million. The Zulu are proud of their ceremonies like Umhlanga and reed dance. They mostly believed in Christianity and their Zulu religion. They have their fermented milk called Amazi which is their traditional beverage, but this beverage can only be shared with family members. Their cuisine mainly consists of vegetables and grain. They have a wide variety of traditional clothes that they wear to different occasions. Zulu people fought against colonization and they still have problems with governments who try to evict Zulu people from their lands.

Overall Each African tribe has different traditions, dishes, languages ​​, and religions. The region where each tribe is established varies according to the conditions of the region and the resources near the area. The problems faced by each tribe are different, but they all try to prevent their culture from disappearing in our world. Day by day their population decreases and their contact with the outer world increases. All the tribes are fighting with modern-day colonization and manipulations of developed countries by expressing themselves in UN conferences and world summits. They also have issues with some governments who try to use these African Tribes as tourist attractions. African Tribes also need our help to protect their culture and to transfer their culture to the next generation and protect their rights.

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