Tribe
1
Abe
2
Abidji
3
Abron
4
Abure
5
Adansi
6
Adjukru
7
Afar
8
Afo
9
Agaw
10
Aizi
11
Akan
12
Akuapem
13
Akye/ Akie
14
Alada
15
Amazigh
16
Ambo
17
Anang
18
Anyang
19
Anyi
20
Aowin
21
Asante
22
Asinda
23
Avikam
24
Bafia
25
Baga
26
Baaka (Bayaka, Biaka)
27
Baka
28
Bakola/ Bagyeli
29
Bakota
30
Balante
31
Bali
32
Bamana
33
Bambara
34
Bamileke
35
Bamum
36
Bana
37
Bangubangu
38
Bangwa
39
Banyambo
40
Barabaig
41
Bariba
42
Barotse
43
Basikasingo
44
Bassa
45
Baster
46
Batwa/ Bacwa / Bambuti
47
Baule
48
Beke
49
Bella
50
Bemba
51
Bembe
52
Benet
53
Bena Luluwa
54
Bende
55
Benin Kingdom
56
Berber (same as Amazigh)
57
Bete
58
Bidjogo/ Bidyogo
59
60
Bidyogo
61
Bira
62
Boa
63
Agbogho monnwhu
64
Arugba
65
Bangba
66
Bankoni
67
Barambu
68
Betsi
69
Bijema
70
Bjiri
71
Bobo
72
Bodo
73
Boki
74
Bongo
75
Boni
76
Borana
77
Bozo
78
Buganda
79
Bundu
80
Burra
81
Bushoong
82
Buyu
83
Bwa
84
Bwaka
85
Bwende
86
Bwile
87
Byeri
88
Byeru
89
Chagga
90
Chamba
91
Chokwe
92
Chopi
93
Dabakala
94
Dagari
95
Dakakari
96
Damara
97
Dan
98
Dinka
99
Diomande
100
Dioula
101
Djenné
102
Dogon
103
Dorobo
104
Ebandza
105
Edan
106
Ega
107
Ejagham
108
Eket
109
Ekoi
110
Ekonda
111
Elefon
112
Elegba
113
Elmolo
114
Endorois
115
Eotile
116
Epa
117
Esie
118
Esuma
119
120
Ewe
121
Fale
122
Fang
123
Fante
124
Few
125
Fon
126
Frafra
127
Fuga
128
Fulani
129
Gabra
130
Gan
131
Gaola
132
Gato
133
Gbekre
134
Gciriku
135
Gio
136
Ghimbala
137
Geh
138
Giriama
139
Gogo
140
Goma
141
Gon
142
Grebo
143
Guerre
144
Guerze_Kpelle
145
Guin
146
Gurage
147
Guro
148
Gurunsi
149
Gwa
150
Hadzabe
151
Hamar
152
Hamba
153
Hausa
154
Hehe
155
Hemba
156
Herero
157
Himba
158
Holoholo
159
Hungana
160
Hutu
161
Ibibio
162
Idoma
163
Igala
164
Igbira
165
Igbo
166
Igbo Ukwu
167
Ijo
168
Iraqw
169
Jaba
170
Jukun
171
Kafigeledio
172
Kaguru
173
Kaka
174
Kanu- Kenya African National Union
175
Kara
176
Karagwe
177
Karamojong
178
Karo
179
180
Karsina
181
Kassena
182
Katana
183
Katsina
184
Kerebe
185
Kete
186
Kholuka
187
Kigango- there is a tribe named KULANGO
188
Kikuyu
189
Kipsigi
190
Kissi
191
Kiteki
192
Kom
193
Koma
194
Komo
195
Kongo
196
Konso
197
Koro
198
Kota
199
Kpaniya- It is Indian Tribe named as paniya.
200
Kpelie
201
Kponiugo
202
Kran- It is another name of Guere tribe also known as Krahn.
203
Krinjabo
204
Krobu/ Krobo
205
Kru
206
Kuba
207
Kusu
208
Kuyu
209
Kwahu
210
Kwame
211
Kwangali
212
Kwele
213
Kwere
214
Kyaman
215
Laka
216
Lamba
217
Landuma
218
Lega
219
Leka
220
Lele
221
Lemba
222
Lenge
223
Lengola
224
Lese
225
Liko
226
Lobedu
227
Lobi
228
Loma
229
Lombi
230
Lomotwa
231
Lovale
232
Lovedu
233
Lozi
234
Luba Upemba
235
Luchazi
236
Lulua
237
Lumbo
238
239
Lunda
240
Lungu
241
Luvale
242
Lwalwa
243
Lwena
244
Maasai
245
Mabaan
246
Mabea
247
Mahafaly
248
Mahongwe
249
Makonde
250
Malinke
251
Mambila
252
Mandinka
253
Mangbetu
254
Manja
255
Mano
256
Marka
257
Maasai
258
Mau
259
Mbala
260
Mbanja
261
Mbete
262
Mbo
263
Mbororo
264
Mbole
265
Mbukushu
266
Mbunza
267
Mbuti
268
Medje
269
Mende
270
Mfumte
271
Mindumu
272
Mitsogo
273
Mongo
274
Mossi
275
Mpo
276
Mumuye
277
Munchi
278
Mvuba
279
Nalu
280
Nama
281
Namji
282
Nande
283
Ndaaka
284
Ndabi
285
Ndebele
286
Ndengese
287
Ngbaka
288
Ngbandi
289
Ngere
290
Ngoni
291
Nguni
292
Nkanu
293
Nkondi
294
Nok
295
Ntumu
296
Nuna
297
Nupe
298
Nyamwezi
299
300
Nyanga
301
Nyanzi
302
Nyindu
303
Nyoro
304
Obamba
305
Ogboni
306
Ogiek
307
Ogoni
308
Ogowe
309
Okua
310
Ondumbo
311
Oromo
312
Oron
313
Ovambo
314
Ovimbundu
315
Owe
316
Owo
317
Pangwa
318
Pedi
319
Pende
320
Pere
321
Pfemba
322
Pokot
323
Pomdo
324
Punu
325
Pygmy
326
Qua
327
Rendille
328
Rungu
329
Sakalava
330
Salampasu
331
Samburu
332
San
333
Sango
334
Sanwi
335
Sapi
336
Segou
337
Senufo
338
Shamaye
339
Shambaa
340
Shambiu
341
Shangaan
342
Sherbro
343
Shi
344
Shilluk
345
Shona
346
Basikasingo
347
Sikka
348
Sokoto
349
Somali
350
Songhai
351
Songo
352
Songola
353
Songye
354
Soninke
355
Sotho
356
Subia
357
Suku
358
Surma
359
360
Susu
361
Swahili
362
Swazi
363
Tabwa
364
Tale
365
Teke
366
Tellem
367
Temne
368
Tetela
369
Thonga
370
Tikar
371
Tiv
372
Tjiwara
373
Toma
374
Tongwe
375
Totela
376
Toubou
377
Tsogo
378
Tsonga
379
Tswana
380
Tuareg
381
Tumbwe
382
Turkana
383
Tutsi
384
Twifo
385
Urhobo
386
Venda
387
Vezo
388
Vili
389
Wassa
390
We
391
Winiama
392
Wodaabe
393
Wolof
394
Wongo
395
Woyo
396
Wum
397
Xhosa
398
Yaka
399
Yaure
400
Yeyi
401
Ymbe
402
Yoruba
403
Zande
404
Zaramo
405
Zela
406
Zimba
407
Xhosa
408
Zulu
Drag to adjust the number of frozen columns
Language(s)
Countries present
Other names
Festivals
Famous personalities
Food habits
Traditional Dress
Population number
Male: Female Ratio
Main Economic Activity
Handicraft
Religion
Type (Nomadic/Sedentary)
Literature
Comments
Source
Lagoon language, which is part of the extremely complex group of languages along the southeastern coast of Ivory Coast.
Ivory Coast
Abbe or Abbey
Over 180,000
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Abidji (abi).
Ivory Coast
Aris
Practice cash-crop farming and engage in the production and trade of palm oil. Some Abidjis still fish as well to provide themselves with a protein source.
Christianity, Non-Evangelical Protestantism
Data for language and religion taken from peoplegroups.org, which could be open to bias.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. https://www.peoplegroups.org/Explore/groupdetails.aspx?peid=13027
Ghana, Burkina-Faso
Abrong, Boron, Bron, Brong, Bono, Doms, and Tchama
Over 100,000
1.https://www.britannica.com/place/Abron 2. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Their language is classified as part of the Lagoon cluster of Niger-Congo languages.
Ivory Coast
Aboure´, Agoua, Abonwa, and Compa
Over 35,000
Most of the Abure´s are commercial farmers.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Ghana
Primarily small farmers.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Ivory Coast
Adjoukrou, Adiourkrou, Adyukru, Boubouri, and Odjukru
Over 75,000
The Adjukru are farmers and are deeply involved in palm oil production and the palm oil trade.
They are of Kru origins, but they also have many characteristics of the Lagoon peoples among whom they live in Dabou.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Ethiopia, southern Eritrea, and Djibouti.
Danakil in Arabic and Adal in Amharic
Approximately 400,000 Afar live in Ethiopia, while another 135,000 are in Djibouti.
Along the coast, some Afar make their living as fishermen, but most are pastoral nomads who work herds of sheep, cattle, goats, and camels. Over the centuries, the Afar served as guides for Arab slavers in the trans Red Sea slave trade. At the turn of the twentieth century, when a railroad between Addis Ababa and Djibouti City was completed, the Afar were introduced to a commercial economy and valuable trade goods; over the course of the century, they began to supply more and more meat, butter,
They are Sunni Muslims, although features of their original animistic faith still survive.
Although they are nomadic, Afar wandering is regionally confined to existing water supplies.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Part of the Benue-Congo family.
Nigeria
Eloyi, Epes, Ahos, Afus, and Afaos
They have long been a farming people, but, in recent decades, because their region has been integrated into a larger commercial economy, large numbers of Eloyis are working for wages and experiencing occupational diversity.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Amharic, or Tigrinya, or Tigre all of the (Ethio)Semitic branch of Afroasiatic.
Ethiopia, Eritrea
Agau, Agew
172,291 (1994 census)
Agriculture and animal husbandry.
Most Agaw are Ethiopian Orthodox Christians; some are Protestants; among the Bilin Agaw, most are Muslim.
1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Agau 2. https://www.ethiopia-insight.com/2019/03/06/the-ethiopian-qemant-of-the-agaw-in-perspective/ 3. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Kru
Ivory Coast
Ahizi or Kpokpo
Over 75,000
Farmers involved in palm oil profuction and palm oil trade.
Sub group of Kru, have characteristics of Lagoon people among which they lived in Jacqueville. Maintain age group hierarchies in their social structure.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Lingusitically, the collective term Akan refers to a group of languages belonging to the Kwa subfamily of the Niger-Kordofanian language family spoken in both Ghana (south of the Volta River) and Ivory Coast, including Twi, Fante, etc.
Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo
Akanny, Akani, Acanjj, Hecanny
1. Adae also spelled Adai, is an important festival of the Akan people of western Africa that involves the invocation, propitiation, and veneration of ancestral spirits.
1.Kwame Nkrumah (1909–1972) – started the pan-African movement, which liberated many states from European colonialism. 2.Kofi Annan (1938–2018) – the first black man to head the United Nations organization. He was awarded the Nobel Prize. 3.Arthur Wharton (1865–1930) – the first black professional footballer in the world.
Yams are the staple food crop in the Akan economy, but plantains and taro also are important; cocoa and palm oil are major commercial resources.
Men who worked as farmers, fishermen, and laborers tended to wear tunics with trousers, or fugu. Upper class men wrapped themselves in large cloths called ntama. Women wore skirts, or lappas, wrapped around their waist, leaving the top bare. A second lappa covers the upper body of married women, leaving the right shoulder bare. Akan women may wear pants beneath their lapa or Western-style attire as well. The traditional footwear of Akan people are sandals, made from either leather or wood. Royal
Over 20 million
Initially engaged in slave trade, later on in gold mining. Currently they are engaged in farming, business and working in Industries.
Tradition of crafting bronze gold weights, made using the lost wax casting method. Kente cloth, woven on behalf of royalty, has come to symbolize African power throughout the world.
Christianity, African traditional religion, Islam (minority)
African religions do not have sacred texts, but have symbolic language and written symbols. Adrinkra is the writing system in the Akan religion. The Adrinkra symbolizes the Akan way of life as one symbol can represent a proverb or aphorism. The writing gave insight intro philosophical though, cosmology, and worldview. This writing system is what is passed down to generations in order to preserve the cultural and spiritual values of the Akan people.
Akan subgroups include: Ashanti, Abbe, Abidji, Aboure, Adjukru, Ahafo, Ahanta, Akuapem, Akwamu, Akye, Akyem, Aladian, Anyi, Aowin, Assin, Attie, Avatime, Avikam, Baoule, Brong, Chokosi, Denkyira, Ebrie, ehotile, evalue, fante, kwahu, M'Bato, Nzema, Sefwi and wassa.
1. https://resources.saylor.org/wwwresources/archived/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Akan-People.pdf; https://www.britannica.com/topic/Akan; 2. https://buzzghana.com/akan/ 3. https://www.tota.world/article/69/ 4. https://research.auctr.edu/c.php?g=404402&p=2752856 5. Asante, Milefi Kente, and Ama Mazama. Eds. 2009. Encyclopedia of African Religion. London: Sage. 6. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Akuapem (Akan cluster of Twi)
Ghana
Yams and taro serve as the main staple food.
Woodcarving, Pottery, weaving
The Akuapem (Akwapim) are one of the major ethnic subdivisions of the Akan people.
1. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Akuapem 2. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Akye (Akan cluster of Twi)
Ivory Coast
Attie, Atie
Over 55,000
A majority of them make their living producing coffee and cocoa. They also support themselves through fishing.
Woodcarving, Pottery, weaving
1. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Akye 2. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Nigeria
Eguns, Gus
The belong to the group of Ewe people
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Tamazight
Morocco, Mali, Niger
Berber
3 million
Trade, farming
Jewelry, weaving, pottery, and leatherwork, all largely created by women, though men also produce decorative and functional objects.
Islam (majority)
Although ofeten portrayed as nomadic peoples crossing the desert on camels, most actually practice sedentary agriculture.
1. International Work Group for Indigenous Affrairs https://iwgia.org/en/morocco/879-update-2011-morocco.html?highlight=WyJhbWF6aWdoIiwiYW1hemlnaCcuIiwiYW1hemlnaCdzIl0= 2. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Amazigh+%28Berber%29
Kwanyama
Angola, Namibia, Zambia
Ovambo
The Ambo economy rests almost equally on agriculture and animal husbandry, supplemented by fishing, hunting, and gathering. Millet and sorghum are the most extensively cultivated crops; cattle, sheep, and goats are owned by all of the groups, cattle being of particular importance for marriage payments, as well as for milk and butter.
The Ambo are known for their skills as wood carvers.
The Ambos are subdivided into the following subgroups: the Kwanyamas, Ndongas, Kuamis, Ngandjeras, Mbalantus, Kualuthis, and Nkolon-kati-Eundas
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ambo-people
They speak a language closely related to that of the neighboring Efik and Ibibio peoples.
Nigeria
Anaang, Annang
Over 800,000
Most Anangs make their living as farmers, raising yams and palm oil
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Cameroon, Nigeria
Denya
Over 15,000 (approx.)
Subsistence farming
They are divided into a number of clan subgroups, including the Takamandas, Bitiekus, Bashos, and Kendems, which enjoy their own dialects.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Anyi (Akan cluster of Twi)
Ivory Coast
100,000
Agriculture
Funerary images and monuments.
Their religious system is based upon the continued honoring of one's departed ancestors.
1. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Anyi
Aowin (Akan cluster of Twi)
Ivory Coast, Ghana
40,000
Woodcarving, Pottery, weaving
1. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Aowin
Asante (Akan cluster of Twi)
Ghana
Ashanti
1. Akwasidae Festival: on a sunday, one every six weeks by Ashanti people. It is a festival for commemoration of ancestors. Marks the seasons and the timings for various agricultural activities. 2. Adae festival: The ancient Kings of Asante worshipped their ancestral Stools and the skeletons of the past Kings preserved at the sacred mausoleum at Bantama. The Big Adae festival was a way in which the ancient Kings went through some ceremonies to consecrate their relationship with the spirits of
The Ashanti tribe eat different foods to celebrate their culture and bring people together. These foods include: 1. Fufu: The Ashanti make Fufu from any of the starchy provisions that include plantains, yams, or cassava. 2. Mpoto Mpoto: It is a cuisine made from yams. However, other ingredients that make up the food include onions, tomatoes, pepper, fish, and salt. The Ashanti traditionally had an abundance of food supplies. The foods they grow include plantains, cassava, maize, cocoa, vegetab
Bark cloth was used for clothing before weaving was introduced. With weaving, there is cotton and silk. Women may pick cotton or spin materials into thread, but only men are allowed to weave. There are different patterns in weaving, each with its own name. Sometimes the pattern represents social status, a clan, a saying, or the sex of the one wearing it. Patterns are not always woven in the cloth. It can also be stamped on in many designs. Kente cloth is only worn in the southern half of the co
1.5 million
Early Asante people relaied on trade of gold and enslaved peoples to Mande and Hausa traders, as well as to Europeans along the coast. In return for acting as the middlemen in the slave trade, the Asante received firearms, which were used to increase their already dominant power, and various luxury goods that were incorporated into Asante symbols of status and political office. The forest surrounding the Asante served as an important source of kola nuts, which were sought after for gifts and us
Aside from the stools, the Asante are best known for their other royal arts, which include staff and umbrella finials, lost-wax cast gold jewelry, and brass gold weights. Kente cloth is a high-prestige textile that was originally woven from imported silk and now is woven of rayon and other synthetics. Kente cloth has been worn in Ghana by rulers and since independence by commoners as well, and it has also become an important African-American cultural symbol. The deceased are honored by fired-cla
The spiritual center of the Asante alliance is the mystical Golden Stool. The Ashanti religion is a mixture of spiritual and supernatural powers. They believe that plants, animals, and trees have souls. They also believe in fairies, witches, and forest monsters. There are a variety of religious beliefs involving ancestors, higher gods, or abosom, and 'Nyame', the Supreme Being of Ashanti. The Ashanti also practice many ceremonies for marriage, death, puberty, and birth.
Sedentary
Robert B. Edgerton, 1995, The Fall of the Asante Empire.
1. Trade routes to move gold throughout the region were probably established around the 13th century. This trade activity led to the rise of early Akan centralized states, and by the end of the 17th century the grand Asante kingdom emerged in the central forest region of Ghana. 2. In traditional Asante society, in which inheritance was through the maternal line, a woman's essential role was to bear children, preferably girls. 3. Asante (ah-SAHN-tay) means thank you in Swahili. 4. Some of the
1. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Asante 2. http://www.zyama.com/asante/ 3. https://www.britannica.com/place/Asante-empire 4. https://www.britannica.com/place/Asante-empire 5. https://www.africancraftsmarket.com/african-tribes/ashanti-people.html 6. https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/tourism/festivals.php 7. http://www.ama.africatoday.com/asante.htm (for food habits): 8. https://yen.com.gh/171325-ashanti-culture-language-religion-food-rites-clothing-facts.html#:~:text=These%20fo
Ivory Coast
Brignan, Gbanda, and Lahou
They practice cash-crop farming and engage in the production and trade of palm oil. Some Avikam still fish as well to provide themselves with a protein source
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Rikpak (a Bantu language)
Cameroon
Bekpak
Farming and fishing
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Baga (Mel)
Guinea-Conakry
60,000
The Baga are farmers who primarily cultivate swamp varieties of rice in wet paddies along the coast. Cotton, gourds, millet, oil palms, okra, sesame, and sorghum are locally grown products that help to round out the Baga diet. Coastal fishing also plays an important role in the local economy.
Wood carving, Wooden figures, often worn or carried in the form of masks, are used by the initiation societies to educate initiates about the role of the spirits whom they represent
Religious life among the Baga is focused primarily on lineage-based men's and women's societies. The creator god is known as Kanu, and the highest recognized spiritual being other than Kanu is Somtup, the male spirit who governs the men's initiation society.
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Baga
Ethiopia
Subsistence farming
The the Bayaka and Biaka are the same, or similar to the Aka and Pygmy.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Sudan, Uganda, Central Africa Republic
Farming
The Bakas form part of the larger Moru cluster of peoples in Sudan
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Cameroon
Bagyeli
4,000 (Estimated)
Hunter Gatheres
1. International Work Group for Indigenous Affrairs https://iwgia.org/en/cameroon.html
Kota (equatorial Bantu)
Gabon
Kota, Kuta, and iKuta
The Bakota people value their customs, traditions, and ancient ancestors, and the children are brought up to accept this way of celebrating unity and community. They respect the elders; ritualize all holy days related to birth, puberty, and death.
1. Alexandre Sambat, a long-time ambassador to the United States who later ran for president in 1993, was of Kota origin. 2. Pascal Desire Misongo, another Kota, has served as minister of Justice in Gabon. 3. Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet was an established representative in the United Nations and served as Prime Minister of Gabon as well.
75,000
The rain forests which surround the Kota are farmed with slash and burn techniques, combined with crop rotation. By moving crops from year to year, erosion and soil depletion is avoided. The main crops grown are plantains and manioc. Large knives are used to clear the forests, and most of the cultivation is done with a hoe.
The Kota are noted for their sculptural figures which are called ‘mbulu-ngulu’. They are carved in wood and covered with sheets of brass or copper to increase their power. The Kota create stylistically unique reliquary figures, called mbulu-ngulu, which are covered with a sheet of brass or copper. They keep the skulls and bones of ancestors in containers, which consist here of a basket surmounted by the carved figure. Mask making: Kota masks are scarce. They are principally helmet masks and have
The traditional religion of Kota centered around ancestors who are believed to wield power in the afterlife as they had as living leaders of the community.
Sedentary
The Kota are several different groups of people who share a similar culture. The word 'kota' means to bind or link together
1. https://www.dorotheum.com/en/l/1722283/ 2. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kota-African-people 3. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Kota 4. https://discoverafricanart.com/tribes/kota-people/ 5. Asante, Milefi Kente, and Ama Mazama. Eds. 2009. Encyclopedia of African Religion. London: Sage.
Balanta-Kentohe
Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Senegal and The Gambia
Balanta
462,900
The Balanta are fishermen, herders, and cultivators.
The religion of the Balanta people is basically Islam; some still have Animist (voodoo) beliefs. They try to reach God through spirits and sacrifice. Some are now accepting Christianity, but it is a slow progress for Islam and Animist is deeply rooted.
Sedentary
The wesite http://brown-humphrey.com/balanta_people/ may be used with discretion.
1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Balante 2. https://youtu.be/hDahVuWGV6M 3. http://brown-humphrey.com/balanta_people/
Bali (Macro-Bantu)
Cameroon
25,000
The Bali are historically farmers who grow maize, yams, and peanuts as staple crops. They also raise some livestock, including chickens and goats, which play an important role in daily sustenance.
The Bali reserve the highest allegiance for their lineage ancestors. Ancestral spirits are embodied in the skulls of the deceased ancestors.
1. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Bali
Bamana (Mande)
Mali
Bambara, Banmanan, Bamanakan
2 million
Those members of Bamana society who still live in rural villages continue to rely on subsistence farming as the most common means of livelihood.
Pottery, weaving, sculptors, and leather works.
The religion of the Bamana is directly related to the jow (initiation societies). As an initiate moves through the six societies, he or she is taught vital issues concerning societal concepts of the moral conduct of life, which contribute to the overall well-being of the individual and the community.
1. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Bamana 2. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Bambara (Bamana), belongs to the Mande branch of the Niger-Congo language family. The Bambara, like other West African peoples, use the distinctive N’ko alphabet, which reads from right to left.
Mali
Most of the Bambara are farmers. Their main crop is millet, even though sorghum and groundnuts are produced in large quantities. Maize, cassava, tobacco, and numerous other vegetables are grown in private gardens as well. Economic changes in the mid-20th century included the introduction of such cash crops as peanuts (groundnuts), rice, and cotton into the pattern of subsistence agriculture. Many people migrated to the region’s towns.
Their religious sculptures in wood and metal are renowned.
Only 3% of the Bambara had become to Islam by 1912. After World War II, the number of Muslim coverts grew due to their resistance to the French and their exposure to Muslim merchants. The Bambara are 70% Muslim today. Even though most Bambara claim to be Muslim, many people still follow their traditional beliefs in ancestor worship. The Bambara trust that the ancestral spirits may take on the forms of animals or even vegetables. In extraordinary ceremonies, the spirits are worshipped and present
1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bambara 2. https://www.africaguide.com/culture/tribes/bambara.htm
Bamileke (Macro-Bantu)
Cameroon
8 million
The Bamileke are primarily farmers, growing maize, yams, and peanuts as staple crops. They also raise some livestock, including chickens and goats, which play an important role in daily sustenance
Statues, bead work and mask making.
The Bamilike recognize Si (a supreme god), but they more commonly pay homage to their ancestors. Ancestral spirits are embodied in the skulls of the deceased ancestors.
1. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Bamileke
Cameroon
100,000
Mainly farmers who grow maize, yams, and peanuts as staple crops. They also raise some livestock, including chickens and goats, which play an important role in daily sustenance.
The peoples of the Grasslands reserve the highest allegiance for their lineage ancestors. Ancestral spirits are embodied in the skulls of the deceased ancestors.
1. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Bamum
Hamer-Bana
Ethiopia (They are primarily located in the Gemu Gofa province, which is east of the Omo River and north of Lake Turkana. This area, called the Lower Omo region, has remained one of the most inaccessible and least developed part of East Africa.)
Just like most of the indigenous tribes in the lower Omo Valley, the Bana practice ritual dancing and singing
One striking characteristic of the Bana men is that they indulge in elaborate hair-dressing. They wear a clay "cap" that is painted and decorated with feathers and other ornaments. Much time is spent in preparing the hair, and care must be taken to protect it from damage. A well-dressed man will wear a toga-like cloth and carry a spear and a stool. Women also commonly wear colourful toga-like garments.
23,700
Most of the Bana are cattle breeders. Honey collection is now one of their major activities when not herding. The markets in Key Afer and Jinka are often visited by them.
The Bana are 90% Sunni Muslim. They observe the five basic teachings of Islam, which include acknowledging that Allah is the only god, praying, fasting, giving alms to the poor, and making a pilgrimage to Mecca. However, many elements of their traditional religion are still practiced. For instance, they believe that natural objects (rocks, trees, etc.) have spirits. They also believe in jinnis, or spirits that are capable of assuming human or animal form and exercising supernatural influence ove
Semi-nomadic, during the dry season, the men walk long distances with their herds looking for water and grass, and also to harvest wild honey.
https://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.com/2014/02/bana-bannabenna-people-indigenous-and.html is a blog. It could be unreliable.
1. https://www.gateway-africa.com/tribe/Bana_tribe.html 2. https://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.com/2014/02/bana-bannabenna-people-indigenous-and.html
KiBangubangu (Bantu)
Democratic Republic of the Congo
90,000
They are primarily subsistence farmers, with the women employing slash and burn technology to raise maize, beans, millet, sweet potatoes, peanuts, and rice. Men contribute to the local economy by raising goats, sheep, chicken, and cows. Historically, the people in this region sold rubber, palm oil, and cotton on the international market.
The Bangubangu recognize Vilie Nambi (a supreme god), and religious worship is focused on the ancestors. Shrines are built to appease family spirits, and there is a strong belief in Mujimu spirits who serve as an intermediary between man and god. Strong Islamic influence is also seen in the region, particularly in fear of djinns (malevolent spirits), who must be appeased.
1. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Bangubangu
Bangwa (Macro-Bantu)
Cameroon
20,000
The Bangwa are historically farmers who grow maize, yams, and peanuts as staple crops. They also raise some livestock, including chickens and goats, which play an important role in daily sustenance.
The Bangwa recognize Si (a supreme god), but more commonly pay homage to their ancestors. Ancestral spirits are embodied in the skulls of the deceased ancestors
1. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Bangwa
Bantu
Tanzania
Abanyambo
Mixed farming
Tthe site https://africanculture1.blogspot.com/p/tanzanian-culture.html?m=0 is a blog. It could be unreliable.
1. https://www.africabib.org/rec.php?RID=188452257 2. https://africanculture1.blogspot.com/p/tanzanian-culture.html?m=0
Ethnolinguists classify the Barabaig as being of Nandi stock, part of the Southern Nilotic language family.
Tanzania
Datog
The milk from the cattle has traditionally provided the Barabaig with their food staple.
Their economy and culture revolve around herding cattle, although they are also known to raise sheep, donkeys, and goats. They must move the cattle frequently in order to find reliable pasture.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Benin, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Togo
One of their noted festivals is the annual Gani festival of which horse riding is a prominent element.
1,540,500
Agriculture is the dominant occupation for the Bariba. They grow corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts with some poultry and livestock.
The primary religion practiced by the Bariba is Folk Islam, a syncretistic belief system that blends traditional elements of Islam with superstitious practices such as warding off spirits with incantations and magic amulets, and reciting verses of the Qur'an to bring about miraculous healings. However, a number of Bariba communities have their own indigenous beliefs.
Born to Die: Witchcraft and Infanticide in Bariba Culture https://doi.org/10.2307/3773562 https://www.jstor.org/stable/3773562
The Bariba, the fourth largest ethnic group, comprise several subgroups and make up about one-tenth of Benin’s population. The Bariba society consists of a higher-ranking official as chief of the town and their subordinate chiefs. Social status and titles are inherited in families, but the status of a person may be given by the families’ nature of work. Notable subdivisions of the Bariba include the ruling Wasangari nobles, Baatombu commoners, slaves of varying origin, Dendi merchants, Fulbe her
1. https://www.britannica.com/place/Benin/Plant-and-animal-life#ref516985 2. https://www.peoplegroups.org/explore/groupdetails.aspx?peid=12302 3. https://fatherlandgazette.wordpress.com/2019/10/07/the-bariba-people/
Silozi; Siluyana; Benue-Congo languages of the Niger-Congo family.
Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe (The Lozi homeland is called Barotseland, and was once considered to be an independent kingdom with its own flag.)
Lozi, Malozi, Aluyi, Luyi (originally)
The Lozis celebrate the Kuomboka ceremony annually in March or April at the end of the rainy season. It is one of the most popular traditional ceremonies in Zambia. ‘Kuomboka‘ translates to ‘get out of the water’ and involves the Litunga, his Queen and a number of their subjects moving from his residence at Lealui which floods annually, to Limulunga.
The Lozi ethnic grouping occupy and control access to the floodplain with its potential for cattle production, fishing, wetland/floodplain agriculture (rice and maize), and harvesting of foodstuffs from the natural fauna and flora of the floodplain. The preferred fruits of the Lozi are exotic fruits. Apart from local fruits such as mumbole and namulomo which are preferred for their good taste, the local fruits that are most preferred by the Lozi people are those that have several uses such as mu
Male members of Barosteland (the Lozi kingdom) wear a siziba – a skirt which is red, black and white chitenge (a cotton print fabric usually with bold patterns). They wear a matching waistcoat and red beret called a lishushu. The women wear a satin outfit called musinsi which consists of two skirts , a top called a baki and a small wrapper called a chali. Women and men from the Lozi tribe sometimes wear ivory bangles which are given at different points in life such as birth, puberty, etc.
Approximately 900,000
Agriculture, animal husbandry, and fishing
Christianity and traditional beliefs
They are the only tribe in Zambia with a King instead of a chief
1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lozi 2. https://theculturetrip.com/africa/zambia/articles/an-introduction-to-zambias-lozi-people/ 3. https://unpo.org/members/16714
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Buyu, Babuyu and Eastern Pende
The Buyu worship to nature spirits and to ancestors. When bad luck arrives, they try to understand the will of the ancestors either through dream interpretation or divination. The Buyu immortalized their chiefs and ancestors in vigorous figures characterized by a massive head, long, cylindrical torsos, square shoulders, and bulging trunk
1. https://discoverafricanart.com/tribes/buyu-people/ 2. http://www.zyama.com/buyu/
Bassa language, a Kru language that belongs to the Niger-Congo family of languages.
Liberia,Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast
In local languages, the Bassa people are also known as Gboboh, Adbassa or Bambog-Mbog people.
Estimates ranges from 0.57 million to 0.77 million.
The Bassa remain notably small farmers producing mainly cassava, yams, and plantains.
The primary religion practiced by the Bassa is ethnoreligion. Ethnoreligion is deeply rooted in a people's ethnic identity and conversion essentially equates to cultural assimilation.
Data for religon taken from https://www.peoplegroups.org/, which could be open to bias.
1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bassa 2. https://medium.com/@abebaebrima/bassa-tribe-of-liberia-b248b5e011b6 3. https://www.peoplegroups.org/Explore/groupdetails.aspx?peid=13481 4. Shoup, John A. 2011. Ethnic Groups of Africa and the Middle East: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, LLC.
Afrikaans
Namibia, South Africa
40,000
The Basters were originally seminomadic pastoralists and hunters who gradually settled as pioneers in the northwestern frontier areas north of the Cape Colony. The Rehoboth community remains the largest group of Basters. They practice subsistence farming and keep cattle and sheep, but they also rely heavily on the remittances of migrants who work in Windhoek as skilled artisans, in Walvis Bay as labourers or fishermen, and in the diamond mines near the Orange River mouth at the South African bor
1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Baster 2. https://minorityrights.org/minorities/basters/
Most BaTwa speak Kirundi and Kinyarwanda, the languages of the Hutu and Tutsi.
Uganda, Rawanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo
Twa
6,700 (Uganda)
Formerly hunter gatherers. A source of income and of cultural identity is pottery making.
The largest number of the BaTwa adheres to syncretic apostolic forms that combine Christian belief with indigenous systems of belief or still follow indigenous (mainly Bantu) forms of belief.
They seem to be concentrated mainly in Uganda. "Entry on Countries present, Economic Acyivity and Religion supplemented. Violations Against Indigenous Africa may not be representative of any one particular people. "
1. International Work Group for Indigenous Affrairs https://www.iwgia.org/en/uganda/3490-iw2019-uganda.html 2. Shoup, John A. 2011. Ethnic Groups of Africa and the Middle East: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, LLC.
Baule (Akan cluster of Twi)
Ivory Coast
Bawle, Baoule, Ton, Kotoko, Baba, and Po.
Felix Houphouet-Boigny: Son of a Baule chief, and former President of Ivory Coast.
400,000
The Baule grow yams and some maize as primary crops. They are also exporters of cocoa and kola nuts, which are grown on local plantations using large numbers of exploited migrant laborers, most from Burkina Faso. Markets which are primarily run by women take place every four days and are the center of the local economy. Local produce and craft items are sold alongside imported goods from all over the world.
The Baule create art in several media, including wooden sculpture, gold and brass casting similar to their Asante ancestors, and mask and figure carving, which have been greatly influenced by their Senufo and Guro neighbors.
Religion includes both ancestor worship and a heirarchy of nature gods. Nature spirits and spirit spouses are often represented in sculpture. Their creator god is Alouroua, who is never physically represented.
1. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Baule 2. Shoup, John A. 2011. Ethnic Groups of Africa and the Middle East: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, LLC.
Mali and Niger, originally from Sudan
Nomadic
1. https://www.gateway-africa.com/tribe/Bella.html
Bantu language (Bemba)
Zambia, Congo (Kinshasa) and Zimbabwe
Babemba, Awemba
The major national holiday in Zambia is Independence Day on October 24. Zambia obtained its independence from Great Britain on that day in 1964. On this day every year, celebrations are arranged in major cities and throughout the country. There is much drinking, dancing, and singing. In the afternoon, people go to stadiums to watch soccer games between major leagues or between the national team and the team of a nearby country such as Malawi.
The staple food for the Bemba is millet, which is ground into flour. A thick porridge is made from the flour and is eaten with a side dish of vegetables or meat. Two other important staple crops are cassava and maize. Other crops include peanuts, beans, squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, bananas, and cowpeas. Because of the presence of the tsetse fly, large animals such as cattle and goats are not kept. But the Bemba vary their diet by hunting small game, fishing, and gathering wild f
Before the arrival of Europeans, the most common type of cloth was made from bark. Women wore it around the waist as a loincloth. Today most Zambians, including the Bemba, wear modern clothes. Men wear Western clothing (shorts, pants, and shirts). However, the designs and fashions in women's dresses are usually of Zambian or African origin.
3.1 million (in Zambia) The core Bemba group's population is approximately 400,000, excluding those who have permanently settled in urban areas. The first colonial censuses between 1910 and 1930 estimated the number at 100,000; in 1963 the figure was 250,000. Including those permanently settled in urban areas, the number of people who identify themselves as Bemba is 741,114. However, those who speak IchiBemba as a first language number approximately 3.7 million, accounting for nearly a third of
The people practice shifting cultivation, pollarding the forest trees and planting the staple, finger millet, in the ash derived from burning the branches. Poor soil and inadequate transportation have hindered the production and sale of cash crops, and in the 1960s and 1970s many men began to leave the area to find work in the copper mines more than 400 miles (640 km) to the south.
The Bemba people are not generally known for a complex folk art culture. The making of iron tools was practiced until the 1940s. A Bemba man has four basic implements: an ax for clearing the bush and cutting wood; a hoe for farming; a spear for hunting; and, in the past, a bow (also for hunting). Woodcarving is less developed among the Bemba compared with other peoples in the region, and weaving is unknown among the Bemba. The chief Bemba crafts are pottery and baskets.
Protestantism, traditional beliefs; Roman Catholicism; African Christianity; Islam The Bemba traditionally believe in the existence of a single high god, Leza. He does not deal with the problems of everyday life, and he lives in the sky. He is all-powerful and controls things such as thunder and fertility (the ability to have children). He is also the source of magic power. Christian missionaries came to Zambia during colonization in the late nineteenth century. They converted many of the peopl
Sedentary
The first written reference to the Bemba is from 1798, when the Portuguese expedition to Mwata Kazembe led by F. J.de Lacerda heard about the Bemba. The first recorded contact between Portuguese traders and Bemba chiefs took place in 1831, when another expedition to Mwata Kazembe under A. C. P. Garnitto encountered Bemba chiefs expanding to the south. Tippu Tip, a Swahili slave trader, had contact with the Bemba in the 1860s, and David Livingstone passed through the area in 1867-1868 and in 1872
The Bemba use folklore, myths, and the oral tradition to pass on needed information about beliefs, customs, and culture from one generation to the next.
1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bemba 2. https://theculturetrip.com/africa/zambia/articles/an-introduction-to-zambias-bemba-tribe/ 3. https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Tajikistan-to-Zimbabwe/Bemba.html 4. https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/anthropology-and-archaeology/people/bemba
Ebembe or Kibembe (Bantu)
Democratic Republic of the Congo
70,000
The Bembe rely heavily on farming, which is done mostly by women. Rice, maize, groundnuts, beans, and bananas are the staple crops. Goats, sheep, pigs, and chicken are raised for meat.
Religion is based on individual and lineage ancestor cults. The Bembe have also absorbed many of the religious ideas of their neighbors. They honor bahomba (nature spirits), m'ma (the earth spirit), and the spirit of Lake Tanganyika, Mkangualukulu, among others.
1. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Bembe
Uganda, Kenya
Ndorobo
Slightly over 8,500
Hunter-gatherer and pastoralist community.
1. https://indigenousafrica.org/the-benet/ 1. https://www.iwgia.org/en/uganda/3490-iw2019-uganda.html
Luba-Kasai, also known as Western Luba, Bena-Lulua, Ciluba/Tshiluba, Luba-Lulua or Luva, is a Bantu language of Central Africa.
Democratic Republic of Congo
Lulua, Beena Luluwa
300,000
Their economy is mostly based on agriculture, hunt and trade. Primarily farmers, Lulua women grow manioc as a staple crop, as well as beans, sweet potatoes, maize, yams, peanuts, and bananas. The men are responsible for clearing the forest and preparing the soil for cultivation. They also hunt, fish with nets, and trap animals in the surrounding forests. Salt is found in the region and is collected and sold to neighbors to generate income
The Lulua live in the Kasai region, which produces an enormous number of wonderful statues and prestige objects, related both in style and use. The statues are thought to represent ancestors, and the finest carvings are sometimes housed in special village shrines.The Lulua live in the Kasai region, which produces an enormous number of wonderful statues and prestige objects, related both in style and use. The Bena Lulua, also known as the Luluwa, produce some spectacular statues, heavy with uniqu
They worship ancestors, both real and mythic, whose spirits are thought to inhabit the rocks and the trees, and they remain one of the most enigmatic groups in all of the Congo Basin.
Sedentary ( migrated from western Africa during the 18th century and settled in the southern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo)
Lulua is an umbrella term, which refers to a large number of heterogeneous peoples who populate the region near the Lulua River; between the Kasai and Sankuru rivers.
1. https://antiqueafricanart.com/the-lulua-tribes-people/#:~:text=The%20Lulua%20tribes%20people%2C%20also,elect%20a%20single%20common%20leader. 2. https://discoverafricanart.com/tribes/bena-lulua-people/ 3. https://www.africadirect.com/african-peoples-art-bena-lulua 4. Constantine Petridis (2001). A Figure for Cibola: Art, Politics, and Aesthetics among the Luluwa People of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Metropolitan Museum Journal, 36, 235–258. doi:10.2307/1513065
Bende
Tanzania ( Mpanda District of Rukwa Region in western Tanzania.)
Estimated to be about 27,000 by SIL-Tanzania (1999), although there is no census conducted by criteria of tribes.
Sedentary
Among Bende and Tongwe people, there are almost 20 clans, some of them are Ha origin, and others are Congo origin. More Bende are from Ha origin clans, and more Tongwe are from Congo origin clans. But in fact, there are also Bende people of Congo origin clans.
1. http://www.tufs.ac.jp/st/personal/00/abeyan/bende/intro_bende.html
Edo (Kwa)
Bénin, Nigeria
The Kingdom of Benin has produced some of the most renowned examples of African art, most widely known for for its bronze plaques.
This appears to be a kingdom that formerly rules over Benin and Nigeria.
1. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Benin+Kingdom
Tamazight
Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Mali, Niger, and Mauritania.
Amazigh, Imazighen
Saint Augustine: One of the most renowned early Christian theologian.
Between 6.6 and 9.9 million
Subsistence agriculture and pastoralism practiced by farmers, transhumants, and nomads, coupled with weaving, pottery, metalwork, and leatherwork, and local and some long-distance trade.
Berbers have a rich heritage in domestic architecture, and jewellery.
Islam, some Christianity and traditional beliefs.
1. https://minorityrights.org/minorities/berbers/ 2. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Berber 3. Shoup, John A. 2011. Ethnic Groups of Africa and the Middle East: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, LLC.
The Bétés speak Bété, a cluster of languages which forms part of Kru languages also belonging to the larger Niger-Congo language family.
Ivory Coast
Elaborate masquerades are ceremonies are performed by the men of the tribe who belong to dance societies.
Bété wear a traditional loincloth called tapa or gloko in Bété of Daloa. Tapa is obtained from tree bark and dyed.
About 350,000
Historically, they were hunters, but nowadays they also farm (subsistence farming), they only grow what is needed by the tribe. In recent times many of them ventured into commercial farming due to the Cocoa belt natural environment. They are one of the only Ivory Coast ethnic groups proprietors of the largest Cocoa and coffee farms. The commercialization of their farming activities has linked them to Ivory Coast`s market economy.
Mask and sculpture making.
Religion, omnipresent in Bete life, aims to maintain a harmonious relationship between nature and the ancestors who are responsible for the welfare of the tribe.
1. https://discoverafricanart.com/tribes/bete-people/ 2. Baquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc. 1998. Print. 3. https://www.ivorycoasttribune.com/au-pays-bt.html
Bidyogo
Guinea-Bissau
Carnival in Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau, is linked to celebrations in the Cape Verde islands and Brazil and is marked by the appearance of papier-mâché costumes representing modern objects and ideas.
20,000
The lowland swampy ecology of the islands is particularly good for growing rice, making it the most important staple crop of the Bidyogo. Fishing in the surrounding Atlantic is nearly as important as farming. The Bidyogo are quite adept at handling long canoes that on occasion have also been used to war against people living on the coast. Pigs are the primary animal raised on the island.
Several types of statues are carved to house the spirits of ancestors. Seated figures are usually used for divination and magic. Two main types of masks are used in initiation. Bull masks and shark or swordfish masks are very naturalistic.
It is believed that Nindo, the supreme god, created Obide, a man, and Okanto, the woman, who gave birth to two boys, who are remembered as the original four ancestors. Bidyogo oral history recounts a tale in which the people were told to carve a statue to honor the god that was to be present at religious ceremonies. They also believe that after dying, Orobo (the soul) can only find peace if a statue is carved in which it can rest. Although there have been some Islamic influences on the Bissagos
1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bidyogo 2. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Bidyogo 3. https://www.dorotheum.com/en/l/3305009/
Bidyogo
Guinea-Bissau
20,000
Farming and fishing. The Bidyogo are quite adept at handling long canoes that on occasion have also been used to war against people living on the coast. Pigs are the primary animal raised on the island.
Wood carving. Several types of statues are carved to house the spirits of ancestors. Seated figures are usually used for divination and magic. Two main types of masks are used in initiation. Bull masks and shark or swordfish masks are very naturalistic.
It is believed that Nindo, the supreme god, created Obide, a man, and Okanto, the woman, who gave birth to two boys, who are remembered as the original four ancestors. Bidyogo oral history recounts a tale in which the people were told to carve a statue to honor the god that was to be present at religious ceremonies. They also believe that after dying, Orobo (the soul) can only find peace if a statue is carved in which it can rest. Although there have been some Islamic influences on the Bissagos
1.https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Bidyogo 2. https://news.softpedia.com/news/Who-Are-the-Bidyogo-79464.shtml
Bwa,Libua (is in the Kongo group of the Bantu language family)
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burkina Faso
Baboa, Ababua, Ababwa, Babua, Babwa, Bwa
The Bidyogo women made complicated hairdos using clay and palm oil: once smeared, the hair is divided in curls, and each curl is stuck with clay balls.
200,000 savanna-dwelling people living in the northern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Subsistence Farming, Hunting, River commerce. Since the early colonial days the largest cash crop is cotton, of which they often produce so much that they must purchase food for cash in distant markets.
The Boa are known principally for their masks, believed to be used in war-related ceremonies, to enhance the warrior's courage or to celebrate victories. These masks have set-apart, prominent, round ears, suggesting alertness, and are covered alternately with dark and light pigments. They have been described as belonging to warrior or secret associations and are considered to be war masks or disguises used in hunting although the precise function of Boa masks is not known. They carve statues wi
The Bwa believe that the world was created by a god named Difini or Dobweni. The religious leader among the Bwa is an earth priest (labie) who is the oldest male member of the clan that first occupied the land on which the village is built.
Sedentary
http://www.zyama.com/boa/ https://www.ethnologue.com/language/bww Historical Dictionary of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (https://books.google.co.in/books?id=FvAWPTaRvFYC&pg=PA45&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=boa&f=false) https://ferrebeekeeper.wordpress.com/2014/07/22/boa-masks/ https://web.archive.org/web/20080722075626/http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/bwa.html https://bashiri.com.au/bwa-people-of-burkina-faso/
No information found
No information found
Bobo language, or Mande.
Burkina Faso and Mali
They grow staples as millet and sorghum and a wide variety of other crops. Hunting, fishing, and the gathering of wild plants provide additional food.
The Bobo use masks in three major contexts: masks appear at harvest time in annual rites called birewa dâga. Masks participate in the male initiation, named yele dâga, which is their major function. Finally, they participate in the burial (syebi) and the funeral rites (syekwe) of people who have been killed by Dwo, or of the elder priests of Dwo.
1,10,000 people, with the great majority in Burkina Faso
Farming among the Bobo is of primary importance. Agricultural activity is not merely a way of providing for subsistence among the Bobo, it is the essential component of their day-to-day existence. The major food crops are red sorghum, pearl millet, yams, and maize. They also cultivate cotton, which is sold to textile mills in Koudougou.
The Bobo produce masks in leaves, fibers, wood, and cloth.
The Bobo creator God is called Wuro. He cannot be described and is not represented by sculpture. Bobo cosmogonic myths, wuro da fere, describe the creation of the world by Wuro and the ordering of his creations, which are placed in basic opposing pairs: man/spirits, male/female, village/bush, domesticated/wild, culture/nature, safety/danger, cold/hot, farmer/blacksmith. The balances between forces as they were created by Wuro are precarious, and it is easy for man, through the simplest daily act
sedentary
Bobo villages are compact, like Bwa and gurunsi villages, with large flat-roofed buildings that were often two or even three stories high. Because so many old Bobo villages were destroyed by the French in 1914, few buildings over one-story remain. "Bobo" meaning "black"
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bobo https://web.archive.org/web/20081207012302/http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/Art%20of%20Burkina%20Faso.html#Bobo
It is an Indian ethnolinguistic group in Assam
Bokyi language, one of the Bendi languages.
Cross River State, Nigeria.
Nki
http://ijeais.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/IJEAIS171210.pdf
Boki women engage in cassava processing and this contribute to and tap from the huge potentials and prospects of this sector of indigenous enterprises. That is, they process cassava into flour [alibo], pounded cassava food [fufu/akpu], cassava flake, cassava chips [a kind of Igbo sliced (and dried) cassava chips known as abacha], etc. These processed cassava products are used for both commercial and subsistent purposes. Boki women produce both palm oil and kernel in large quantities for consump
http://ijeais.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/IJEAIS171210.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boki
Central Sudanic language of the Nilo-Saharan language family
South and East of Wau
Babongo, Bungu
Noted for their metalwork, the Bongo supplied neighbouring peoples with iron tools until imported iron replaced locally smelted iron ore.
The Babongo of Gabon used to be known, derogatively, as pygmies. They're still treated as second-class citizens by their neighbours. But their expertise and knowledge of the forests is unique and their use of Iboga, a powerful hallucinogenic which lies at the heart of Babongo culture, makes them famous throughout Gabon.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/tribe/tribes/babongo/index.shtml Not much information is available for this tribe.
Kenya
Aweer; Waata; Sanye
9,800
Islam - Sunni
Nomadic
Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples
https://www.peoplegroups.org/explore/groupdetails.aspx?peid=14768 Not much information is available for this tribe.
a dialect of Oromo, Borana-Arsi-Guji
Borena Zone of the Oromia Region of Ethiopia and the former Northern Frontier District (now northern Kenya) of Northern Kenya.
1,718,000
The majority of the Oromo are Muslim; however, their traditional religion is still practiced by a minority of the population. These ethnic religionists worship a supreme being named Waqa. Wadaja feasts are organized on various occasions, and livestock is sacrificed in Waqa's honor.
Borana people don't name their children for up to three years. Borana people regionally developed social stratification consisting of four hierarchical strata. The highest strata were the nobles called the Borana, below them were the Gabbaro (some 17th to 19th century Ethiopian texts refer them as the dhalatta). Below these two upper castes were the despised castes of artisans, and at the lowest level were the slaves The Oromo are herdsmen with a warrior tradition. They determine a man's statu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boorana https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/19651/ET Not much information is available for this tribe.
Bozo language, The Bozo often speak one or more regional languages such as Bamana, Maasina Fulfulde, or Western Songhay.
West African ethnic group located predominantly along the Niger River in Mali
Boso, Sorogo, Tieyaxo Bozo
132,100.00
They are occasionally referred to as the “masters of the river”. Bozo people are known for their fishing expertise as well as an excellent boatmen as a result they tend to live around riverside. They also engage in some agriculture, with rice and millet as the staple crops. Corn, peanuts, onions, okra, and peppers are also grown. Market gardens produce a variety of fruits and vegetables for sale Bozo women also engage in bakery business and other forms of commerce along the riversides.
The Bozo are virtually all Muslim. As such, they adhere to the five "pillars," or duties, of Islam. These include affirming that "there is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet." Muslims must also give alms generously and are expected to pray five times daily, facing the holy city of Mecca. In addition, devout Muslims fast during the holy month of Ramadan. Finally, they are expected to a make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during their lifetime, if at all possible.
Nomadic
The ancient Bozo people are credited for identifying "B" in the Sirius Eye as ". Sirius, the most important star in the Egyptian's heavens, was sometimes identified with their chief goddess Isis. Isis, as Sirius, was customarily portrayed in paintings as traveling with two companions in the same celestial boat. One companion of Isis was Osiris, the chief Egyptian god. The hieroglyph for Osiris is a throne and an eye. The Bozo tribe of Mali call Sirius B "the eye star" Each Bozo village also has
https://discoverafricanart.com/tribes/bozo-people/ https://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-bozo-boso-sorogo-tieyaxo-bozo.html
Luganda
The Baganda are located along the northern and western shores of Lake Victoria in the east African nation of Uganda.
The King's Men
Important religious holidays include Christmas (December 25) for Christians and Ramadan (varying according to the lunar calendar) for Muslims. Funerals are major ceremonial and social events. People travel from all parts of the nation to attend funerals, which last many days.
Kintu- the first Kabaka (king). He is believed to have married a woman called Nambi. First Nambi had to return to heaven. Gulu, her father, objected to her marriage because Kintu did not know how to farm but only how to obtain food from cattle. Nambi's relatives tested Kintu in order to determine his suitability as a spouse. In one test Kintu was asked to identify his own cow in a herd, a difficult task since there were many cows like his own. By chance, a bee told Kintu to choose the cow on who
The staple food of the Baganda is matooke, a plantain (a tropical fruit in the banana family). It is steamed or boiled and commonly served with groundnut (peanut) sauce or meat soups. Sources of protein include eggs, fish, beans, groundnuts, beef, chicken, and goats, as well as termites and grasshoppers in season. Common vegetables are cabbage, beans, mushrooms, carrots, cassava, sweet potatoes, onions, and various types of greens. Fruits include sweet bananas, pineapples, passion fruit, and pap
The rural Muganda (Baganda individual) woman typically wears a busuuti. This is a floor-length, brightly colored cloth dress with a square neckline and short, puffed sleeves. The garment is fastened with a sash placed just below the waist over the hips, and by two buttons on the left side of the neckline. Traditionally, the busuuti was strapless and made from bark-cloth. The busuuti is worn on all festive and ceremonial occasions. The indigenous dress of the Baganda man is a kanzu, a long, white
About 3 million
Most Baganda are peasant farmers who live in rural villages. Some Baganda reside in towns and in Kampala, working in a variety of professional and nonprofessional occupations. They may also practice "urban agriculture" by growing crops in small available spaces and by keeping goats, chickens, and, occasionally, cows. Some Baganda in rural areas fish, or work as carpenters, mechanics, or convey produce to market via bicycles, which is more common than the automobile.
Basketry is still a widespread art, especially mat-making by women. These mats are colorful and intricately designed. In addition to creating useful household containers, woven and coiled basketry serve as the foundation for stockades, enclosure fences, and houses. In addition to basketry and musical instruments, the manufacture of products from bark-cloth was and continues to be significant. The bark from a species of fig tree called mutuba is soaked in water, then beaten with a wooden mallet.
Christianity (Protestantism and Roman Catholicism); Islam. Traditional religious beliefs in a supreme god and in nature and ancestral spirits are declining, being replaced by Christianity and Islam.
https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Tajikistan-to-Zimbabwe/Baganda.html
Mande
Central West Atlantic Region
Sande, zadεgi, bundo and bondo
Sande is a secret female society (Norway 30 Mar 2010, 3; Equality Now 2 Oct. 2015, 2). Poro is its male equivalent. The Sande society initiates girls into adulthood by rituals including female circumcision.[1] It is alleged by its supporters to confer fertility, to instill notions of morality and proper sexual comportment, and to maintain an interest in the well-being of its members throughout their lives. Sande's role is to prepare girls for womanhood
https://www.refworld.org/docid/58cff6114.html https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sande
No information found for this name, info is available for Babur Bura instead
Bushoong (Bantu)
Democratic Republic of the Congo
17,000
The rivers which bound the Kuba territory provide fish, which is normally consumed in the region where it is caught. They also farm maize and cassava, both of which were imported from the new world. The Kuba weave beautiful raffia cloth which is embroidered by the women and traded to surrounding areas.
As might be expected, art that can be directly attributed to the Bushoong is almost always used to validate rule. Ndop (portraits of rulers) are perhaps the best known of the Bushoong royal arts and are used as mnemonic devices to remember Kuba history and to transfer power from one king to the next. Other royal regalia includes exquisitely carved drums, drinking horns, stools, knives, staffs, and fly whisks, among other things.
The Kuba oral history tells of the creation of the world by Bumba, who dictated that the Bushoong would always be the ruling class. This creator god is not formally worshiped. At one time the Kuba had a religion based on ancestor worship, but this seems to have died out, although divination is still practiced in order to discover causes of evil. Success during hunting is recognized as a gift from the gods. It is not incidental that diviners often employ carved wooden hunting dogs as rubbing orac
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Bushoong
buyu
Lualaba River and the northwestern end of Lake Tanganyika in DRC
Basikasingo, Babuyu and Eastern Pende
The Buyu worship to nature spirits and to ancestors. When bad luck arrives, they try to understand the will of the ancestors either through dream interpretation or divination. The Buyu immortalized their chiefs and ancestors in vigorous figures characterized by a massive head, long, cylindrical torsos, square shoulders, and bulging trunk. The face is triangular in shape. The forehead is marked by circularly arched eyebrows and the eyes have a coffee-bean shape. The jaw dominates the mouth, and t
https://discoverafricanart.com/tribes/buyu-people/ http://www.zyama.com/buyu/
Bwamu (Voltaic)
central Burkina Faso, Mali
3,00,000
The Bwa are primarily farmers. Since the early colonial days the largest cash crop is cotton, of which they often produce so much that they must purchase food for cash in distant markets. Most of the field work is done by the men, although women help out during planting and harvesting. Other crops include grains, such as millet, rice, sorghum, yams, and peanuts. Women also gather fruits and plants from the nearby wilderness, which are used in the concoction of certain medicines and to supplement
The Bwa produce numerous masks, which are made from leaves and vines and sculpted from wood. They are best known for their impressive plank masks which are used in the southern villages. Wooden sculptures used in fertility and divination ceremonies are also carved.
The Bwa believe that the world was created by a god named Difini or Dobweni, who left the Earth when he was wounded by a woman pounding millet with her pestle, abandoning humankind to his fate on Earth. Dobweni sent his son Do to act as his messenger to humans and to act as an intermediary between people and spirits. Do is primarily concerned with all ceremonies that represent the renewal of life, for he is associated directly with the life giving bush or forest, which provides the Bwa with game
In years past they have been associated erroneously with the Bobo. In fact they are not related to the Bobo and all, and their languages and culture are quite different. The confusion was caused in the past by the inability of the French to distinguish between the two people through their Jula interpreters.
https://www.gateway-africa.com/tribe/bwa_tribe.html
No concrete information found
No concrete information found
Bwile language
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia around the northern part of Lake Mweru.
24800
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bwile_people Wikipedia is only source available for this tribe. No other authenticated source found. Open to editing and corrections.
No concrete information found
No information found for this name
Kichagga; Swahili
Kilimanjaro region in northern Tanzania
Chaga, Waschagga, Jagga, or Dschagga
The Chagga people celebrate both secular (nonreligious) and religious holidays. The main government holidays are New Year's Day (January 1), Union Day (April 26), Workers' Day (May 1), Peasants' Day (August 8), and Independence Day (December 9). Offices and shops close on these holidays. Government rallies, held around the country, include military parades and speeches. The major religious holidays of both Christianity and Islam are celebrated. The major Christian holidays are Easter weekend an
The staple food of the Chagga people is bananas. Bananas are also used to make beer, their main beverage. The Chagga plant a variety of food crops, including bananas, millet, maize (corn), beans, and cassava. They also keep cattle, goats, and sheep. Due to limited land holdings and grazing areas, most Chagga people today are forced to purchase meat from butcher shops. Pregnant women eat a diet of milk, sweet potatoes, fat, yams, and butter; these are considered female foods. Bananas and beer
Traditionally, Chagga clothing was made of cowhide. With contact with the outside world, the Chagga started to wear imported bead ornaments and cloth wraparound garments. These colorful pieces of cloth are called kangas and kitenges . They may be worn over a dress, or may be used to carry babies on the back or hip. School-aged boys wear shorts, but adults (both male and female) and young women generally do not wear shorts in public except during sports. Mitumba (secondhand clothing from overs
832420 or 1,500,000
Traditionally, Chagga work has been centered on the farm and is divided by gender. Men's work includes feeding goats, building and maintaining canals, preparing fields, slaughtering animals, and building houses. Women's work includes firewood and water collection, fodder cutting, cooking, and cleaning the homestead and stalls. Women are also in charge of trading in the marketplace. Many Chagga young people work as clerks, teachers, and administrators, and many engage in small-scale business a
Christianity; Islam
The traditional Chagga house was cone-shaped, with a roof thatched with dried grass. Another type of dwelling, also commonly built, was a house with a roof thatched with banana leaves. Because these houses tended to be large, they were built with the assistance of other villagers. By the end of the nineteenth century, Swahili houses were introduced, initially constructed by chiefs. These houses were rectangular, with walls made of wattle (interwoven sticks) and mud, and thatched roofs. Today,
https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Tajikistan-to-Zimbabwe/Chagga.html
Chamba Leko, of the Leko–Nimbari languages, and Chamba Daka, of the Dakoid languages, both of which are a Niger-Congo language
Nigeria/Cameroon
Samba, Tchamba, Tsamba, Daka and Chamba-Ndagan
They are skilled artists known for their pottery, metalwork and sculpture.[12] In addition, the Chamba make masks that are performed at special occasions.
The Chamba of Nigeria/Cameroon believe in a cosmic world in which the interaction between God, the dead, the creatures of the wild and the 'children of men', constitute a common arena of daily concern. In that habitual life, God (Su), associated with the sun (su), and the dead (creatures of the past who live below), interact with men and 'things of the bush'. All that happens in the world takes place because of God's will, and is also ordered by him. The dead (wurumbu), while living under the g
Sedentary
http://www.philtar.ac.uk/encyclopedia/sub/chamba.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamba_people
Wuchokwe (Bantu)
Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia
Kioko, Bajokwe, Chibokwe, Kibokwe, Ciokwe, Cokwe or Badjok
1.16 million
The Chokwe grow manioc, cassava, yams, and peanuts. Tobacco and hemp are also grown for snuff, and maize is grown for beer. Domesticated livestock is also kep, and includes sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens. Protein is added through hunting. There is an exclusive association of big game hunters known as Yanga, but everyone contributes to the capture of small game animals. The farming and processing of agricultural products is done almost exclusively by women among the Chokwe. Slash and burn techn
The Chokwe are well known for art objects produced to celebrate and validate the royal court. These objects include ornately carved stools and chairs used as thrones. Most of the sculptures are portraits, which represent the royal lineage. Staffs, scepters, and spears are among other implements sculpted to celebrate the court.
The Chokwe recognize Kalunga, the god of creation and supreme power, and a series of nature and mahamba (ancestral spirits). These spirits may belong to the individual, family, or the community, and neglecting them is sure to result in personal or collective misfortune. Evil spirits may also be activated by wanga (sorcerers) to cause illness, and this must be counteracted to regain health. In order to accomplish this individuals normally consult with a nganga (diviner), who attempts to uncover t
https://www.gateway-africa.com/tribe/chokwe_tribe.html
Chichopi, a tonal language in the Bantu family, and chiTsonga and Portuguese are secondary languages
Zavala region of southern Mozambique
The Chopi's traditional foods include cassava (manioc) and cashew nuts. They also produce a number of traditional alcoholic beverages, which are produced from fermented tangerines or cashews.
63,867
The Chopi identify culturally, as a people, with the elephant.
The Life of a South African Tribe: The Psychic Life, by Henri-Alexandre Junod
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chopi_people https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chopi
It is no tribe, it is a place
Dagari is a language, the tribe may be Dagaaba
They speak C'lela and Hausa fluently. Some young people speak Hausa only, especially in towns. C'lela has at least three dialects with many sub-dialects
Although this people are widely known as Dakarkari, they refer to themselves as Lelna.
Every year the sacred crocodiles are taken out of the pond and men dance with them during the Zuru Uhola Cultural Festival.
170,000
The Dakarkari are mainly farmers and hunters. In search of good land many have migrated to Niger state. They return to their original centers for burials and festivals. They farm guinea corn and millet. Iron ore is found in this area and used to be locally smelted.
Dakakari worship their gods in forest and mountain shrines. One of the most important Dakakari sacred places is Girmache shrine, located near Zuru city. The shrine is more or less a grove because thick trees and water inhabited by crocodiles dominate the area, and local people come around to worship and offer sacrifices to the gods of the shrine and present gifts to the crocodiles.
http://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/dakakari.html
Khoisan dialect
Namibia
Daman or Damaqua, bergdama
The two-day annual Damara Festival takes place at Okombahe, about 60 km west of Omaruru, in November. The festival commemorates deceased Damara leaders and also aims to raise awareness of Damara traditions among the younger generation through the inclusion of cultural performances.
the Prime Minister, Hage Geingob and Labour Minister Moses Garoeb,
They relied on wildlife such as springbok and gemsbok for meat, and utilised a great variety of local plants for food and medicine. They were entirely self-sufficient, relying on their traditional healer for his medicines and holy fire to help them in times of illness.
The Damaran just like other African peoples made use of animal hides for clothing. The principal animal hides that were used were those of springbok and goats for clothing and sheep and jackal for blankets. Damaran traditional clothes attires differentiated between a girl, an unmarried or married woman and an elderly woman in the same manner that it differentiated between boys, unmarried and married men and men of age. Some outfits were reserved for special ceremonies in contrast to everyday gar
100000
Their original culture was a mixture of an archaic hunter-gatherer culture and herders of cattle, goats and sheep. Some of the Damara still own and live on farms, carrying on their traditional ways and have become very rich in cattle and sheep farming. The women fulfill the customary female roles such as household chores and nurturing the children while the men hunt and care for the livestock.
leather goods, glass and metal beadwork, wooden buckets and bowls, clay pipes and bowls and recent township art like wire cars
Bergdama religion included the concept of a supreme being responsible for rain and the annual renewal of plant life. There was also belief in life after death and that sickness and death were caused by the deity or by the souls of departed men who required food. Many Bergdama have adopted Christianity.
When the first Europeans visited Namibia the Damara were a group of semi-nomadic gardeners, pastoralists and hunter-gatherers. they are seminomadic people of mountainous central Namibia.
https://www.atlasofhumanity.com/damara , https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bergdama , https://www.thisisnamibia.com/culture/the-damara-an-enigmatic-race/ , https://www.travelnewsnamibia.com/news/stories/featured-stories/namibia-anmire-cultural-village/
Dan (Mande)
Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, ivory coast
gio or yakuba
Some dancers perform masked rituals on stilts. There are many different Dan masks, each of which has a distinct use during rituals or festivals.
350,000
The tradition of tin is still an essential part of the Dan economy today. Young people strive to make a name for themselves by lavishly spending at community feasts to demonstrate their wealth. Although farming and hunting have been largely replaced by laboring in the diamond camps or working at the rubber plantations, the establishment of a hierarchical social order is still based on the individual's ability to succeed.
Dan sculptors mainly produce masks which deal with virtually every element in Dan society, including education, competition, war, peace, social regulation, and of course, entertainment. They also produce stylized wooden spoons and intricate game boards used for mancala, a common game of "count and capture."Dan masks are sacred objects. Dan masks are used for protection and as a channel for communication with the spirit world. The Dan also carry small 'passport masks' for personal protection when
The Dan world view holds that everything can be divided into two separate and clear categories. The primary dichotomy is between village and bush, in other words, things that have been controlled by man and things that have not. Crossing over the dividing line is dangerous business, and whenever it is done, whether to clear new fields or simply crossing the forest, the bush spirits must be appeased. In order to take part in village life, the bush spirits must take corporeal form. The Dan believe
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Dan, https://www.artyfactory.com/africanmasks/masks/dan.htm
They speak a Nilotic language classified within the Eastern Sudanic branch of the Nilo-Saharan languages and are closely related to the Nuer.
primarily in south sudan
jieng
Celebrations take place in the autumn when the whole tribe is together. To honor their traditional spiritual and political leaders, the Dinka enacted day-long ceremonies marked by large public gatherings and the sacrifice of many cattle.
Dinka have traditionally produced all the material resources needed to sustain their livelihood via a combination of horticulture (gardening) with pastoralism (nomadic herding), fishing and occasional hunting. Millet is the mainstay of the Dinka diet. Depending on the season, it is supplemented with cow milk, fish, meat, beans, tomatoes, or rice.
The Dinka wear very little clothing and no shoes. Men go naked, and the women may wear goatskin skirts. Both men and women wear strings of beads around their necks. Women also wear bangles on their arms and legs, and they may also wear elaborate jewelry in their ears.
4500000 approx in the 21st century
The Dinka are primarily transhumant pastoralists, moving their herds of cattle to riverine pastures during the dry season (December to April) and back to permanent settlements in savanna forest during the rains, when their food crops, principally millet, are grown.
Dinka men make spears and fishing hooks. Women make clay cooking pots using a coiling technique. Besides making pots, which are essential for carrying water, Dinka women also weave baskets and sleeping mats.
Spiritual leadership and intervention are important to the Dinka, who are intensely religious and for whom God (Nhial) and many ancestral spirits play a central and intimate part in everyday life. Anything from a lie to a murder may be an occasion for sacrificial propitiation of the divine.
nomadic for pastures
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dinka , https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Rwanda-to-Syria/Dinka.html
Diomande(Mande)
Cote divoire
350,000
Rice, yams, taro, manioc, maize, and bananas are the primary crops grown. Although farming and hunting have been largely replaced by laboring in the diamond camps or working at the rubber plantations, the establishment of a hierarchical social order is still based on the individual's ability to succeed.
Diomande art includes wooden sculpture and masks, which are danced for initiation, education, and entertainment.
The Diomande world view holds that everything can be divided into two separate and clear categories. The primary dichotomy is between village and bush, in other words, things that have been controlled by man and things that have not. Crossing over the dividing line is dangerous business, and whenever it is done, whether to clear new fields or simply crossing the forest, the bush spirits must be appeased. In order to take part in village life, the bush spirits must take corporeal form. The Dioman
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Diomande
Mande of Niger-Congo language
Westren Africa, towns and villages in Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and parts of Mali and Ghana.
Dyula, also spelled Diula, Dioula, or Jula
Dyula holidays are all associated with the Muslim ritual calendar. Because the Muslim year is lunar and not solar, these holidays take place at a different time each year according to Western reckoning and cannot be associated with any particular season. Tabaski celebrates the annual time of the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. Everyone dresses in their best finery, and all men pray together at the mosque. When they come home, each family that can afford it sacrifices a ram and distributes part of
Alassane Ouattara(politician) alban lafont(football player)
Dyula usually eat three meals a day, supplemented by snacks, which can be obtained from street vendors. Breakfast consists of porridge made from corn, rice, or millet. The midday meal is usually the most elaborate. Rice or pounded yams are supplemented with a sauce or a stew, such as meat cooked in peanut sauce. These sauces are generally quite spicy. The evening meal often consists of a spongy pudding called to, made from corn or millet flour, typically accompanied by an okra sauce.
Nowadays, men usually wear Western-style clothing on ordinary occasions, reserving fine robes for special occasions. Women generally buy machine-produced cloths, which are much cheaper than the handwoven variety, and so the Dyula tradition of weaving is in decline.
approx 300000
long noted commercial traders. The Dyula were active gold traders as long ago as the time of the ancient African kingdom of Ghana. Kola nuts were another important trade item. Some Dyula communities have become agricultural, but most remain active in commerce, at least during the dry season.
they are skilled craftsmen
mostly muslim
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dyula , https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/dyula-0
Fulfulde, Bamana, Jula.
Mali
Jenne or Dienné,
given as a city rather than a tribe
https://www.gateway-africa.com/tribe/djenne_tribe.html Very less information is available about this tribe.
dogon language
central plateau region of Mali that spreads across the border into Burkina Faso.
Dogon religious life is heightened every 60 years by a ceremony called the sigui, which occurs when the star Sirius appears between two mountain peaks
Their main crop is millet, planted at the start of the rainy season. Other crops include rice, beans, peas, peanuts, and sesame. The Dogon divide the land into communal and private plots.
approx 600000
They are mainly an agricultural people; their few craftsmen, largely metalworkers and leatherworkers, form distinct castes.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dogon
maa or language of the masaai
Kenya and Tanzania
In Kenya they are also known as the Okiek
67000
The Dorobo are not actually a single people group, but a diverse group of peoples descended from the ancient San people who originally settled in the Rift Valley around 1000 AD and lived as hunter-gatherers. They often provided a service doing jobs considered unclean by the dominant neighbors. Many are still hunter-gatherers
Animism. Perhaps 1% are evangelical Christian. There are at least 25 churches among the Dorobo with over 20 trained pastors.
https://prayafrica.org/project/dorobo-kenya-tanzania/
cote divoire
3900
farming is their main occupation
The Ega believe that that the spirits of the dead arevery much with them and could visist them at anytime. This explains why they do not wash the dishes of their evening meal, as one of their dead could visit and if not finding food to eat ,could at least lick the dishes. The Ega however claim to have been converted to Chritianity. In time past, the would meet every 1st of January to worship the sacred forest. at Hermankono, their main centre. This practice they claim is now outdated.
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/11720/IV Very less information is available for this tribe.
Eket(bantu)
Nigeria
ekid
Men often wear long wraps with long shirts reaching to mid-thigh, along with beads and hats, and they carry canes, usually walking stick. Women wear Ukod, Ofod, Anwang, or Onyonyo, or if it is something like a wedding, they could also wear both. The first costume includes a short top and some traditional arm and leg accessories for the wrap, while the second is a dress with large gold hair decorations.
1 million
The main economic staple in the region is the oil palm, the oil of which is extracted and sold to external markets. Among the Ibibio, those of the highest rank in the Ekpo society (Amama) often control the majority of the community wealth. The Amama often appropriate hundreds of acres of palm trees for their own use and, with the profits they earn, ensure that their sons achieve comparable rank, effectively limiting access to economic gain for most members of the community. The Ekpo society requ
The masks and accouterments of the Ekpo society make up the greatest works of art in Ibibio society. Drumming and music are also important elements in Ekpo ceremonies. The wooden sculpture from this area is often very detailed, and artists are just as likely to capture beauty as they are the hideous forms of evil spirits.
Ibibio religion is based on paying tribute to the village ancestors. Failing to appease these ancestors will result in the wrath of the Ekpo society. The most important ancestors are those who achieved high rank while living, usually the house heads. They may control the fortunes of the descendants, and are free to afflict those who fail to make the proper offering, or those who fail to observe kinship norms. Ala is the earth deity and is appeased through Ogbom ceremony, which is believed to mak
https://www.gateway-africa.com/tribe/eket_tribe.html
Ejagham language
Southeastern Nigeria and Cameroon
Ejagham
"Ekpe" which literally means Lion, is a traditional secret society originated from the Ekoi tribe in Cross River State. The masquerade tradition itself is most popular in Calabar and the Oron nation of Udung-Ukko, Mbo, Urue-Offong Oruko, Okobo, as well as the Eket and Uruan local government areas in Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria, and even western Cameroon.
Nigeria 3,011,500 and Cameroon 1,553,000
Ekoi men have traditionally hunted, while women have engaged in agriculture, raising yams, plantains, and corn (maize). Women also fish, and both men and women participate in weaving.
the Ekoi create mural paintings on sanctuaries, make pottery, and carve figures in solid basaltic blocks. They are also known for their large, skin-covered masks.
The primary traditional Ekoi deities are Obassi Osaw, the sky god, and Obassi Nsi, the earth god. Ancestors and natural forces are also emphasized in Ekoi worship.
sedentary
traditional dress for men has not been found, population not sure
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ekoi https://ngembassy.info/article/the-prestigious-ekpe-masquerade-of-calabar http://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/ekoi.html
Democratic Republic of Congo
sub ethnic group under the Mongo people
cassava, yam and banana
29,93,000
The Mongo traditionally cultivated cassava and bananas but also relied on wild-plant gathering, fishing, and hunting. Their material culture was generally simple, though some hunting and fishing techniques were well developed
Mongo religion placed strong emphasis on ancestor worship and on beliefs in nature spirits responsible for fertility, as well as on magic, sorcery, and witchcraft. Witch-finding cults were prominent, and divination played an important role in them.
information taken from joshua
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/11733/CG , https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mongo
elmolo language
kenya
El Molo
lke turkana festival
Their main diet is based on fish and occasionally crocodile, turtle and other wildlife.
Girls would wear a coiled brass wire armlet (surutei) and other types of jewelry before marriage. they wore a necklace (kukuti) which was made of ostrich eggshell beads, glass beads and doum palm string and earrings that were made of wire, two pearl buttons and red, green, yellow and blue beads. Different ornaments were worn by people of different ages, genders and status in the community, and on specific occasions and ceremonies.
300(smallest group in kenya)
Fishing was the core of the El Molo's livelihood. They used rafts made of doum palm logs to sail into the lake and catch fish with spears, nets and harpoons.
The wooden needles were used to make the fishing nets and baskets with fibres of the Mlala (doum palm) leaves. The oryx horn with rope attached was used for killing fish once caught in the net. The El Molo also hunted hippopotamus, crocodiles and turtles in order to use their skin for bags, bones for objects and meat to eat. The El Molo men were known for making iron objects, fishing boats and woodwork, while the women were known for making beautiful baskets, pots and jewelry. The panniers (sina
The El Molo traditionally believed in God (Waaq), and wore charms to protect themselves against diseases and misfortune. This leather beaded necklace (ndimu) was believed to bring good luck when worn. some have taken up christianity
The El Molo bury their dead under a small cairn of stones on the lake shore, the whole village then moving away from the spot of burial to avoid offending the dead.
https://www.atlasofhumanity.com/elmolo https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/the-el-molo-community-of-kenya-national-museums-of-kenya/0AKie7Y5wdpmKQ?hl=en%2C
semi nomadic pastoralists
Eket (Bantu)
Nigeria
1 million
The masks and accouterments of the Ekpo society make up the greatest works of art in Ibibio society. Drumming and music are also important elements in Ekpo ceremonies. The wooden sculpture from this area is often very detailed, and artists are just as likely to capture beauty as they are the hideous forms of evil spirits.
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Esie
Ewe as main language. Dialects include: Anglo (Anlo, Awlan), Awuna, Hudu, Kotafoa, Adan, Agu, Aveno, Be, Gbin, Ho, Kpelen, Togo, Vlin, Vo.
Ghana, Togo, Benin
Eibe, Ebwe, Ehwe, Efe, Eve, Eue, Gbe, Vhe, Krepe, Krepi, Popo
Their festivals include: the Yam Festival and the New Year celebration. The annual festival of Hogbetsotso Za commemorates the day the Ewe fled from their homeland in Togo because of the harsh rule they endured at the hand of one of the kings.
Among the Ewe, forest crops, such as plantain, cassava, cocoyam, and tropical yams, form the basis of the staple food. The starchy foods are pounded into flour to make the staple akple, a thick porridge that is taken with okra soup or stew made of common vegetables and some animal protein, such as fish, chicken, and goat meat with palm oil and hot peppers. Palm nut and peanut soups are considered a delicacy. Corn is increasingly becoming an important food crop among the Ewe. In urban areas, rice
Kente is the main form of clothing for the Ewe. It can be made into dresses for women or shirts and pants for men. The chiefs often wrap themselves in a large and beautifully embroidered kente cloth. Ewe weavers utilize the narrow-strip loom, similar to that used by the Asante, which serves as evidence of mutual influence between the weavers of the two groups. One distinctive type of Ewe cloth features a rich variety of weft float inlaid pictures (in a zig-zag pattern across the width of the fab
3.1 million
Ewe who still reside in rural areas or on the coast and the many lagoons immediately after the Atlantic Ocean still practice a subsistence form of livelihood. Many are still peasant farmers who cultivate crops such as corn, cassava, and yams with some livestock, such as goats and chickens. Those on the coast and in the inland lagoons and lakes engage in artisanal fishing. There is also a great deal of trading that goes on in rural areas largely carried out by women. The highly educated Ewe resid
The Ewe people are master weavers of the cloths known worldwide as kente. The Ewe have a long history of weaving Kente cloth and legend has it that in the Asante wars against the Kpetoe area, weavers were captured who as prisoners of war taught the Asante how to weave. On the other hand the As-ante people have their own legend that holds that they learned weaving from a spider. Ewe people have a long-standing tradition of arts and crafts. Pottery is another craft that is done by women. The beau
Christian and traditional religion. In their traditional religion, the Ewe believe in the existence of a supreme being called Mawu, who created everything in the world. Associated with the sky, Mawu is remote from the daily affairs of man, leaving that to lesser deities. For example, one of the lesser gods is Torgbi-nyigbla, the head of the nature gods (tro) associated with war and thunder. They also practice Afa divination and the Legba cult, which include deities such as dulegba (settlement pr
Earlier Nomadic but now sedentary (The Ewes “have been on the move” for a long time, migrating from Tando, in modern-day Western Nigeria to Notsie in Togo. They are located primarily in the Republic of Togo, in the Volta Region of Ghana, in parts of Benin and Yorubaland in Nigeria.)
THE EWE PEOPLE A Study of the Ewe People in German Togo by Jakob Spieth (https://www.africanbookscollective.com/books/the-ewe-people)
https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/anthropology-and-archaeology/people/ewe https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ewe-people Avorgbedor, Daniel K. “Freedom to Sing, License to Insult: The Influence of Haló Performance on Social Violence Among the Anlo Ewe.” Oral Tradition 9/1 (1994): 83-112. Awoonor, Kofi. Guardians of the Sacred Word: Ewe Poetry. New York: Nok Publishers, 1974. Beckwit
Equatorial Bantu, Fang, French (in Gabon)
Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea
Fãn or Pahouin, Fanwe, Panwe, Paouen, Mpangwe
On the island of Bioko in Equitorial Guinea numerous festivals are held throughout the year, featuring mostly local dance and music. Among the most impressive are the dances of the Fang people, one of the ethnic groups who inhabited the country before the arrival of Europeans. The dancers move to the absolutely frantic rhythms of the tam-tam (a kind of African drum). The ethnic Bubi dances are far more calm, and the dancers wear amazing decorations and traditional costumes. These shows can be en
The main Fang crops are manioc, maize, plantains, yams, groundnuts, and oil palm. Livestock is limited to small animals such as goats,chickens, and pigs. These animals are only eaten at special occasions. They also practice fishing, which makes fish and brush meat their main source of protein. They use traps, large nets, rods, and hooks to catch a variety of aquatic life. Their most famous dish is the ‘Conraua goliath’ which is made from frogs.
8,00,000
They are principally hunters, but also farm. The rain forests surrounding the Fang must be subjected to slash and burn techniques, combined with crop rotation to yield agricultural products. By moving crops from year to year, erosion and soil depletion is avoided. The main crops grown are plantains and manioc. Large knives are used to clear the forests, and most of the cultivation is done with a hoe.
The Fang are best known for their wooden reliquary figures which are abstract anthropomorphic carvings. All their native crafts, including wood carving and their once-reputed work in iron and steatite.
The traditional religion of Fang centered around ancestors who are believed to wield power in the afterlife as they did as living leaders of the community. The skulls and long bones of these men were believed to retain power and to have control over the well-being of the family. Usually the relics were kept hidden away from the uninitiated and women. Wooden sculptures, known as reliquary guardian figures, were attached to the boxes containing the bones. Some believe that the figures are an abstr
Sedentary
The Fang speak languages of the Bantu subgroup of the Niger-Congo language family. They can be divided into three linguistic groups: (1) the Beti to the north, the main tribes being the Yaunde, or Éwondo, and Bene; (2) the Bulu, including the Bulu proper, Fong, Zaman, and Yelinda; and (3) the Fang in the south, including the Fang proper, Ntumu, and Mvae.
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Fang https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fang-people https://yorksshonagallery.com/pages/the-fang-tribe https://www.iberia.com/es/destination-guide/malabo/festivals-of-equatorial-guinea/ https://nalrc.indiana.edu/doc/brochures/fang.pdf https://www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/Gabon.html
Fante (Akan cluster of Twi)
Ghana
The most important festival in the Fante calendar is the colourful Oguaa Fetu Afahye (the last word literally means ‘adorning of new clothes’), on the first Saturday of September, when local chiefs and asafo companies dressed in full traditional regalia lead processions through the streets of Cape Coast. The main festival in Anomabu is the five-day-long Bontungu in August, in which a variety of drumming and dancing rituals are held to bring God’s blessing for the forthcoming year. In Elmin
1. Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson (Priest) : He was president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace from 24 October 2009 to 1 January 2017 2. Kofi Atta Annan (Diplomat): served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1997 to December 2006. 3.John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills (Politician and Scholar): served as President of Ghana from 2009 until his death in 2012.
The Fante grow yams, cassava, cocoyams (taro), and plantain; cash crops include cocoa, palm oil, and timber. They also eat fish. The main staple foods are made with: Maize - Banku, akple, mmore, dokonu, fonfom and tuo zaafi Rice- Omo Tuo, Waakye, plain rice, jollof rice, fried rice, angwa moo and ngwo moo Cassava - Kokonte, fufuo, gari, plakali, and attieke Yam - Yam fufuo, ampesie and mpotompoto Beans Fante Fante” is a local dish, which originates from the coastal Fante people of the Central
They wear different attires during different occasions taking place in the community. For instance, other than the day-to-day normal attire, they have attires that are specifically designed for certain events. Some of the common traditional Fante wear are: Kuntunkuni, Kobene, Adinkra, Kogyan, Nkrawo abotire, A yellow or red loincloth, Necklaces of seeds, Tiny snail shells, Hide, Wreaths of leaves, Straw bands, Native or rubber sandals, black and red body painting
3,431,000
Fante, who live along the coast, rely heavily on fishing, both for local consumption and for trade with inland peoples. The depleted forests provide little opportunity for hunting. Extensive markets are run primarily by women who maintain considerable economic power, while men engage in fishing, hunting and clearing land. Both sexes participate in agricultural endeavors.
Woodcarving includes stools, which are recognized as "seats" of power, and akua ba (wooden dolls) that are associated with fertility. There are also extensive traditions of pottery and weaving throughout Akan territory. Kente cloth, woven on behalf of royalty, has come to symbolize African power throughout the world.
Akan believe in a supreme god who takes on various names depending upon the particular region of worship. Akan mythology claims that at one time the god freely interacted with man, but that after being continually struck by the pestle of an old woman pounding fufu, he moved far up into the sky. There are no priests that serve him directly, and people believe that they may make direct contact with him. There are also numerous abosom (gods) who receive their power from the supreme god and are conn
Sedentary
Fante tribe is the third-largest grouping of Akan people after the Ashantis and Akuapem. The Fante have always retained their state to this day even with the rapid growth of the Ashanti Empire during the historic times.
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Fante https://www.bradtguides.com/traditional-festivals-in-ghana/ https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fante https://yen.com.gh/172963-fante-tribe-culture-language-clans-food-traditional-wear-facts.html
Fon (Twi)
Bénin, Nigeria, Togo
Fon nu, Agadja, Dahomey
Relying mainly on corn (maize), cassava, and yams.
The Fon numbered more than 1.7 million in the early 21st century.
The traditional economy of the Fon is based on agriculture, relying mainly on corn (maize), cassava, and yams for subsistence; palm oil is the major commercial product. The primary cash crops in this region are yams, cotton, and taro, but the Fon also grow sorghum, sesame, millet, palms, maize, and okra among other crops for local consumption. Although cattle are kept as a signifier of wealth, they are never milked. Markets are held every fourth day throughout the region for the local distributi
Aside from the botchio figures, much of Fon art was commissioned by the royal court. Appliquéd cloths were used in the past as a sort of royal message board in the form of banners and wall hangings displayed during public gatherings. Craft specialists include male ironworkers and weavers and female pottery makers. Their cultural heritage is rich in bronze sculptures, wooden crafts, masked figures representing gods, kings and animals. For this reason, Fon artworks often fetch high prices on the
Fon religion centers around the ancestors, whose protection and benevolence is sought through yearly offerings. During the height of the Dahomey Empire, the royal lineage paid annual tribute to its ancestors at a spectacular gathering known as the Annual Custom, which culminated with the sacrifice of about a hundred slaves and war captives. This was only exceeded by the Grand Custom, which was held after the death of a ruler. Among the citizens of Dahomey offerings were often made to bocio (wood
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Fon https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fon-people https://www.exploring-africa.com/en/benin/fon/fon https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/fon-and-ewe-religion https://nalrc.indiana.edu/doc/brochures/fon.pdf https://aaregistry.org/story/the-fon-people-a-brief-story/
Frafra (Voltaic) Farefare, also known as Gurene language
Ghana, Burkina Faso
Gorse, Gurune
King Ayisoba (musician)
30,000
Frafra are primarily sedentary farmers, growing millet, sorghum, and yams. Maize, rice, peanuts, and beans are grown in addition to these staples. Farmers throughout the region practice slash and burn farming, using fields for approximately seven or eight years before they are allowed to lie fallow for at least a decade. In the family fields close to the villages, women grow cash crops, including sesame and tobacco, which are sold in local markets. Men participate in hunting during the long dry
The most recognized of the Frafra art forms are cast brass jewelry and beautifully decorated architecture. In addition anthropomorphic figures sculpted from clay and wood and various personal objects, ranging from jewelry to wooden stools, are created to honor the spirits.
Belief in a supreme creator being is central to Frafra beliefs. A shrine to this god occupies the center of every village. Each extended family maintains its own hut, in which the lineage magical objects are kept. The objects allow the family to maintain contact with the vital forces of nature. These objects are inherited by the ancestors and are the communal property of the lineage, providing protection and social cohesion among all members of the family.
The term Frafra is an umbrella term that refers to a number of ethnic groups that share the same cultural heritage yet have some minor differences in terms of language and ritual action. There are four major ethnic groups that make up the Frafra people. The Gurune speaking, the Nabdan speaking, the Boone speaking and Talleni speaking.
https://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.com/2013/08/frafra-gurune-people-hardworking.html https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Frafra
Pulaar, Fulfulde
Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea-Conakry, Mali, Niger, Nigeria
Peul, Fulbe
More than 6 million
Fulani are mainly nomadic herders and traders. The routes they established in western Africa provided extensive links throughout the region that fostered economic and political ties between otherwise isolated ethnic groups. Dairy products produced from Fulani cattle were traded to sedentary farmers for agricultural products and luxury items. Fulani traders then traded these luxury items between various groups along their nomadic routes.
Fulani artists are primarily known for decorated gourds, textiles, hairstyles and personal adornment. In terms of style and color, Fulani art commonly features geometric shapes as motifs and meticulous details-, especially in textiles and gourds, and the use of black, red, yellow and white
Fulani religion is largely, if not wholly, Islamic. Although there are varying degrees of orthodoxy exhibited throughout Fulani society, most adhere to at least some of the basic requirements of the religion.
Nomadic and Sedentary Both
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Fulani+ https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fulani https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Germany-to-Jamaica/Fulani.html
Oromo-speaking
Mainly inhabiting the highlands of southern Ethiopia and Marsabit regions of northern Kenya.
Gabbra or Gebra
30,553
The Gabra have a mixed-livestock economy consisting of camels, cattle, sheep, and goats. It is almost entirely based on reciprocity. Most central to the way of life and economy is the camel. When a Gabra comes into possession of a camel, it's named to ensure the Gabra's right of ownership. The camel will be loaned or given to other Gabra in need, and a future act of reciprocity will be expected. In this sense, camels provide great security; they also provide most of the meat and the dry season's
Gabra homes, called mandasse, are light, dome-shaped tents made of acacia roots, and covered with sisal grass mats, textiles, and camel hides.
The Gabra are predominantly Sunni Muslims. A smaller percentage still hold true to their ancient traditional Somali -Waqi beliefs and the camel oriented rituals with nominal Sufi Islamic practices.
Pastoralism nature
https://www.atlasofhumanity.com/gabra https://prayafrica.org/project/gabbra-of-kenya/ https://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.com/2013/07/gabra-gabbra-people-peaceful-camel.html
Speaking a dialect of the Kwa branch of Niger-Congo languages.
Southeast coast of Ghana,
Ga
Each Ga town has a number of different cults and many gods, and there are a number of annual town festivals.
The original Ga immigrants were farmers, but today fishing and trading in imported goods are the principal occupations. Trading is generally in the hands of women, and a husband has no control over his wife’s money.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ga
No such tribe, instead we have Galo Tribe
There is no particular data available. Today the Kavango people consist of five individual tribes, namely the Kwangali, Mbunza, Shambyu, Gciriku and Mbukushu, each inhabiting an area of its own along the southern bank. https://www.travelnewsnamibia.com/uncategorized/people-kavango-zambezi/
Mande language that has many different accents.
North-eastern Liberia and in Ivory Coast, Africa.
Dan
The Gio have staple food that consist of rice, cassava, and sweet potatoes. They also raise livestock such as cattle, sheep, and goats. These animals are eaten only on special ritual occasions involving much feasting.
151,600
The Gio are primarily farmers, annually clearing the forest land to grow their crops. They cultivate staple crops such as rice, cassava, and sweet potatoes. They also grow cash crops such as cocoa, coffee, and rubber. Women are given a small plot of ground on which to grow their own vegetables to use in the households or to sell in the market. Greens are gathered from domestic and wild plants in the forest. Palm oil is extracted from the many wild palm oil trees and then used for such things as
Dan arts are notable for wood sculpture, including a huge variety of masks, each with unique forms and purposes. Dan masks are the most important art form of the Dan people. Artisan also produce traditional wooden spoons.
The Gio believe in a supreme god who created the universe and everything in it. They do not believe that man can reach this god; thus, they do not worship him. Instead, a spiritual power called Du acts as mediator between the people and the supreme god. Du is said to really be the spirit located in each person. The Gio believe in reincarnation, in which the Du, or spirit, of a person can pass into another person or even an animal after death.
The Dan are a Mande ethnic group from northwestern Ivory Coast and neighboring Liberia. There are approximately 700,000 members of the group and their largest settlement is Man, Ivory Coast. Neighboring peoples include the Krahn, Kpelle and Mano. They are officially known as Yacouba (or Yakouba) in Ivory Coast. In Liberia, they are also known as Gio (Bassa for "slave"), which is considered a derogatory exonym.
https://www.gateway-africa.com/tribe/Gio_tribe.html https://face2faceafrica.com/article/a-look-at-africas-gio-people-who-never-allowed-children-to-live-with-their-fathers
It is may be GIMBAL TRIBE. No info is available.
No results available
Their language is called Kigiriama, or Kigiryama, and is a sub-language of the Kimijikenda.
They occupy the coastal strip extending from Lamu in the north to the Kenya/Tanzania border in the south.
Giryama
Mnyazi wa Menza was born in the 1840s and became Mekatilili after her first son Katilili. She was an active member of the local traditional women’s group, 'makushekushe', where she was later made the leader. After the death of her husband, Dyeka wa Duka, she had more freedom as a leader and organized protest meetings (barazas) against the British recruitment of Africans to the First World War. She was arrested and imprisoned in Kisii, from where she mysteriously escaped and returned home to cont
Their diet includes millet, maize, cassava, peas and cotton, with coconut and cassava. The Giriama rear cows, sheep and goats which provides them meat and milk. They also consume fish.
The people of Giriama have a variety of fashion as traditionally they were involved in foreign trade, trading their iron for foreign clothing wear. “Although some of the younger generation have adopted Western dress, most Giriama still wear imported cloth wrappers; the elders wear a waist cloth and carry a walking stick; and some Giriama women still wear the traditional short, layered skirts which resemble ballet tutus.
1,007,653
The Giriama are mainly farmers. The Giriama produced numerous goods that would boost its economy through the distribution of reared cow, goats and sheep. The Giriama also grew numerous crops that would be essential for the foreign market such as cassava, maize, cotton, millet, rice, coconuts, cassava and oil palms. The majority of the trade that Giriama involved with was with the Arabs and Swahili which they trades their grown crops and essential materials such as iron for foreign goods such as
Amongst the Giriama people were skilled craftsmen, who produced useful iron implements that were used by the community. They produced beautiful aluminium ornaments like chains, necklaces, earrings and bangles that were sometimes worn as charms. In the past, some ornaments were made of ivory. Today, ivory possession is a crime in Kenya.
Majority of the Giriama adhere to their traditional beliefs or Christianity. A minority practice Islam. The Giriama people experience spirit possession. There are numerous religions and traditions that the people of Giriama people practice. Some people follow the traditions of the past whilst some indulged in the faith of Islam or Christianity after the influence of the foreigners such as the British or Arab. The Giriama people traditionally believed in the spiritual god ‘Mulingu’.
The Giriama migrated from Shungwaya. Due to conflicts with Cushitic communities they migrated southwards into the present Kenya coastal region and settled in Kilifi County. Upon settlement they experienced conflict from other groups, especially nomadic pastoralists.
https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/the-giriama-community-of-kenya-national-museums-of-kenya/7gJyWZ0XYqhsIw?hl=en
Cigogo language
Tanzania
Wagogo
Msafiri Zawose is a prominent Gogo musician
The traditional staple food was a thick porridge (ugali) made from sorghum or millet flour. It was consumed with a side dish made from green vegetables, meat, or mhopota (churned milk). Milk, which was relatively scarce, especially during the long dry season, was consumed in several different ways. Only on certain occasions was meat consumed; cattle were never deliberately slaughtered for consumption. However, livestock had to be slaughtered during rituals or when the cattle were old, and could
Population size is around 1,440,000
Gogo live in an area characterized by sparse or erratic rainfall (20 inches [500 millimetres] or less annually), periodic drought, floods, and famine; yet their area is well suited for cattle herding and drought-resistant agriculture, with sorghum, millet, and corn (maize) as staple crops. They maintain large herds, which are the principal medium for the accumulation and exchange of wealth. Cattle are never slaughtered solely for meat but are offered to spirits, and the meat is carefully distrib
"sedentary but mobile cultivators"
https://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.com/2013/12/wagogo-gogo-people-tanzanian-dancing.html https://www.britannica.com/topic/Gogo http://dice.missouri.edu/docs/niger-congo/Gogo.pdf
Bantu Language
Kigoma Region in western Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo
Swahili: Wagoma, Bahoma : Bakyobha, Al ghamawiyyun in Arabic
Celebrates an annual festival which includes Reed dance.
Dishes made up of crereals, potatoes and they also consume meat and meat products
Beadwork is prominent attire wore by both men and women
400 Million
The primary activities of the tribe is large quantities of cereals, potatoes, meat and palm oil production.
They produce masks and shield-like carvings which are remarkable for their abstract design, with great emphasis on the eyes, protrusion for the mouth. Most objects of Goma art strongly resemble neighboring Buyu and Bemba art.
Predominantly Christianity, traditional faiths, and minority Islam
Earlier they migrated from different regions of South Africa so here they are considered as Nomadic tribe
Burton, Richard F. (1860). The Lake Regions of Central Africa: A Picture of Exploration, Volume 1. Harper & Brothers Publishers: New York. Kigoma Development Association (Tanzania) (1994). The Baha and the related peoples of the Kigoma region.
Food habits are done on the basis of economic activities of the tribe.
https://dbpedia.org/page/Goma_(people) http://www.zyama.com/goma/
Grebo Language
Liberia (Maryland County, Grand Kru County, River Gee County and Sinoe County of Africa)
subgroup within the larger Kru group of Africa, Also known as Krumen, Grebo, Gedebo, Nyomowe, Kuniwe
Rice is the main dietary staple food along with maize, sugar cane, bitter-root, cassava, eddoes, potato, sweet potato, yam, calabash, eggplant, bitter-balls, okra, pepper, pineapple, pumpkin, avocado, banana, plantain, cocoa, coconut, coffee, breadfruit, grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, papaya, mango, plum, kola, oil palm, raffia palm, rattan.
387,000 (estimate 2001)
Their major economic activity is producing palm oil and palm kernels for export. The most important subsistence activity is the horticultural production of upland (dry) rice (Oryza glaberrima), in which constitutes the major dietary staple. Rice farming, around which the Sabo annual agricultural cycle is organized, is supplemented by several other subsistence activities. A number of domesticated food plants are cultivated on farms and on the margins of cillages, and the collection of many semi-
The Grebo are known for their carved wooden masks, which were worn in ceremonies to mediate or propitiate the spirits. White clay is applied to participants in certain ceremonies, to denote a ku or spirit. Dancers wearing the carved masks are also , and dancers wearing these masks were daubed with it. The Grebo sculpt several types of masks. One type is characterized by a massive face surmounted by two buffalo horns. The second type of masks represents the female ideal with slit eyes and sweetne
animism, ancestor worship, deism, magic, totems
Their mobility pattern is dependent on seasons so they are considered as Nomadic.
http://www.zyama.com/grebo/ http://dice.missouri.edu/docs/niger-congo/Grebo.pdf
Niger–Congo, Atlantic–Congo, Kru, Western Kru, Wee, Guere–Krahn, Guéré
Liberia and Ivory Coast
Wee, Krahn, Sapo, or Wobe.
Rice is the main staple food along with yams, taro, manioc, maize, and bananas. They are also fond of animal meat after hunting on their own. Fishes are also one of the most preferrable food items of this tribe.
Estimated total population is 214,000 (Ivory Coast:116,000 ; Liberia: 98,000)
Rice, yams, taro, manioc, maize, and bananas are the primary crops grown. Farming and hunting have been largely replaced by laboring in the diamond camps or working at the rubber plantations.
Wide variety of masquerades, masks were created to frighten with the gaping jaws and tubular eyes. The style of these forest living people differ from the sophisticated, gentle and often refined art of the neighboring savanna-dwellers. Variety of masks often characterized by enlarged triangular nose, an open mouth and tubular eyes.
Christianity, Evangelical
Earlier they migrated from north-east to Ivory Coast. But now they have settled here permanently. So they can be considered both Nomadic in initial stage but Sedentary afterwards.
Who Are the Kran/Guere and the Gio/Yacouba? Ethnic Identifications along the Liberia-Ivory Coast Border Svend E. Holsoe and Joseph J. Lauer African Studies Review Vol. 19, No. 1 (Apr., 1976), pp. 139-149 (11 pages) Published By: Cambridge University Press
http://www.zyama.com/we/ https://www.jstor.org/stable/523856
Kpelle languagae, a language of the Mande branch of the Niger-Congo family. They also speak English and French.
Central Liberia and extending into Guinea along with Ivory Coast
Kpelle, Gberese, Gbese, Gbeze, Gerse, Gerze, Kpelli, Kpese, Kpwele, Ngere, and Nguere
Félix Balamou, Guinean Basketball player Moussa Dadis Camara, former Guinean military officer Paul Pogba, French footballer Mathias Pogba, Guinean footballer Florentin Pogba, Guinean footballer
Rice is their staple crop and is supplemented by cassava, vegetables, and fruits; cash crops include rice, peanuts (groundnuts), sugarcane, and kola nuts. They also enjoy fufu and soup, sometimes the soup is spicy but it depends on the way they want it. Soup may be eaten as an appetizer or in conjunction to the main dish.
Estimated population is 500,000 people
The Kpelle are primarily farmers. They practice slash-and-burn agriculture.
The art of Guere and Wobe people is stylistically connected and both groups are often collectively referred to as We, meaning "men who easily forgive." Like the Dan, the We use a wide variety of masquerades, which hold important regulatory position within their small, egalitarian communities. Masks are owned by families and used by individual lineage members in contexts of social control, boy’s circumcision camps, and entertainment. Most We masks were created to frighten with the gaping jaws and
They migrated from North Sudan during 16th century to other parts of Northwest Africa into what is now Mali. So they can be considered as earlier nomadic tribe but afterwards they settles down so can be counted as sedentary too.
JOURNAL ARTICLE Secret Medicines, Magic, and Rites of the Kpelle Tribe in Liberia William E. Welmers Southwestern Journal of Anthropology Vol. 5, No. 3 (Autumn, 1949), pp. 208-243 (36 pages) Published By: The University of Chicago Press Southwestern Journal of Anthropology https://www.jstor.org/stable/3628503
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kpelle https://www.jstor.org/stable/3628503 http://www.zyama.com/we/
Guin-Mina, Ewe, Adja
Togo, Ghana and Benin
Mina, Ewe
President Eyadéma named Edem Kodjo, the head of the smaller opposition party, the UTD, as prime minister.
273,672
Christianity, Traditional Religions, Roman Catholics, Sunni- Islam
The Guin-Mina of South Togo are two ethnic groups originating from the present Ghana , where they immigrated as a result of the ethnic wars. The Guin come from the Gan Kingdom of Accra while the Mina come from Elmina. So they can be considered both Nomadia and Sedentary.
JOURNAL ARTICLE Ethnicities of Enslaved Africans in the Diaspora: On the Meanings of "Mina" (Again) Robin Law History in Africa Vol. 32 (2005), pp. 247-267 (21 pages) Published By: Cambridge University Press History in Africa https://www.jstor.org/stable/20065743
The term Guin-Mina referes to an ethnic designation of enslaved Africans in the Americas in the 17th to 19th centuries. They are referred to as persons brought from the area of Gold Coast.
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/africa/to-people-ethnic.htm https://www.jstor.org/stable/20065743 https://www.everyculture.com/Africa-Middle-East/Ewe-and-Fon-Orientation.html https://minorityrights.org/country/togo/
The Gurage speak a Semitic language called Guraginae, a distant relative of Amharic. Guragina is spoken in several different dialects based on tribe and geography. Each dialect is unique to its speakers. Amharic, Sidamo, a language native to Gurage territory, and Arabic have all influenced Guraginae.
Ethiopia, Addis Ababa
Gurage artist Mahmoud Ahmed is a renowned Ethiopian singer of Gurage ancestry. Ras Desta Damtew- was an Ethiopian noble, an army commander, and a son-in-law of Emperor Haile Selassie I.; The Gurage, the writer Nega Mezlekia notes, "have earned a reputation as skilled traders". One example of an enterprising Gurage is Tekke, who Nathaniel T. Kenney described as "an Ethiopian Horatio Alger, Jr.": "He began his career selling old bottles and tin c
The ensete, or so-called "false banana," is at the heart of Gurage daily life. This fat, fleshy, coarse fruit provides both a staple food and practical uses ranging from roof insulation to a sort of Saran wrap. Ensete is believed to cure all illnesses and several species of the plant are usually grown next to Gurage houses. Kocho is made by shaping the ensete paste into a thick circle and wrapping it in a thin layer of ensete leaves. Its baked in a small pit with coals. Sometimes the paste is ju
159,000
For centuries, Gurageland's economy has centered around the hoe cultivation of ensete, a false banana plant. Settled agriculturalists, the Gurage centre their lives on the cultivation of their staple crop, the Ethiopian, or false, banana (Ensete ventricosum), prized not for its “false” (or inedible) fruit but for its roots. Ensete is their main staple crop, but other cash crops are grown, which include coffee and Khat. Animal husbandry is practiced, but mainly for milk supply and dung.
The Gurage are mostly Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, but also practice Islam, Roman Catholicism and traditional religious beliefs. Both Christianity and Islam were outside religions imposed on the Gurage by invasion.
The Gurage live a sedentary life based on agriculture, involving a complex system of crop rotation and transplanting.
https://www.thirteen.org/wnet/africa/explore/ethiopia/print_ethiopia_peopleG1.html https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/15917/ET https://nalrc.indiana.edu/doc/brochures/gurage.pdf https://www.britannica.com/topic/Gurage
They speak a language of the Mande branch of the Niger-Congo family of African languages
Ivory Coast, in the valley regions of the Bandama River
Gouro, also called Kweni
Entertainment festivals and ceremonies where dancers wear animal faced marks along with reed costumes.
Rice and yam is main staple food consumed along with coffee, cocoa, fishes and meat.
The Guro's wear masks which are supplemented by voluminous, multipartite costumes of palm-frond strips or reed-grass.
200,000 estimated population
Although formerly the major male occupation was hunting, the Guro are now basically agriculturists whose subsistence crops include plantains, rice, and yams; their cash crops include coffee, cocoa, and cotton. They practice shifting cultivation, men clearing the fields and women doing most of the other work. Arboriculture includes palm-wine extraction; in the north, kola oil and nuts are traded for dried fish from the Niger. The exchange of subsistence goods at markets is usually carried out by
Guro artists also carved figures, which appear either during entertainment festivals on the head of a dancer, or are kept in houses and employed as divination figures. These standing figures are carved with their hands on their hips and have a columnar neck supporting a head with similar features to the face masks. Their beautiful weaving-loom pulleys are surmounted with heads, often female, of great elegance, embodying the protective spirit of labor. The face of the human mask is usually longis
The Guro retain their own religion, involving many cults and deities. An earth master makes sacrifices to the earth for the benefit of the village and its inhabitants.
They originated the north and northwest, driven by Mande invasions in the second half of the 18th century. From 1906-1912, they were brutally colonized by invading French colonials. So they are considered as Sedentary.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Guro http://www.zyama.com/guro/ https://yorksshonagallery.com/pages/the-guro-tribe
Gur Language; The Grũsi or Gurunsi languages are a group of Gur languages, comprising about 20 languages spoken by the Gurunsi peoples. The Grũsi languages are spoken in northern Ghana, adjacent areas of Burkina Faso, and Togo.
Found in Northern Ghana and Southern Burkina Faso
Grusi, Gourounsi, Grunshi
The masks play an important part in the ceremonies that mark the end of an initiation, funerals of notaries or entertainment that is organized on market days. The Gurunsi people in Burkina Faso are known for their elaborately decorated houses. At the annual art and culture festival in Tiebélé, a communal event that shapes social and spiritual life, a family group of Gurunsi women create a geometric mural. During the competition, painters take a break to dance, sing, and bump.
They consume rice, corn, peanuts, beans, fishes and meat.
Gurunsi people wear ivory and bronze bracelets and like other tribes in the region, carve wooden flutes.
Population of Gurunsi in Ghana is estimated to be approximately 976,311 and in Burkina Faso an estimated population of 1 million.
The Gurunsi (Gourounsi) are farming people. Fields belonging to the community are farmed by societies of young people. During the dry season they hunt and fish. These tribes mainly consist of farmers growing millet,sorghum and yams,rice, corn, peanuts and beans, which utilize the method of slash and burn farming and rotating fields regularly. The men do most of the farming though women usually have small plots that are mainly used for cash crops, over the staple food grown by the men.
The Gurunsi people of Ghana and Burkina Faso are known for their elaborate mural painting houses and its architectural designs as well as their (sculptural) zoomorphic masks, covered with geometric motifs. The masks have concentric eyes and polychromatic effects in black, white and red. Winiama sculptures are the most geometric.
The Gurunsi (Gourounsi) believe in a God creator called Yi that distanced himself from man after creating the world. Predominantly Traditional and Sunni Islam; Christianity minority present around Navrongo.
Oral traditions of the Gurunsi hold that they originated from the western Sudan near Lake Chad. While it is unknown when the migration occurred, it is believed that the Gurunsi were present in their current location by 1100 AD. Following the 15th century, when the Mossi states were established to the north, Mossi horsemen often raided Gurunsi areas for slaves, but the Gurunsi peoples were never fully subjugated, remaining independent. So they can be considered as Sedentary.
JOURNAL ARTICLE Shall We Use the Word 'Gurunsi'? Jürgen Zwernemann Africa: Journal of the International African Institute Vol. 28, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp. 123-125 (3 pages) Published By: Cambridge University Press Africa: Journal of the International African Institute https://doi.org/10.2307/1157130 https://www.jstor.org/stable/1157130
https://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.com/2013/06/gurunsi-people-west-african-tribe-with.html http://www.zyama.com/gurunsi/ https://discoverafricanart.com/tribes/gurunsi-people/
The Hadza speak a unique language known as Hadzane, which incorporates clicking and popping sounds as well as more familiar sounds. They also speak Isanzu and Sukuma.
Northern Tanzania
Hadza
At night, members of the tribe sit around the campfire, telling stories and talking or dancing. On the night of a full moon, the Hadza perform their “epeme”, a ritual dance where the men dress up like their ancestors and dance for the women and children.
The Hadza diet is primarily plant-based but also consists of meat, fat, and honey. Tubers is a staple food of Hadza people. During the wet season, the diet is composed mostly of honey, some fruit, tubers, and occasional meat. The contribution of meat to the diet increases in the dry season.
1300 members
The Hadza are a modern hunter-gatherer people. As a hunter-gatherer society, the Hadza have no domesticated livestock, nor do they grow or store their own food. The Hadza survive by hunting their food with hand-made bows and arrows and foraging for edible plants.
They use hand-made bows and arrows for hunting.
Christianity is the main religion. They offer prayers to Ishoko (the Sun) or to Haine (the husband of Ishoko) during a hunt.
The Hadza people live along the shore of Lake Eyasi in northern Tanzania. Though they have lived in this area for thousands of years. So they can be considered as Sedentary.
Homo habilis, one of the earliest hominids, lived 1.9 million years ago. Genetically, the Hadza show one of the oldest lineages of contemporary humans.
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/hadza/ https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/africa/stories-in-africa/the-hadza-helping-hunter-gatherers-protect-their-homeland/ https://www.lakeforest.edu/academics/majors-and-minors/environmental-studies/hadza https://napandasafaris.com/meet-the-hadzabe-tribe/
Hamer, Banna
Ethiopia
One of the traditions is the so-called bull jumping, the initiation rite for young men: they have to run over the backs of thirty cows standing side by side - four times, falling not allowed. The bull-jumping ceremony is called the bullah, a rite in which the young man jumps and then runs across the backs of dung-laden bulls while being cheered by family members, while the female relatives get their bodies lashed with wooden wands until they bleed heavily, leaving horrendous scars. These sacrifi
Sorghum, beans, maize and pumpkins. When bush food runs out, they survive on cow’s milk and blood taken from its neck.
One striking characteristic of the Hamer-Banna men is that they indulge in elaborate hair-dressing. They wear a clay "cap" that is painted and decorated with feathers and other ornaments. Much time is spent in preparing the hair, and care must be taken to protect it from damage. This is one reason the men often sleep on small, cushioned stools. A well-dressed man will wear a toga-like cloth and carry a spear and a stool. Women also commonly wear colourful toga-like garments. Their appearance is
Estimated population is 60,000
Herds belonging to the Hamer-Banna consist mainly of cattle, although there are some sheep and goats. Camels are used for riding and as pack animals. Most Hamer-Banna plant fields of sorghum at the beginning of the rainy season before leaving on their annual nomadic journey. Some households also plant sesame and beans. Because the crops are usually left unattended, the yields are low. Few households grow enough grain to last through the year.
Iron rings, necklaces, tools, weapons, and ritual objects are are made by the blacksmith (gito), who are shaman-like figures believed to have the power of the evil eye. They also are the “makers” of men and women through the scarification tools and ornaments they make.
The Hamer-Banna are 90% Sunni Muslim. They observe the five basic teachings of Islam, which include acknowledging that Allah is the only god, praying, fasting, giving alms to the poor, and making a pilgrimage to Mecca.
These tribal people are semi nomadic pastural people.
https://www.gateway-africa.com/tribe/Hamar_tribe.html https://thisisafrica.me/african-identities/hamar-bull-jumping-ethnic-group-ethiopia/ https://www.nationalparks-worldwide.com/eaf/ethiopia/national-parks/south-west/hamar-people.html
Hausa, Arabic; French or English Languages
Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Chad, Togo, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Sudan and Gabon.
HOW-suh
Eid (Muslim feast days) celebrate the end of Ramadan (month of fasting), follow a hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), and celebrate the birthday of the prophet Muhammad. On Eid al-Adha, Muslims sacrifice an animal to reenact the time Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son to God. Families also slaughter an animal in their own homes. This may be a male sheep or cow. People then celebrate with their relatives and friends and give each other gifts.
Prominent Islamic scholar, Usman dan Fodio, in a Holy Jihad (war) between 1804 and 1815, Muhammad Rumfa was the Sultan of the Sultanate of Kano
Staple foods include grains (sorghum, millet, or rice) and maize, which are ground into flour for a variety of foods. Breakfast often consists of porridge. Sometimes it includes cakes made of fried beans (kosai) or wheat flour (funkaso). Lunch and dinner usually include a heavy porridge (tuwo). It is served with a soup or stew (miya). Most soups are made with ground or chopped tomatoes, onions, and peppers. To this are added spices and other vegetables such as spinach, pumpkin, and okra. Small a
Hausa men are easily recognized by their elaborate flowing gowns known as ‘Babban Gida’, matched with a cap called ‘Huluna’. The women wear a wrap-around robe called ‘Abaya’ with a matching blouse, head tie, and shawl—they usually have henna designs on their hands and feet. In general, their dressing style is very conservative.
Over 20 million
Cotton grew readily in the great plains of these states, and they became the primary producers of cloth, weaving and dying it before sending it off in caravans to the other states within Hausaland. The Hausa economy has rested on the intensive cultivation of sorghum, corn (maize), millet, and many other crops grown on rotation principles and utilizing the manure of Fulani cattle. Agricultural activity has yielded considerably more than subsistence, permitting the Hausa to practice such craft spe
Beautiful indigo dyed cloth is still produced in the Kano state of northern Nigeria. Hausa are also famous as long-distance traders and local vendors of Hausa-made leather goods as well as tourist items.
According to tradition, Islam was brought to Hausa territory by Muhommad Al-Maghili, an Islamic cleric, teacher, and missionary, who came from Bornu toward the end of the 15th century.
Hausa Language has been written in modified Arabic script, known as Ajami,since pre-colonial times.The earliest Hausa Ajami manuscript with reliable date is the Ruwayar Annabi Musa by the Kano scholar Abdullah Suka. Other well-known scholars and saints of the Sufi order from Katsina, Danmarna and Danmasani have been composing Ajami and Arabic poetry from much earlier times.
Hausas in the narrow sense are indigenous of Kasar Hausa (Hausaland) who are found in West Africa. Within the people of the Hausa, the distinction is made between three subgroups: Habe, Hausa-Fulani (Kado), and Banza or Banza.
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Hausa https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hausa https://theculturetrip.com/africa/nigeria/articles/an-introduction-to-nigerias-hausa-people/ https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Hausa.html#ixzz76Yav1CdT
Kihehe, KiBena, Sangu, Kinga, Wanji, and Kisi languages.
Iringa region of southern Tanzania
Mkwawa
They celebrate by ritual of weeding, drumming, offerings, and singing. Rain ceremonies at royal burial sites were formerly an annual observance.
Cereals along with maize and millet is their staple food. They also consume milk and meat.
192,000 in the late 20th century
The Hehe practice a cereal agriculture, corn (maize) being the major crop. They are also cattle owners. They hire out as farm labourers to obtain a cash income. Manuring of fields is now a major purpose of livestock keeping. Maize became more important than millet and many other crops have become important in certain ecological zones.
Blacksmithing is said to have been learned from the Kinga, and iron was smelted in Ubena and traded. Smiths were also woodworkers, making hafts for metal tools and weapons. Weaving of mats and baskets and cordage making are widely practiced. Pottery making was important in areas where suitable clay could be found, but pottery has been displaced by the use of plastic and metal containers.
Christianity and Islam
The Hehe are divided into dispersed patrilineal and exogamous clans.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hehe https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/hehe http://www.icwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/IMW-11.pdf
Hemba Language, Kihemba (central Bantu)
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Tanzania
Their main staple food includes- manioc, maize, peanuts, beans and yams. They also hunt for meat and also engaged in fishing for meeting their diet.
90,000
They are primarily subsistence agriculturalists whose main staples include manioc, maize, peanuts, beans and yams. These crops are supplemented by small scale hunting and fishing done mostly by the men. Some alluvial copper is panned from the river and sold to outside markets.
The Hemba are a matrilineal people with a sculptural tradition devoted mainly to representation of male ancestors. The sculptures of the Hemba include singiti male ancestor figures and two types of masks. Although every figure is the portrait of a specific person, the artist portrays generalized , not particular, individual traits. The figures express equilibrium, symmetry and refinement. The first type of masks that are rare presents a symmetrical human face with a small mouth and a linear nose
They recognize a creator god Vidiye Mukulu and a supreme being ShimuGabo. The Hemba practice ancestor worship.
During the 18th century, the Hemba people, led by their chief Niembo, migrated from the south-west and settled on the right bank of the Lualaba River, in a region of fertile savannah. So they can be considered as Nomadic in earlier stage but later on they became Sedentary.
Belongs to Bantu ethnic group
http://www.zyama.com/hemba/ https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Hemba Baquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc. 1998. Print. https://discoverafricanart.com/tribes/hemba-people/
Herero (Otjiherero)
Namibia, Angola, Botswana
Otjiherero, Ovaherero
The Herero celebrate their culture through many festivals such as the recent otjikaika festival.
They keep chickens for meat and eggs. Herero people also consume donkey meat, but rarely consume horse meat. Goats and sheep are kept for their meat and milk.
The big ball gown dress and the head gear are the main wear for women while men are mostly seen with leather hats and walking sticks. Traditional leather garments are worn by northwestern groups. Ohorokova dresses are high-necked and have voluminous skirts lavishly gathered from a high waist or below the bust, incorporating multiple petticoats and up to ten metres of fabric. The long sleeves display sculptural volume: puffed from the shoulders or frilled at the wrists. Coordinating neckerchiefs
317,000
Herero are primarily subsistence farmers. They are traditionally pastoralists. They make a living tending livestock.
Christianity, Traditional faith. Herero people believe in Okuruo (holy fire), which is a link to their ancestors to speak to God and Jesus Christ on their behalf. Modern-day Herero are mostly Christians, primarily Catholic, Lutheran, and Born-again Christian.
The Herero are traditionally cattle-herding pastoralists. So they can be considered as Nomadic Tribe.
The Treatment of the Herero by German colonists is the subject of the 2012 play We Are Proud To Present A Presentation About The Herero Of Namibia, Formerly Known As South West Africa, From The German Sudwestafrika, Between The Years 1884–1915 by Jackie Sibblies Drury.
Bantu ethnic group, Consisting of various sub-tribes such as the Himba, Tjimba (Cimba), Mbanderu, and Kwandu.
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/12085 https://www.britannica.com/topic/Herero https://theculturetrip.com/africa/namibia/articles/an-introduction-to-namibias-herero-people/
Otjihimba, a dialect of the Herero language
Namibia
Ovahimba or Omhimba
Vipuakuje Muharukua, member of Namibia's Parliament
Their main diet is sour milk and maize porridge (oruhere ruomaere) and sometimes plain hard porridge only, due to milk and meat scarcity. Their diet is also supplemented by cornmeal, chicken eggs, wild herbs and honey.
Both the Himba men and women are accustomed to wearing traditional clothing that befits their living environment in the Kaokoland and the hot semi-arid climate of their area. In most occurrences this consists simply of skirt-like clothing made from calfskins and sheep skin or, increasingly, from more modern textiles, and occasionally sandals for footwear. Women's sandals are made from cows' skin while men's are made from old car tires. The Himba still adorn themselves with traditional jewelry a
About 20,000 to 50,000 people
It is customary, for them, for the the women to engage in daily activities of milking cows, taking care of the children while the men go hunting, sometimes leaving for long periods of time.
Making bracelets, anklets, necklaces from beads and grass.
The Himba worship their ancestors and the god Mukuru. Often, because Mukuru is busy in a distant realm, the ancestors act as Mukuru's representatives. Their homes surround an okuruwo (ancestral fire) and their livestock, both closely tied to their belief in ancestor worship. The fire represents ancestral protection and the livestock allows for proper relations between human and ancestor. Each family has its own ancestral fire, which is kept by the fire-keeper, who attends to the ancestral fire e
They are a semi-nomadic, pastoral people who breed cattle and goats.
The Himba people haven't been represented a lot in Literature. However, in Nnedi Okorafor Binti, the lead character 'Binti' is of the Himba poeple. Okorafor describes the tribe as a "tribe in Namibia who use ‘sweet smelling otjize’, a mixture of ochre and butterfat over their skin, rolling it into their hair as protection against the desert sun". In the novella, the Himba don't travel, which directly contrasts the real Himba people who are nomads.
Closely related to the Herero tribe
https://namibiatourism.com.na/blog/Fast-Facts-The-Himba-of-Namibia https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/food-travel/himba-culture-meet-the-african-tribe-that-offers-sex-to-guests/l8yzbf4 https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/food-travel/meet-the-himba-tribe-offer-free-sex-to-guest-and-doesnt-bath/4fbmvxe https://www.audleytravel.com/blog/2011/september/meet-the-tribe-himba
Kiholoholo, Kiswahili
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Horohoro or Kalanga
28,000
The Holoholo were employed by the Arabs to guard the lakeside ports and warehouses where gold and ivory were stored to await shipment across the lake. Today the region is primarily agricultural. Men and women work together to grow sorghum, maize, peanuts, and beans for local consumption. The sorghum is used to brew large quantities of local beer. Net fishing is also carried out on the lake. Fish are dried and sold in local markets to generate minimal cash flow in the region.
The confluence of ethnic groups that resulted in Holoholo identity is reflected in their art, which incorporates many diverse styles. Elements of Luba and Tabwa styles are both apparent. A few figures attributed to the "master of slit eyes" represent the best known Holoholo art objects.
The supreme god is Kabedya Mpungu ("remote in the sky").
Related to Luba, Bemba, Tabwa. Data taken from joshuaproject.net , which could be biased, therefore it is open to editing and suggestions.
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Holoholo https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/12115/CG
Democratic Republic on Congo
Hungaan or Huana
They manufacture ancestor figures that are placed in special shrines. Besides these, only small relief works made of ivory or bone are known from the Hungana people, who use these objects in healing ceremonies. Ancestor figures of the Hungana people, such as the present one, are extremely rare! Made of lightweight, light-coloured wood and dyed black. Standing on a round, jagged plinth and wrapped by a wreath of dark feathers on its back. Around its hips this male ancestor figure wears a string o
Literature: 'African Art in American Collections' by Robbins & Nooter, ill. 980, 981; '100 Peoples of Zaire and their sculpture' by Marc L. Felix, p. 42, 43.
https://www.dorotheum.com/en/l/3984400/
Bantu Language, Kinyarwanda; Kirundi; French; Swahili
Rwanda, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo
Bahutu or Wahutu
Their festivals mainly consists of New Year and many Christian holidays.
Samadari is a popular folk hero. He broke the rules everyone else had to follow. He could make fun of the rich and powerful and insult the wealthy cattle owners.
The staple foods of the Hutu include beans, corn, millet, sorghum, sweet potatoes, and cassava. Milk and beef are important foods. Goat meat and goat milk are eaten by people of low social status. Meals are often planned around a family's work schedule. An alcoholic drink made from bananas and sorghum grain is saved for special occasions.
In the past, Hutus wore skirts of cloth made from tree bark, and cloaks made of animal hides. These have long been replaced by Western-style clothing. However, handmade beaded necklaces and bracelets are still worn.
9,500,000 in the late 20th century
Hutu life centred on small-scale agriculture. Most Hutu have always been farmers. Raising and herding cattle are ranked more highly than raising crops.
Hutu crafts include pottery, woodwork, jewelry, metal work, and basket weaving.
Forms of Animism and Christianity.
warrior-pastoralists of Nilotic stock
The Hutu and Tutsi cultures have been largely integrated.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hutu https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Rwanda-to-Syria/Hutu.html#ixzz76dSbtO8D https://www.encyclopedia.com/places/africa/rwandan-political-geography/hutu
They speak dialects of Efik-Ibibio, a language now grouped within the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo language family.
Southeastern Nigeria, mainly in the Cross River state.
Ala is the earth deity and is appeased through Ogbom ceremony, which is believed to make children plentiful and to increase the harvest. It is performed in the middle of the year, every eighth day for eight weeks by each section of the village in turn.
An autonomous Priest-King called Obong-Ikpaisong.
The main economic staple in the region is the palm tree, the oil of which is extracted and consumed. The Ibibio people are known to be very rich when it comes to food. As a matter of fact, only a few ethnic groups can match up with them when it comes to indigenous meal. And popular among the Ibiobio dishes are afang soup, which is an important dish in Ibibio and must be made available in traditional marriages, edikang nkong (vegetable soup), and afere atama (atama soup).
1 million
Mainly rainforest cultivators of yams, taro, and cassava, the Ibibio export mostly palm oil and palm kernels.
They are noted for their skillful wood carving. The masks and accouterments of the Ekpo society make up the greatest works of art in Ibibio society. Drumming and music are also important elements in Ekpo ceremonies. The wooden sculpture from this area is also very detailed, and artists are just as likely to capture beauty as they are the hideous forms of evil spirits.
Ibibio religion is based on paying tribute to the village ancestors. Failing to appease these ancestors will result in the wrath of the Ekpo society. The most important ancestors are those who achieved high rank while living, usually the house heads.
The Ibibio comprise the following major divisions: Efik, Northern (Enyong), Southern (Eket), Delta (Andoni-Ibeno), Western (Anang), and Eastern (the Ibibio proper). Ibibio are probably the indigenous natives from whom most small tribes of Qua Ibom and Calabar are descended.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ibibio https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Ibibio https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/food-travel/ibibio-culture-a-brief-walk-into-the-lives-of-one-of-africas-oldest-people/e0267tk http://www.zyama.com/ibibio/
Idoma Language
Southern Nigeria
As a matter of traditional fact, an annual 'Aje Alekwu' festival is being hosted. During this festival, traditional religious practitioners offer sacrifices and commune in the worship of their ancestors across the land. Popularly known for the love of good food, the Idomas usually hosts an annual food festival to celebrate women and the various traditional cuisines.
Iduh who is believed to be the father of the Idoma.
Their diet include maize, manioc, peppers, peanuts, tomatoes, squash, and sweet potatoes. Goats, sheep, chickens and dogs are kept for meat purpose. yams and taro, known locally as cocoa yams are also popular among Idoma people. Among the various cuisines, the most popular is the Okoho soup. The soup is made with the peculiar Okoho plant, bush meat, and other ingredients as well.
However, in other to foster a distinct identity, the Idomas, during the 80's, decided to start using the red and black stripes colours in their traditional clothes.
3,000,000
Idoma economy is characterized by rainy-season agriculture and dry-season hunting. Large and small markets are held in rotation within the various districts. Within the general area, crafts such as the weaving and dyeing of cotton cloth and blacksmithing have been developed. Most of the Idoma tribe are subsistence farmers. Their staple crops are yams and taro, known locally as cocoa yams. Harvesting is a time for great celebration. Yams are produced efficiently enough to export them to their nei
Weaving, Dying of cotton cloth, and making metallic objects. Idoma art in Western collections primarily consists of wooden masks which are used at funerals and for social control and of anthropomorphic wooden figures that may often be quite large.
Idoma religion focuses on honouring lineage ancestors. Funeral ceremonies among the Idoma are often quite dramatic, with greater attention afforded to members of the community who have reached a combination of advanced age and prestige.
Baquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc. 1998. Print.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Idoma https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/food-travel/idoma-a-brief-walk-into-the-life-of-one-of-africas-humblest-people/xdp5522 https://discoverafricanart.com/tribes/idoma-people/ https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Idoma
Their language belongs to the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo family.
Nigeria
Igara
Joseph Benjamin (Born 9 November 1976) is a Nigerian actor, model, singer, Voice-over Artist and television presenter mainly known for co-hosting MTN's Project Fame, a talent reality show, and starring in the movies Tango With Me, Mr. and Mrs., and Murder at Prime Suites. Jeremiah Ojimaojo Attaochu (born January 17, 1993) is a Nigerian born American football outside linebacker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL).
Above 400,000
The Igala have been primarily an agricultural people, growing a wide range of crops typical of the area, including yams, taro, pumpkins, squash, corn (maize), manioc, and peanuts (groundnuts). Palm oil and kernels have become significant as cash crops.
Christianity and Islam
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Igala https://www.readcube.com/articles/10.4314%2Fog.v10i1.7
Their language is Igbira, usually classified as a Nupoid variety within the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo language family.
Nigeria
Igbirra or Ebira
Ekuechi festival is the most widely celebrated traditional festival in Ebira communities, it is held annually starting in late November and ending in late December or January. The duration of the festival is long because different clans choose their own dates to mark the festival. "Eku" in Ebira represents an ancestral masquerade while "Chi" means to descend.
Guinea corn is an important local commodity as the staple of most meals and is used in the brewing of beer. Other food items include rice, millet, cassava, yam cow peas, and groundnuts. Goats, sheep, cows, and pigs are also raised for local consumption.
2,000,000
Most Igbira have traditionally engaged in agriculture; they grow mainly yams but also such crops as beans, millet, and corn (maize). The rivers are used for both fishing and transport. Women do most of the trading and sell both their own and their husbands’ produce.
The Igbira are skilled weavers.
The traditional beliefs of the Igbira centre on Hinegba, the supreme god, who is benevolent, resides in the sky, and controls the universe. Hinegba is approached through intermediary spirits, who are connected with such natural objects as trees. Igbira ancestors are also viewed as agents of Hinegba. Since the early 20th century many Igbira have been converted to Islam and Christianity.
These people originally came from the east and entered Nigeria betwen the Mandarra highlands and Lake Chad sometime during the last thousand years. So they can be considered as Nomadic at earlier stage.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Igbira https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Igbira https://www.gateway-africa.com/tribe/igbira_tribe.html
Igbo (Kwa)
Nigeria
Ibo
Many public festivals, which now include Christmas and Independence Day.
Their diet includes yam, coffee, palm oil, fish and meat.
8 million
The majority of Igbo are farmers. Their staple crop is yam, and its harvesting is a time for great celebration. They are able to produce yam efficiently enough to export it to their neighbors. With the assistance of migrant labor, they also harvest the fruit of the palm tree, which is processed into palm oil, and exported to Europe in large quantities, making it a fairly profitable cash crop.
Most Igbo do carve and use masks, but the function of these masks vary from village to village. They are famous for Mbari architecture.
Most Igbo practiced some form of ancestor worship.
Sedentary, because they originated at same place where they are presently found.
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Igbo http://www.zyama.com/igbo/
Nigeria
cast bronze artifacts
https://www.valpo.edu/brauer-museum-of-art/african-artifacts/maxwell-price-collection-part-two/igbo-ukwu-bronze-statuette/ https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Igbo+Ukwu
Ijo (Kwa), They speak languages of the Ijoid branch of the Niger-Congo language family.
Nigeria
Ijaw, Izo
In recent times, the period from Christmas to New Year's Day has become a time of celebration as many Ijo working on the mainland try to return to their home villages for their annual vacations at that time. The Ijo in the western delta also have a spring festival that lasts 12 days. They welcome the new agricultural cycle with special dances for women who have been circumcised and with libations for the ancestral spirits. They also perform rituals to cast out evil spirits to symbolically cleans
Fish and cassava are the “meat and potatoes” of the Ijo diet. When fish is plentiful, it is eaten at every meal. When fresh fish is expensive and scarce, so-called “ice fish”—imported frozen fish—is substituted. The Ijo plant maize (corn), plantains, and bananas, as well as many leafy vegetables and peppers. In some areas they also grow yams. Varying with the seasons, clams are found in the river, and fruits such as mangoes grow in the forest. Because of disease spread by the tsetse fly, there a
There is both formal and informal clothing for men and women. During the work day men wear shorts, often under a cloth sarong, a shirt, and sandals (some also go barefoot). For formal occasions they wear a long shirt covering a good-quality sarong, a hat, and shoes, and they often carry canes. Women also wear cloth sarongs with blouses when working during the day, and sandals (some also go barefoot). Their formal clothes consist of expensive, colorful sarongs, blouses, and head wraps. They wear
12 million above
They depend on trading goods and fishing to supplement farming and hunting. Yams and processed palm oil are produced in large quantities for outside trade. Women normally participate in large market systems where people trade and sell wares for pleasure, as well as survival.
Ijo are best known for their extensive production and alteration of cloth. Dress is used to signify status throughout society. They also produce wooden sculpture and memorial screens to commemorate their ancestors. Ijo masks and woodcarvings, usually depicting fish and made to be worn on top of the head, are found in museums throughout the world, and are treated as serious art by viewers and scholars. While the Ijo are not unconcerned with the beauty of their carvings, their main concern is with
Mainly they follow Christianity. Ijo traditional religion centers around water spirits who inhabit the numerous rivers and swamps of the area. Tribute is also paid to ancestors who are often represented in wooden shrine figures or memorial screens known as nduen fobara by Kalibari Ijo. Funeral ceremonies among the Ijo are often quite dramatic, with greater attention afforded to members of the community who have reached a combination of advanced age and high prestige.
Sedentary
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Ijo https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ijo https://www.gateway-africa.com/tribe/ijo_tribe.html https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/ijo
There is debate about the linguistic classification of the Iraqw. Some experts have designated their language as "Southern Cushitic." Whiteley (1958), however, has disputed this classification, finding no connection with the Cushitic languages of Ethiopia. He claims that certain features of the language are comparable to those of Hamitic and Semitic languages.
North- Central Tanzania
Mbulu, Wambulu
The Mbulu practice numerous ceremonies and rituals, the most important ones being the rituals of transition, that, like in other ethnic groups, marks the changes in the life of everyone. Circumcision is definitely a milestone not only for the individual but for the community as a whole; it is a collective ritual that involves children between 3 and 10 years of age; the village elders organize a ceremony during which beer is brewed and the boy’s relatives and friends bring gifts.
Maize is the staple food of the Iraqw; it is supplemented with beans, sorghum, and millet (the latter two are used primarily for brewing beer). Other food crops are pumpkins, sweet potatoes, European potatoes, onions, and various legumes. An Iraqw household keeps several cows, a few sheep and goats, and chickens for milk and meat purpose.
350,000
Blacksmiths and potters were the only full-time specialists in precolonial Iraqw society. Smithing, which is practiced by very few Iraqw, is a male profession. Pottery making is the domain of women. Unglazed earthen pots are fashioned in various shapes and sizes without the use of a wheel. Cattle markets are an important focus of economic activity in Mbulu District. Many Iraqw earn the greater part of their income from these markets. In addition to livestock, the Iraqw sell agricultural products
Women also make reed mats, which are sold in the towns. Various articles such as beer filters, furniture, hatchets and hoes, leather goods, and musical instruments are also made by the Iraqw.
Christianity and, to a much lesser extent, Islam have gained wide acceptance in Iraqw society.
The Iraqw are divided into more than 200 patrilineal clans, each named after the original founder. These clans are not localized but are spread out all over the territory, as a result of the Iraqw pattern of residence. Except for establishing rules for exogamous marriage, the clan lacks a prominent role in Iraqw daily life. The most important kinship unit within Iraqw society is the household. Communities are formed on the basis of shared space rather than shared kinship.
https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/iraqw https://www.exploring-africa.com/en/tanzania/mbulu-o-iraqw/mbulu-or-iraqw-history
Jaba is name of place, but there is another Ham tribe
Jukun Language, The population speak a language of the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo family.
Traditionally located in Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Adamawa, and Gombe States in Nigeria and parts of northwestern Cameroon.
David Sabo Kente, businessman, politician and philanthropist Jesse Jagz, rapper, record producer and songwriter Kuvyon II, Aku Uka (paramount ruler) of Kwararafa M.I Abaga, hip hop recording artist and record producer
25,000
The Jukun Wanu are fishermen residing along the banks of the river Benue and Niger.
Until the coming of both Christianity and Islam, the Jukun people were followers of their own Traditional Religions.
In 1931, the academic publishing company Kegan Paul, Trubner & Co. published A Sudanese Kingdom: An Ethnographic Study of the Jukun-speaking Peoples of Nigeria, a book which had been written by the Briton C. K. Meek, the Anthropological Officer stationed with the Administrative Service in Nigeria
They are descendants of the people of Kwararafa. The Jukuns are divided into two major groups; the Jukun Wanu and Jukun Wapa.
https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/jukun-people/m0gdr50?hl=en https://www.britannica.com/topic/Jukun https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/14501841.pdf
Megi, Tumba, Mangehele, Lexical
Central Tanzania
Kagulu
Gogo rituals are also concerned primarily with the ancestors, for they are believed to control the fertility of the land and the welfare of the clans who live on it. Cattle and beer are the chief offerings. These bridge the gap between human beings and the spirits because they belong both to the world of men and to the world of nature, as do the ancestor spirits themselves.
The main diet includes consumption of maize, beans, peanuts, bananas, cassava, mango, papaya, limes, sugarcane, potatoes, plantains.
Men wore a toga-like garment and took great care not to appear naked even when washing. Women always wore a skirt.
217,000
Regular production of vegetables, and some rice, millet, and plantains. It contained no maize.
Handmade bows, arrows and blowguns.
Islam and Christianity
JOURNAL ARTICLE Kaguru Descent Groups (East-Central Tanzania) Thomas O. Beidelman Anthropos Bd. 66, H. 3./4. (1971), pp. 373-396 (24 pages) Published By: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH Anthropos https://www.jstor.org/stable/40457682
Bantu ethno-linguistic group
http://dice.missouri.edu/docs/niger-congo/Kaguru.pdf https://www.jstor.org/stable/40457682 https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ElAnt/V12N1/beidelman.pdf
Yamba - (yam)
Cameroon, Nigeria
Mbubem,Yamba, Kakayamba
They have a special soup that is a favorite among the locals (though its origin is still uncertain) called Kumbi. It has a bitter taste, as the bitter leaf soup, but it is very healthy and nutritious.
Population: 142,000 Global Population: 163,500
Quite a number of the Kaka people are known to be scholars who believe in Western education like the Yoruba people. Besides farming, they are also business inclined.
Generally, we find maternity symbols in African Art, but some specific pieces represent paternity. Kaka- the only cultural group using rare paternity figures. The kaka tribe of North Cameroon carve Camerron wood shield adorned with red fabric and aluminium metallic details.
The primary religion practiced by the Kaka is ethnoreligion. Ethnoreligion is deeply rooted in a people's ethnic identity and conversion essentially equates to cultural assimilation.
They are part of the Bantu, Cameroon-Bamileke people cluster within the Sub-Saharan African affinity bloc.
https://www.peoplegroups.org/Explore/groupdetails.aspx?peid=12693 https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kaka-people https://antiqueafricanart.com/rare-kakakeaka-paternity-figure-nigeria-20th-century/ https://sarauta.net/the-kaka-tribe-of-taraba/
Kikaragwe, Kiswahili
Tanzania
Traditionally, events such as marriage, funerals, worship, installation, praise, and exaltation of kings (omukama), celebratory war dances (omutoro) and heroic recitations or self-praise recitations (ebyebugo), healing practices such as cleansing and chasing away evil spirits, and all occasions calling for celebration produced performances.
Foods such as maize, cassava, sweet potatoes, and other staple foods. The popular food dish matoke includes beans with either beef or fish, and it is seen as a fulfilling meal compared to only consuming crops like maize and cassava. Other varieties of banana include those for making beer (orubisi) and spirits (konyagi) as well as non-cooking types considered to be sweet.
40,000
Many Karagwe were cattle herders, and so cows were a measure of wealth and power. Iron production also played a key part in the economic balances within the kingdom.
The most famous works of art from the Karagwe kingdom are iron objects. Some are utilitarian, while others are thought to be symbolic "cows" and hammers, which were used symbolically to link the king with iron production.
Karagwe religious ideas are closely tied to the king. Karagwe cosmology recognizes a diadic view of the world, most significantly represented by a division of male and female gender roles. Women are associated with fertility and fecundity. The cow, not the bull, was celebrated for its ability to produce offspring and milk. Common among many iron smelting societies throughout Africa is the conception of iron smelting as a procreative act between "female" furnaces and "male" bellows and smelters.
They are closely related to Haya People, so some info is relatively taen from there also. Data taken from wikiwand.com could be open to bias. Open to editing and suggestions
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Karagwe The Karagwe kingdom : a history of the Abanyambo of north western Tanzania, c. 1400-1915 https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Haya_people
Nga Karamojong
north-eastern Uganda
Karimojong
Raw milk and blood obtained after puncturing the skin of a cow is staple diet for the Karamjojong besides smoked meat, yoghurt, cow ghee, smoked hides and fresh beef.
Unlike most other Ugandans, many Karamojong shun western-style clothes and instead wear "traditional" dress of a blanket -like shawl, often in red and black. The women wear elaborate beadwork. They have facila markings and body piercing on nose , ears, lower lips and other parts that convey a hidden message amongst them. They wear light cloth in bright colors and centered on covering the lion and breast areas. All genders generally wear car tire sandals.
Around 371,713 people
Karamoja has a cattle culture and are notorious as cattle raiders. The life of a traditional Karamojong rotated around livestock, cattle in particular. Settled agriculture is increasingly practiced by them, however; fields for sorghum, corn (maize), millet, peanuts (groundnuts), and squash may be plowed by men but are generally tended by women.
Beads jewelry, copper bangles, cow-horn rings, cow-hide material, bird feathers items.
They pray to pay allegiance to Akuj, their traditional god who they believe gave them birthright of all the cattle in Karamroja region and the world beyond.
Karamojong are traditional nomadic pastoralists who roamed large areas in search of fresh pastures and water for their livestock.
https://minorityrights.org/minorities/karamojong-and-related-groups/ https://www.theguardian.com/katine/2009/feb/17/karamojong-background https://www.kideponationalpark.com/information/the-karamojong/ https://www.britannica.com/topic/Karimojong
Bari, Karo speak an Omotic language. Karo is described as being closely related to its neighbors, Hamer and Banna
Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of South Sudan, Cameroon, Nigeria
Kara
Specific rituals occur regularly within the Karo community, and sometimes even neighboring villagers will travel all night to witness these rites of passage and participate in the celebrations. For the Karo, male and female body scarification conveys either significant symbolism or aesthetic beauty. Ritual combats between the clans are of great importance because the men have the possibility to exhibit their beauty and courage, and consequently attract a woman.
Like many of the tribes in the Omo, they paint their bodies and faces with white chalk to prepare for a ceremony. The chalk is mixed with yellow rock, red iron ore and charoal to make its color. Face masks are worn at times and they have clay hair buns with feathers in them. Red clay mixed with butter is put into their hair and clothing is made from animal skin. The women scar their chest believing it makes them beautiful.
1000-3000
Karo practise flood-retreat cultivation, growing sorghum, maize and beans. Only small cattle are kept because of the tsetse flies. These flies are large and consume the blood of vertebrate animals.
Face masks and clothing is made with animal leather. The Karo body and face painting techniques use coloured ochre, white chalk, yellow mineral rock and other natural resources of the area. Their designs will change daily and each have different meanings.
The Barriyo is the creator and source of good fortune for the Karo. They always follow their religious leader, the Bitti, who is in charge of securing communal wellbeing in the social and natural environments.
Sedentary
Data taken from pinterest.com and travel blogs could be subject to bias. Open to editing and suggestions.
https://www.jimmynelson.com/people/karo https://hu.pinterest.com/annamariafothy/karo-kara-tribe/ https://antiqueafricanart.com/rare-kakakeaka-paternity-figure-nigeria-20th-century/ https://www.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=493631032019443288c43691b4165dd9 https://nomadictribe.com/tribes/the-karo
Kassena, kasem language
Ghana, burkina faso
the kassena nankani people celebrate the fao festival annually to mark harvesting and to worship their ancestors
They consume rice, corn, peanuts, beans, fishes and meat.
30,000
Kassena are primarily sedentary farmers, growing millet, sorghum, and yams. Maize, rice, peanuts, and beans are grown in addition to these staples. Farmers throughout the region practice slash and burn farming, using keri (fields) for approximately seven or eight years before they are allowed to lie fallow for at least a decade. In the family fields close to the villages, women grow cash crops, including sesame and tobacco, which are sold in local markets. Men participate in hunting during the l
The most recognized of the Kassena art forms are magnificent wooden masks. In addition anthropomorphic figures sculpted from clay and wood and various personal objects, ranging from jewelry to wooden stools, are created to honor the spirits. Kassena build spectacular adobe homes. The Kassena are skilled potters and this skill is reflected in their sculptural buildings. The most spectacular feature of Kassena architecture is the elaborate murals that decorate each house. While construction is con
Belief in a supreme creator being is central to Kassena beliefs. A shrine to this god occupies the center of every village. An element of this creator god is Su, the mask spirit which is enshrined in the oldest and most sacred mask in the community.
sedentary farmers
Kassena peoples belong to a larger subset of peoples in the area of southern Burkina Faso and northern Ghana collectively known as Gurunsi.
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Kassena https://bashiri.com.au/kassena-ethnic-group/ https://www.fieldstudyoftheworld.com/painted-earth-architecture-of-the-kassena-people/ https://allafrica.com/stories/201501061441.html
Chamba
Cameroon, Nigeria
Religious rituals, including masking ceremonies, are held in an effort to achieve balance between the dead, the god, nature spirits, and the living. The masks themselves represent a composite of nature and the god. Katana cosmology views the world in a basically dichotomous way contrasting the settled area of the village with the wild areas of nature.
Most Katana are farmers and their primary food for local consumption in guinea corn. Cornmeal is the basis of most meals and is also the essential ingedient used for brewing beer. . Other foods include groundnuts, taro, sesame, peppers, okra, yams, maize, groundnuts, and pumpkin.
raffia costumes
10,000
Most Katana are farmers and their primary crop grown for local consumption in guinea corn. Cornmeal is the basis of most meals and is also the essential ingedient used for brewing beer. The drinking of beer plays an important role in daily social exchanges, and offerings of beer are preferred by the ancestors. At one time, it is believed that beer was not sold, that it could only be transferred among people as gifts. Men gave guinea corn to their wives in exchange for beer. In recent years, howe
Katana carve large wooden masks which are worn atop the head with raffia costumes. They also carve wooden staffs and shoulder crooks that are recognized as prestige items and carried by village leaders.
Among Katana peoples there is a supreme god who is associated with the sun. They also pay homage and respect to the dead, both those who have died and those who have yet to be born. They are conceived of as being subterranean beings that must be appeased in order to maintain balance for the living. Most cults are directly tied to the deceased ancestors of a given matriclan or patriclan.
They are immigrants.
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Katana
Kerewe - (ked)
Tanzania
Kerebe, Kerewe
335,000
Basically agriculturalists
Bead items, clothes, guns and copper items.
Primary Religion is Ethnoreligion. Ethnoreligion is deeply rooted in a people's ethnic identity and conversion essentially equates to cultural assimilation.
Affinity Group: Sub-Saharan African Peoples Affinity Bloc: Sub-Saharan African People Cluster: Bantu, Central-Lakes
https://www.peoplegroups.org/explore/GroupDetails.aspx?peid=14958 JOURNAL ARTICLE Long-Distance Trade and the Evolution of Sorcery among the Kerebe Gerald W. Hartwig African Historical Studies Vol. 4, No. 3 (1971), pp. 505-524 (20 pages) Published By: Boston University African Studies Center African Historical Studies https://doi.org/10.2307/216527 https://www.jstor.org/stable/216527
They carve figures associated with initiations and helmet masks similar to the Bushoong Bwoon mask with large, conical eyes.
During the 16th century, the Kuba people migrated from the north and settled between the Sankuru and Kasai Rivers. Today, they number 250,000 and are subdivided into a number of tribes – the Bushoong, the Ngeende, the Kete, the Lele, the Binji, the Dengese, the Mbuun and the Wongo. https://www.africanbudgetsafaris.com/blog/african-tribes-african-culture-and-african-traditions/
https://discoverafricanart.com/tribes/kete-people/
Bantu Language
Live in the highland area of south-central Kenya, near Mount Kenya.
Gikuyu or Agikuyu
The Agikuyu celebrated traditional occasions such as weddings, initiations, and the birth of new member into the family, by singing and dancing. They had few musical instruments because most of their songs and dances did not require elaborate accompaniment. The main instruments were the drums (kihembe), small rattles (njingiri), large rattles (kigamba), horn (coro), and flute (muturiru).
Jomo Kenyatta, a Kikuyu, was Kenya’s first prime minister (1963–64) and first president (1964–78). He was also one of the first Africans to receive a Ph.D. (London School of Economics) in anthropology and to publish an ethnography (Facing Mount Kenya, 1938). Notable members of the Kikuyu community include: freedom fighter Dedan Kimathi; the first president of Kenya, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta (1963–1978); the third president, Mwai Kibaki (2002-2013); and the fourth president, his excellency Uhuru Kenyat
Some of the common Kikuyu foods include: Githeri (maize and beans), Mukimo (mashed green peas and potatoes), Kimitu (mashed beans and potatoes), Irio (mashed dry beans, corn and potatoes), Mutura (sausage made using goat intestines, meat and blood), and Ucuru (fermented porridge made from flour of corn, millet or sorghum). The foods were served using various bowls and spoons. This wooden food bowl made by a craftsman, was used by everybody for eating dry foods.
They used to wear waist belt made up of leather and beads, cross shoulder ornaments made up of beads and wooden material. A headdress made from sisal ropes which were dyed with castor oil. It was used by Kikuyu elders during ceremonial occasions. Women used to wear headbands in different occassions.
4,400,000
Their indigenous economy rested upon intensive hoe cultivation of millet (the staple crop), peas, beans, sorghum, and sweet potatoes. The main modern cash crops are coffee, corn (maize), wattle, and fruits and vegetables. Some groups practiced irrigation and terracing. Animal husbandry provided an important supplement.
The Kikuyu learnt the art of iron-making and smelting from the Gumba and, as their population increased, they dispersed to different areas around the slopes of Mount Kenya.
The Kikuyu believe in an omnipotent creator god, Ngai, and in the continued spiritual presence of ancestors. The Agikuyu believe in a supreme being (Ngai), who lives on Mount Kenya. The name 'Ngai', means ‘one creator God’,to whom they offer prayers and sacrifices at designated places, such as on top of hills, Mount Kenya and under specific trees. Sacrifices are conducted by members of the ruling generation, who appoint special priests for each occasion.
Ancestors of the Kikuyu arrived in Kenya and settled on the slopes of Mount Kenya where they found the Gumba, whom they assimilated.
The Kikuyu (also known as Agikuyu) are a central Bantu community. They share common ancestry with the Embu, Kamba, Tharaka, Meru and Mbeere.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kikuyu https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/the-kikuyu-community-of-kenya-national-museums-of-kenya/0QIS6HqkIjAUIQ?hl=en Bibliography and research 1. Amin, M. Willetts, D. & Tetley, B., 1989. The Beautiful People of Kenya. Camerapix Publishers. 2. Fedders A, Salvadori C. Peoples and cultures of Kenya. Nairobi: Transafrica and London: Rex Collings, 1980. https://www.worldhistory.org/Kikuyu_People/
The Kipsigis people speak the Kipsigis language; Nilotic language which falls under the of the Kalenjin languages. Kipsigis is a tonal language. Classified as Nilotic, it is grouped within the Eastern Sudanic Branch of the Nilo-Saharan Language Family.
They occupy the highlands around the town of Kericho in southwestern Kenya as well as Tanzania.
Kipsikis, also spelled Kipsiki, or Kipsigi, erroneously called Lumbwa
Kipsigis have ceremonies to "greet" a mother and her newborn child and also to celebrate the completion of a new house. Marriage ceremonies have become elaborate affairs, particularly in Christian families. There are joyful and sometimes raucous public ceremonies held during the first and final states of initiation.
Dr. William Kipchirchir Samoei araap Ruto is from the Kipsigis ethnicity and was the Member of Parliament for Eldoret North Constituency, Cabinet Minister for Education and Cabinet Cabinet Minister for Agriculture. He is the incumbent Deputy President of Kenya and has been serving in this role since 2013. His second term began in 2018 and will end in 2022. He has been deputising for the 4th president of Kenya, Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta.
Cattle are the main interest of the Kipsikis. Cattle are milked twice daily, and they are bled with a miniature arrow; the blood is then mixed with milk for human consumption. Served with milk and copious amounts of sugar, tea has become a mainstay of their diet.
Kenya: 1,905,983 Tanzania: 5,000
Cattle are the main interest of the Kipsikis. Cattle are milked twice daily, and they are bled with a miniature arrow; the blood is then mixed with milk for human consumption. Kipsikis turned from communal farming to individual land tenure; cash-crop cultivation of tea, pyrethrum, corn (maize), and some coffee; and the sale of milk and other cattle products.
The Kipsigis are renowned for building handsome and durable houses. Many are competent tanners and leatherworkers. Some women still construct delicately woven food baskets and decorate gourds, which serve as milk containers.
Many Kipsigis are Christians; they hold their faith with varying degrees of orthodoxy. Non-Christians believe in a watchful but distant god, whose main manifestation is the sun.
famous personality column, population has no reliable source
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kipsikis Komma, Toru (1984). The Women's Self-Help Association Movement among the Kipsigis of Kenya. Senri Ethnological Studies, no. 15. Osaka: Nation Museum of Ethnology. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/kipsigis
Kissi, They speak a language of the Atlantic branch of the Niger-Congo family.
Inhabiting a belt of hills covered by wooded savannas where Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia meet
Kisi, Assi, Bakoa, Den, Gihi, Gisi, Gissi, Gizi, Kisia, Kisie, Kisiye, Kizi, or Kalen
Small stone statues are used to represent the spirits. They are worshipped and offered sacrifices by the village headmen. Many carved soapstone figures and heads were produced by the Kissi people in the past prior to colonial contact with the Europeans. It is not clear why they were made; some scholars argue that they form part of ancestor worship while others say they may represent gods to increase agricultural yields.
Joseph Boakai, former Vice President of Liberia from 2006 to 2018 Henri Camara, former Senegalese footballer Maxime Camara, former Guinean footballer Benjamin Feindouno, former Guinean footballer
Rice, cultivated in marshes, is the staple of the Kisi diet; other foods include yams, groundnuts (peanuts), cotton, bananas, melons, and taro.
Some 120,000 people
Essentially farmers, their daily life are organized around the cultivation of rice, in addition to manioc and cotton. Coffee and kola are grown for external trade. The Kissi are primarily farmers. Rice, their staple crop, is grown on most hillsides and in low, swampy areas. Other crops include peanuts, cotton, corn, bananas, potatoes, and melons. Beans, tomatoes, onions, and peppers are grown in small vegetable gardens, and coffee raised as a cash crop. Most of the farmers also raise some livest
The Kissi people call them pomdo (pombo), which mean "the deceased". Some of their carvings are extremely old. These statues were the abodes of the spirits of their ancestors. The Kissi revere soapstone (steatite) anthropomorphic carvings, which are found in fields and rivers in the area centered around Sewa and Mano rivers. The Kissi people call them pomdo (pombo), which mean "the deceased". Some of their carvings are extremely old. These statues were the abodes of the spirits of their ancestor
Kisi religion includes agricultural, ancestral, and other cults. Small steatite (stone) statuettes (kisi), made by former inhabitants of the area, are used to represent the ancestors, who provide the only means of communication with the creator god. Although many Kissi have converted to Christianity, most of them continue to practice their traditional ethnic religion. Ancestor worship or praying to deceased relatives is a common practice among the Kissi.
some information taken from joshua project
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kisi http://www.zyama.com/kissi/ https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/12722/SL https://www.africadirect.com/african-peoples-art-kissi
Kom (Macro-Bantu)
Cameroon
Nkom
There are numerous dance groups like the Njang and chong, which performs in many occasions including funerals.
Prince Yerima Afo’o kom and Ateh Bazor are two of Kom's most prominent folklore musicians.
Kom people consume food like, sweet and Irish potato, beans, corn, coco yams and coffee.
30,000 people
People in the region played an important part in regional trade routes connecting with the seaport of Douala in the south and with Fulani and Hausa traders in the north. The Kom are farmers who grow maize, yams, and peanuts as staple crops. They also raise some livestock, including chickens and goats, which play an important role in daily sustenance. Women, who are believed to make the soil more fruitful, are responsible for the tasks of planting and harvesting the crops. Men are responsible for
In recognition of the importance of the skull, representations of the head are found in nearly all decorated utilitarian items. Masks used in initiation and for education purposes are common. Statuary often represents the Fon (head chief), and many types of beaded and ivory objects, including stools which symbolize the seat of royal power are related to the Fon's investiture.
The Kom reserve the highest allegiance for their lineage ancestors. Ancestral spirits are embodied in the skulls of the deceased ancestors. The skulls are in the possession of the eldest living male in each lineage, and all members of an extended family recognize the skulls as common heritage.
Some info taken from joshua project and wikipedia. Subject to bias
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Kom https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/13419/CM
the Koma people speak their own language known as Koma; a language of the Niger-Congo family.
Nigeria and Sudan and forested Guinea Highlands, Africa
They also use some special oil produced via a natural technology and other forms of foods not common to other ethnic groups around the state. The Komas are committed to their tradition. They still use traditional salt (Mangul) produced from the hills for cooking. They don’t use matches to make fire, but rub stones together to ignite the fire.
However, a touch of civilization can be seen; as the youths in resettled areas wear modern clothes. Nevertheless, a large percentage of the people still clad themselves in their traditional dress, using leaves and animal skins that barely cover their vital parts. The men wear loincloths and women wear fresh leaves.
62, 000
The occupation of the Koma hill-dwellers centres around farming, hunting, and gathering. Except for hunting, both men and women engage in cultivation, weeding and gathering. Women often have their own farms separate from their male counterparts. However, both cooperate at appropriate times in helping with each others' farms.
Artifacts for body decorations, beads, pigments and decorated hoes. Geometrically incised masks of Koma has aim to combat the misdeeds of witchcraft, which they considered both widespread and powerful.
The Koma people believe in the existence of a supreme being variously called Zum or Nu. These words are also used for the sun. The neighboring Chamba also use the same word Su for the sun, as well as for Almighty God. In order to get what man likes within the unalterable wheel of God's arrangements, the Koma recognise the powers of local deities such as Kene which can be appealed to for health, vitality, and fertility. Each hamlet and household has her Ken, shrine under the charge of male ritu
Scores of Nigerians, after the discovery, described the Koma people as primitive and pagan.
They share a boarder with Cameroon and are divided into three main groups: the hill-dwelling Beya and Ndamti, and the Vomni and Verre lowlanders.
They share a boarder with Cameroon and are divided into three main groups: the hill-dwelling Beya and Ndamti, and the Vomni and Verre lowlanders.
https://www.gateway-africa.com/tribe/Koma_tribe.html https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/food-travel/koma-tribe-a-brief-walk-into-the-lives-of-an-ancient-ethnic-group/4ezz3ke https://face2faceafrica.com/article/the-koma-tribe-of-cameroon-and-nigeria-that-buried-twins-and-their-mothers-alive-as-custom http://www.zyama.com/koma/
Komo language
Live in the Blue Nile Province of Sudan, South Sudan and in Ethiopia.
Central Koma
Their diet traditionally includes maize and sorghum.
14,000 people
The Central Koma (hereafter called Komo) are shepherds and farmers. They raise cattle, sheep, and goats. Their crops include sorghum, maize, sesame, okra, peppers, cotton, and tobacco. They engage in some hunting and fishing, and also do some trading with the Nuer and other nearby peoples. The men hunt, fish, and do most of the herding and milking, while the women help the men with farm labor. The women also collect honey from the hives in the bush.
Its masks, which are considered to be enormously powerful, are shaped in an elongated animal form decorated with actual horns of antelope, quills of porcupine, bird skulls, and other objects. Masks of the Kono, which enforces civic morality, are also elongated and encrusted with sacrificial material.
Most Komo follow their traditional ethnic religion. This religion teaches the worship of a supreme god who is considered the creator of all things, and the worship of the spirits of dead ancestors. Divination (the use of supernatural powers), magic, and rain-making are also a part of the traditional religion.
They are a Nilotic people. The term Nilotic once referred to people living along the banks of the Upper Nile Valley River.
information taken from joshua, ones marked in yellow couldn't be verified
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/12767/ET https://www.britannica.com/topic/Komo
Kikongo language, which has many dialects under it.
1. Angola 2. Republic of Congo 3. Democratic Republic of Congo
Bakongo
1. Traditional such as Sagramentos 2. National holidays 3. Christian festivals
Kimpa Vita: A 17th-century Kongo woman prophet.
Their diet traditionally includes bushmeat and locally produced vegetables and vegetable products.
Traditionally, they wore clothes made from bark softened by pounding.
3.3 Million plus
The main economic activities are subsistence farming and cash crop growing. The Kongo people survive from day to day on agricultural production, fishing, and hunting. In its heyday the Kingdom exacted taxes, forced labor, and collected fines from its citizens in order to prosper. At times, enslaved peoples, ivory, and copper were traded to the Europeans on the coast
Woodcarving, sculpting, painting, and stonework.
1. Christianity 2. Traditional.. Nzambi was the supreme god for all in the Kongo Kingdom, and the intermediary representations included land and sky spirits and ancestor spirits, all of whom were represented in nkisi objects. When an individual encountered hardship and feared that a spirit had been offended, it would be necessary to consult a nganga (diviner), who would often instruct the afflicted to add medicines to certain nkisi in order to achieve well-being. Although the Portuguese attempt
Sedentary
1. Afro-Christian Syncreticism in the Kingdom of Kongo, John K. Thornton, Source: The Journal of African History , 2013, Vol. 54, No. 1 (2013), pp. 53-77. 2. Dance, Image, Myth, and Conversion in the Kingdom of Kongo, 1500—1800 Cécile Fromont, African Arts , winter 2011, Vol. 44, No. 4 (winter 2011), pp. 52-63. 3. Foreign Cloth, Local Habits: Clothing, Regalia, and the Art of Conversion in the Early Modern Kingdom of Kongo, Cecile Fromont, Anais do Museu Paulista. São Paulo.
The Konso speak the Konso language (also known as affa xonso) as a mother tongue. It belongs to the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family. Konso is divided into four dialects: Kholme, Duuro, Fasha and Karatti. It shares a close lexical similarity with Dirasha, and is today transcribed using the Ethiopic script.
Located in the arid highlands of southwestern Ethiopia.
Xonsita
In every Konso tribal village there are ceremonial squares where there are generation poles “Olahita”. Each pole represents aproximately 18 years so you can calculate how old these African tribal villages are. Some villages are over 700years old with more than 42 generation poles. Every 18 years a new generation will be initiated (both boys and girls aged 8-25years old) during a Kata ceremony and a new pole will be added to the Olahita.
They use both the milk and the meat of cattle and the meat of sheep and goats as food, and the animals’ dung is collected for fertilizer. Numerous other animals are taboo as food. The sorghum is used to create a fine flour for cooking and it is also used to make their thick local beer. The Konso have traditionally enjoyed their coffee not from the coffee beans, but from the coffee leaves. The leaves are sun-dried and then ground to a fine powder and mixed with seeds, spices and other leaves to
350,984 approximately
The economy of the Konso rests on an exceptionally intensive agriculture involving irrigation and terracing of mountain slopes. Corn (maize) and numerous varieties of sorghum are the staple crops, and cotton and coffee are cash crops. To protect the fields the Konso maintain their cattle in stalls and feed them by hand or supervise their grazing.The main crops of the Konso people are Sorghum, Maize, Coffee and beans.
The Konso are notable for the erection of wagas, memorial statues to a dead man who has killed an enemy or an animal such as a lion or a leopard. These stylized wooden carvings are arranged in groups, representing the man, his wives, and his vanquished adversaries. Carve wood figures to commemorate ancestors. Besides weaving, pottery and crafts, such as decorated calabashes, the Konso enjoy music and play the lyre (called a "krar"), a five stringed guitar or "kita" and panpipes.
Worship the sky god "Waq" and venerate snakes.
Their sharply delimited traditional territory is surrounded by lands of Oromo peoples, to whom the Konso are culturally and linguistically related. They are a Cushitic people.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Konso https://www.gateway-africa.com/tribe/konso_tribe.html https://www.jaynemclean.com/blog/2020/video-konso-culture-ethiopia Hallpike, Christopher Robert (1972). The Konso of Ethiopia: a study of the values of a Cushitic people. Clarendon Press.
Koro to have originated from among the Niger-Congo group of languages through the Atlantic Congo, Volta-Congo, Benue-Congo, Plateau Western to North-Western Congo. They are known with the dialects, Koro-Ija, Ashe, Gbegbe-Ejar, Koro Panda and many more.
The Federal Capital Territory Abuja (FCT), Niger and Kaduna State
Kwaro
The two most popular festivals are "Zhiba-je" Zhiba means settlement and je means beer/ceremony put together to mean town festival. It is usually celebrated after the harvest of guinea corn and when the first rain dropped around March. The second popular festival is Kuye. It is celebrated to remember the death of "Najaja", the great hunter who emancipated the Koros from the shackles of invades and led them to their present location.
Maize is the staple food of Koro people along with beer.
150,000 (in 2007)
Agriculture is the main stay of Koro economy. Commercial and subsistence farming are what they do most. Yam and maize are the major thing they sell and it is their major articles of trade in their place.
Anthropomorphic cups are used for drinking and pouring beer or palm wine during ritual sacrifices or secondary funerals. They carve abstract headdresses embellished with red seeds, which are thought to symbolize ancestor spirits and are used during agricultural rites and important social or family events. The Koro also sculpt cups for beer and palm wine that are used in sacrificial offerings and in second funerals (those that, after a certain period of burial, celebrate the arrival of the dead i
The Koros are dominantly traditional worshippers with families having its own ancestral shrine. They also have clan shrines (ebe-tukwo), town shrines and individual or town cults and sancutaties (ashmaukuk). The influence of Arab traders have firmly establish the religion of Islam. With the dominance of Islam, The Koros are very careful to observe the hours of prayers.
https://www.projectclue.com/nigerian-african-languages/project-topics-materials-for-undergraduate-students/aspects-of-koro-morphology https://discoverafricanart.com/tribes/koro-people/ http://www.zyama.com/koro/
Kota (equatorial Bantu), The language has several dialects, which include: Ndambomo, Mahongwe, Ikota-la-hua, Sake, Menzambi, Bougom.
Gabon and Republic of Congo
Akota, Bakota, Kuta
The Kota are traditionally a patriarchal society, however some of the sub-groups such as the Mahongwe have over time adopted a matrilineal system of lineage (Mahongwe means, "from your father"). Another key feature of the Kota people is the originality of its circumcision and widow-purification rituals, which are generally kept secret.
Alexandre Sambat, a long-time ambassador to the United States who later ran for president in 1993, was of Kota origin. Pascal Desire Misongo, another Kota, has served as minister of Justice in Gabon. Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet was an established representative in the United Nations and served as Prime Minister of Gabon as well.
75,000
The rain forests which surround the Kota are farmed with slash and burn techniques, combined with crop rotation. By moving crops from year to year, erosion and soil depletion is avoided. The main crops grown are plantains and manioc. Large knives are used to clear the forests, and most of the cultivation is done with a hoe.
The Kota create stylistically unique reliquary figures, called mbulu-ngulu, which are covered with a sheet of brass or copper. Like the Fang, the Kota keep the skulls and bones of ancestors in containers, which consist here of a basket surmounted by the carved figure. The reliquary figures of the Kota may be distinguished from their neighbors by the copper overlay on them. Some masks are found in collections, but these are extremely rare. Other utilitarian objects, such as pots, baskets, stools,
The traditional religion of Kota centered around ancestors who are believed to wield power in the afterlife as they had as living leaders of the community. The skulls and long bones of these men were believed to retain power and are said to have control over the well-being of the family of the relics' keepers. Usually the relics were kept hidden away from the uninitiated and women. Wooden sculptures covered with sheets of copper and brass, known as reliquary or guardian figures, were attached to
The Kota were a peaceful people who preferred to pick up and move rather than engage in warfare. So they are considered as Nomadic.
The Kota people comprise a number of small tribes such as the Mahongwe, the Sango, the Obamba and the Shamaye.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kota-African-people https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Kota https://discoverafricanart.com/tribes/kota-people/ http://www.zyama.com/kota/
There is some resemblance between the Paniya people and African natives, and some scholars are of the opinion that the Paniyan people may be of African origin. According to some scholars, Kapiri (Africa or the Cape) is the land of origin of the Paniya tribes. https://pollinators.keystone-foundation.org/paniya/
No tribe named this. Kpelle also known as Guerze tribe is already done
Ivory Coast and Liberia
The Kran tribe is also named ”We”.
The tribe previously made it’s living from hunting and farming. But nowadays they also work with diamonds and in rubber plantations.
Just like the Grebo tribe the Kran is mostly known for their masks which are characterised by geometrical and tubeformed eyes and enlarged noses and mouths with scary traits. The masks are collectively owned by the tribe families and used at masquerades and at rituals in connection with the circumcision of the boys.
https://christas.dk/africa/kran/ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/african-studies-review/article/abs/who-are-the-kranguere-and-the-gioyacouba-ethnic-identifications-along-the-liberiaivory-coast-border/4E33CA4D6CDC5962A21AEE535A3E10AD
Kwa languages Ga and Dangme
Southern Ghana and Nigeria
krorbors
The Ngmayem Festival is a harvest festival celebrated by a couple Dangme groups, namely the Shai and Manya Krobo. Kloyosikplemi- This festival was created in 1992 by the people of Yilo Krobo to commemorate the Centenuary of their eviction from the Krobo Mountain.
Millet is the staple food of Krobo people.
Over 2 million
Farming is the main economic activity of Krobo tribe.
Pottery and Carving and mainly they are known for bead making and ornamnets of beads.
Christianity
The Dangme people traveled as one group, and it was not until their arrival in Ghana that they split into the seven Dangme groups we know of today. Krobo Tribe is one of those 7 groups. So here some info is also taken from Dangme tribal people. Krobos are further divided into 2 sub-categories: Manya and Yilo Krobo.
The Krobo: Traditional Social and Religious Life oj a West African People. HUGO HUBER. (Studia Instituti Anthropos, Vol. 16.) St. Augustin near Bonn: The Anthropos Institute, 1963. 306 pp., appendixes, 8 figures, index, 26 plates, DM 40.- https://thegadangme.com/history-of-the-krobo/
Kru, Liberian English, Sierra Leone English, Kriol, French, Ivorian French, Nouchi language
Southern Liberia and Southwestern Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
Kroo
Notable ethnic Krus include the 25th President of Liberia George Weah, who is of mixed Kru, Gbee, Mano, and Bassa heritage, as well as his predecessor, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is of mixed Kru, Gola, and German ancestry. Dr. George Toe Washington, Former Armed Forces Chief of Staff of Liberia and Ambassador to the USA, Canada and Mexico who is of Kru and Grebo ancestry. Soccer star William Jebor is exclusively of Kru background, as is Christian Evangelist Samuel Morris who was
Rice along with fish and other sea food.
Ivorien Kru chiefs wear the tappa dress. Men and Women both wear a printed fabricated cloth which has some patterns printed upon it with some vibrant colours along with some beads jwellery. They area also fond of body tattoos.
Liberia 410,000 Ivory Coast 630,000 Sierra Leone 20,000
Kru economy is based on fishing and the production of rice and cassava. The Kru are known as stevedores and fishermen throughout the west coast of Africa.
Christianity, African traditional religions, Sunni Islam
The Kru and Related Peoples, West Africa. Part I, Journal of the Royal African Society Vol. 29, No. 113 (Oct., 1929), pp. 71-77 (7 pages) Published By: Oxford University Press Journal of the Royal African Society https://www.jstor.org/stable/716518
Traditional dress column is described by seeing the pictures from different sources.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kru https://nalrc.indiana.edu/doc/brochures/kru.pdf
16 bantu speaking groups
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Bakuba
itul is a rare dance festival which is celebrated when the king gives permission. it's frequency is because of cost and expensive preparation. it has little religious importance but is famous for it's rarity
Three ways the Kuba people gather and grow food include farming, hunting, and fishing. Both women and men are involved in farming. The women work on the plains by both planting and gathering; when they finish their work in the fields, they help the men in the forests. The society’s diet is mostly composed of vegetables. Meat is only eaten in the dry season because the men are able to hunt without the responsibilities of farming. Men trap animals in groups; trapping takes place in the brush.
Some Kuba textiles have groups of such imbol and woot figures variously linked and interlocked as if they were constructing a complete mega-pattern summing up the entire array of possible crossing or interlace patterns. Interspersed within these overall imbol or woot patterns li together--that is, within the many inner compartments created by the linked patterns in the textiles--are an almost infinite array of other patterns, some knotted and some open.
Kuba cultivate corn (maize), cassava, millet, peanuts (groundnuts), and beans as staples. They grow raffia and oil palms, raise corn as a cash crop, and hunt and fish. They have kept aloof from modern life, and few have emigrated or engage in European-style occupations.
Nearly all objects of daily use are decorated, and carved wooden figurines, initiation masks, cups, and beautifully embroidered handwoven raffia cloth are especially prized for export. The art of the Kuba is one of the most highly developed of all African traditions, and significant cultural accomplishments are part of their heritage. The Kuba metalsmith worked with copper, iron, and brass, making weapons and tools to be admired as well as used
Nature spirits, the spirits of dead kings, and witchcraft dominate Kuba religion. Kuba religion was focused on the King and all of the ceremonies and royal symbols show religious importance.  Kings are very spiritual and they draw all of the Kuba tribes together (Leuchak, 19).  The king is called ngesh or the nature spirit
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kuba-people https://www.britannica.com/art/African-art/Kuba-cultural-area http://www.swarthmore.edu/Humanities/pschmid1/kuba.html https://books.google.co.in/books?id=9nxFwxF7nCsC&pg=PA121&lpg=PA121&dq=itul+festival&source=bl&ots=ryqrgIyUIc&sig=ACfU3U3g-P9pwi7k6eIu_ZiMeeBJxrCMkQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwili8D3wP_zAhVQWX0KHYQICIAQ6AF6BAghEAI#v=onepage&q=itul%20festival&f=false https://kubaafricanart.weebly.com/background.html
They speak Kusu which is a part of the Tetela language, classified as C70 in Guthrie's classification, and further belonging to the Northwestern group of Bantu languages. They also speak Swahili
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Bakusu, Ukusu
Fish is a primary food source for the Kusu, fish can be harvested after some months of feeding. Traditionally, women fry or salt the fish that the family did not consume. They also use kola nuts, palm nuts , wine, oil and fruits as well, and beer is brewed using millet or maize and palm nut for special occasions.
Their traditional clothing and mats are made up of rafia palm tree
The Kusu, who in the past were hunters, have in recent years embraced a more sedentary lifestyle that includes farming on land.They raise maize, yams, beans, and also domesticated animals, including cows, pigs, goats, and chickens. Fishing is performed by both men and women using nets fashioned by men, and hunting is still considered to be of ritual importance and serves as a powerful metaphor in most communities.
Kusu art and sculpture is similar to and comparable with their neighbours, from the Lubaized chief's stools and Songye-like power figures, to the Hemba-influenced ancestor figures. Women also make pottery and basketry, which is used in everyday life. The Kusu mask is an exceptionally beautiful and well preserved piece of mask art.
Kusu religious practice has been greatly influenced by their neighbours. They recognize Vilie (a supreme being) and share a common belief in the power of the ancestors, despite their geographical differences. They worship various nature spirits that can be traced to their Mongo origins, recognize ancestor cults that have been borrowed from the Hemba and the Luba, and fashion and use powerful magical figures similar to those found among the Songye. However, with the influence of Arab traders, som
Kusu history is shared with the Nkutshu and Tetela, all of whom came from the northwest of their current location and share a Mongo-Kundu origin. Their first movement was southward, then they moved back north through Luba, Songye, and Hemba territory, acquiring social customs and learning artistic styles along the way. However, The Kusus also came under the influence of Arab traders while the Tetelas resisted Arab cultural domination. Belgian authorities in the early twentieth century placed the
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press. 2. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Kusu 3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bantu_languages 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetela_languages 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kusu_language 6. http://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/kusu.html
They speak Koyo (also known as Ekoyo and Kouyou), which is a Bantu language and belongs to the larger family of Niger-Congo languages. Also used is French which is the official language of the Congo-Brazzaville
Republic of the Congo
Kouyou, Kouyous, Koyo, Kuyon
40000
They are increasingly turning to commercial agriculture, however, the Kuyu economy has traditionally revolved around trading and fishing, at which they are highly adept.
Kuyu carvers also produced wooden heads with rounded features and complex or conical coiffures. These heads were inset with feathers and carried on top of long poles during ceremonies at the end of the Ottote initiation period
Population data taken from (Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press), could be old. Open to updates and edits.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press. 2.https://discoverafricanart.com/tribes/kuyu-people/
They speak an Akan Twi language which is a Kwa language belonging to the larger Niger-Congo phylum. Kwahus are Akan speaking people like Ashantis, Akuapims, Akyems, Dankyera, Bono, Assin, Sefwi and Fantis. However, their Twi is slight different in their language as compared to Ashantes, Akwapims and Akyems.
Ghana
Kwawu, Kowu, Akoawu, Kodiabε, Quahoe, Akwahu
Based on their calendar, they have sacred days. One such example is adae, which is a period of ancestral veneration. At this time prayers are offered to appease the ancestors, the gods and other spirits of the land and the people as well. People come together to seek favour from the gods and ancestors. The chief priest and his people offer food, meat and drinks for the spirits of the land every forty-second (42nd) day. Their celebration is known as Adae Kɛse where afahye (outoor festival) will b
The major staple food for Kwahu people is fufu (a type of sticky dough), since plantain, cassava, cocoyam, yam and water yam are in abundance in the region. They pound fufu with any of the crops mentioned above. Usually, the people prefer yam and cocoyam when pounding fufu. Kwahu people usually eat fufu with any other soup since various vegetables are available in their locality, for example groundnut, palm fruit, and some plant leave such as kontomire. Kwahus usually prefer abunabun which is a
Kwahu people dress like any Akan group. The women usually put on Kaba, Kente and others. Men wear danta, twakoto, lamp cloth just to cover the private part; it is worn in a special style. Married women put on kaba, slit and another piece. This was referred to as Esoro ne fam kaba. Unmarried women and young girls also used to put on kaba and slit and it was also known as (baako ne kaba). They usually wear the other piece by putting it around the neck. They have also adopted some aspect of other G
275000
They are mountain-dwellers who are considered to be wealthy and very successful traders. Agriculture is one of the main economic activities apart from trade and commerce among the Kwahu people. Apart from that, they also engage themselves in hunting and fishing. Ghana`s Ministry of Food and Agriculture in its 2006 report indicated that about 52.6% of the adult population in Kwahu are mainly engaged subsistence farming. Kwahu people grow cash crops and food crops such as cocoa, palm trees, yam, c
The Kwahu are well known for the funerary ceramics found by archaeologists. Woodcarving includes stools, which are recognized as "seats" of power, and akua ba (wooden dolls) that are associated with fertility. There are also extensive traditions of pottery and weaving throughout Akan territory. Kente cloth, woven on behalf of royalty, has come to symbolize African power throughout the world.
They believe in the Supreme Being and in the existence of the creator God, who is referred to as nyame, onyame, kokroko, and oboadae. They consider him as the creator and sustainer of the universe. They also believe in the worship of spirits, divinities, and lesser gods (abosom) who receive their power from the supreme god and are connected to the natural world. These include ocean and riverine spirits and various local deities. Kwahu people also believe in the spirit of their departed ancestors
They are mountain dwellers who are said to have migrated to the mountainous region of Kwahu in Central Eastern Ghana around the beginning of 18th century fleeing wars and internal conflicts from neighbouring communities.
Population data taken from (Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press), could be old. Open to updates and edits. some information taken from wikipedia
1. http://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/kwahu.html 2. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Kwahu 3. Studies Among the Akan People of West Africa: Community, Society, History, Culture; With Special Focus on the Kwawu by Dr Phil Bartle, PhD (http://cec.vcn.bc.ca/rdi/index.htm) 4. Perregaux, W. “A Few Notes on Kwahu (‘Quahoe,’ a Territory in the Gold Coast Colony, West Africa).” Journal of the Royal African Society 2, no. 8 (1903): 444–50. (http://www.jstor.org/stable/715138) 5. https://en.wik
Namibia
The Kwele are among the Bantu-speaking peoples
Gabon, Republic of the Congo, and Cameroon
BAKWELE, BEKWIL, EBAA, KOUELE
Historically the Kwele had a subsistence economy based on hunting monkeys, warthogs, antelope, and other animals, as well as a relatively rudimentary slash and burn farming system emphasizing plantain bananas, taros, yams, and cassava. They also had an important iron-working industry, practiced only by men. Kwele blacksmiths made bracelets and iron balls, dowry currency resembling ships' anchors, throwing weapons (knives, spears, and harpoons), and hand-to-hand combat weapons (knives and short s
The Kwele are noted for their ceremonial masks which are collected as art objects. The masks are associated with the Beete association, which maintains social order, and are also used in initiation rites and at the end of mourning periods. There are three main types of Kwele mask: (i) Bush spirit masks, ekuk, which are divided into white-faced masks that function as guardian spirits and animal masks, kuk-guu (a flying squirrel or spiny-tailed squirrel) and kuk-diityak (an owl, also known as a "w
The Kwele believe in witchcraft and blame all their personal and social ills on its influence. The Kwele protect themselves against the power of witchcraft with the 'beete' ritual. It involves purification by the spirits who are represented in the form of 'ekuk' masks. However, the "Mademoiselle" cult, an iconoclastic movement in the 1950s led by an inspired Kwele prophet from the Souank region, encouraged the destruction of all ancient ritual objects likely to be used for witchcraft throughout
Little is known about the Kwele except that they are said to have fled the coastal area of West Africa during the 19th century, after their traditional enemies acquired firearms from the slave traders. This altercation is often called the "Poupou" war. The Kwele then settled into lands between the Dja and Ivindo rivers.
https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/kwele-people/g122wtsjl?hl=en https://www.artyfactory.com/africanmasks/masks/kwele.htm https://discoverafricanart.com/tribes/kwele-people/ http://www.aplusafricanart.com/people/Akan.php?Tribe=Kwele http://www.zyama.com/kwele/pics..htm https://www.africadirect.com/african-peoples-art-kwele https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/312273
They speak Kwere, also referred to as Kikwere or Ngh’wele, is a Bantu language, and is described as a part of the Ruvu language group (Gonzales, 2008). It has strikingly similar to Zaramo and is classified under the larger Niger-Congo family of languages. According to a 2009 data from Languages of Tanzania (LoT), there are reportedly 151,583 speakers of Kwere in Tanzania. Further, since most people in Tanzania are bilingual, Swahili might also be spoken by the people of Kwere community.
Tanzania
Ngh'were, Kikwere (in Swahili)
They celebrate festivals such as Arts festivals which include traditional dances, sculptures and music, Yam festival and other kinds of festivals. They perform cultural dances such as funeral dance, war dance, makwere dance, kokoro dance, wamevurungwa dance, ngarenaro dance, manyara dance, acrobatic and many other cultural dances or traditional dances.
Kwere traditional beer is made up of sorghum, honey, yeast and water it plays a role during customary weddings, funerals and initiations.
80000
Kwere are hoe cultivators, raising maize, rice, and millet as staples. Goats, sheep, chickens, and guinea fowl are also raised. Some cattle are now kept. Fishing is also practiced, though for the most part Kwere farmers trade with Swahili fishermen. Near the coast the climate is tropical, and there are plenty of fruit trees and coconut trees which provide ample food sources. Tobacco, cotton, and sisal were raised for purposes of trade.
Kwere people produce various wood sculptures, the best known of which are mwana hiti (small doll-like figurines). Mwana hiti Sculpture is carved from a three- legged chair with a high backrest and single piece . Both Antelope horns and Calabash medicine is used for storing medicines, sacred oils, mask larger sculptures and they are combined with feathers and carved heads that represent their ancient ancestral connections. Kweere Pole is a carved sculpture is used as Initiation ceremonial symbol
Religion among the Kwere is a household affair. The vast majority of the Kwere are Muslims, although they are considered to be only marginally loyal, confining their religious observances to fasting at Ramadan, taking on Arabic names, and wearing the white skull cap. They also believed in Mulungu (a supreme god), who was associated with rainfall.
The ancestors of Kwere peoples migrated into what is now Tanzania around 1000 A.D. from the south in the area of northern Mozambique. They moved into the area with their contemporary Bantu neighbors and gradually displaced the hunters who had previously inhabited the grasslands. Nearing the coast, they encountered the ancestors of the Islamized Swahili peoples. They settled just inland from the coast and maintained close trading ties with their neighbors. During the 19th century, they were expos
Population data taken from (Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press), could be old. Open to updates and edits.
1. Petzell, Malin. (2012). The under-described languages of Morogoro: A sociolinguistic survey. South African Journal of African Languages. 32. 17-26. (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261591993_The_under-described_languages_of_Morogoro_A_sociolinguistic_survey) 2. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press. 3. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Kwere 4. http://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/kwere.
They speak Ebrié, also known as Cama (Caman, Kyama, Tchaman, Tsama, Tyama), and is spoken in Ivory Coast and Ghana. It is a Potou language of the Kwa branch of the Niger–Congo family of languages.
Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana
Ebrie (meaning "bad", a name given to them by the neighbouring Aboure people), Tchaman (are also known as Abron), Kyama, Gyama, Achan (meaning, the chosen one in their language), Gbon, Tchrimbo, and Ebu. Alternatively, they refer to themselves as tsamã
The colourful Fête de Generation (Generation Festival) takes place in Blokosso every August. It is a crucial rite of passage for young Ebrié men and women who must prove that their generation is qualified to lead the village into the future. The celebrations involve dance and a number of rituals, with Ebrie people painting their faces in traditional tribal patterns and dressing in traditional clothing for the occasion. During the ceremony, the 'Blessoue Djehou' generation, who are mature in age
Cococha, meaning fufu in their language, is a staple diet and is prepared in a special way. It is accompanied with a sauce made out of vegetables, smoked fish, crabs, and agouti (a rat found in the savannah, generally smoked when served with the sauce).
76000. They represent about 0.7% of the total population of Côte d'Ivoire.
They are known to be excellent sculptors. Their statues promote fertility and are seen combining the best features of Baule artistry with a unique "lagoon" appearance. They can be found either standing, or seated upon a classic Akan stool, and usually have blackened patinas.
Historically, all ethnic groups with origin in Ivory Coast were animists. However, with the arrival of European missionaries, Christanity also became increasingly popular. However, still largely only about 12% of the total country's population are Christians - mostly people of Kwa and Krou, of which, the Ebrie or Kyamans are a sub-group of. Due to the predominant Christian faith of the Tchaman, most villages have three houses of worship: a Catholic church, a Protestant church and a Harrist churc
Oral history suggests that they are a migratory tribe from the northeast in Ghana, but began to migrate to their current location due to conflicts and war in the 18th century. Their social structure is traditionally divided into 9 distinct kinship groups, or goto in their language - Kwè, Bidjan, Yopougon, Nonkwa, Songon, Bodo, Dyapo, Bya and Gnangon.
Population data take from Refworld (https://www.refworld.org/docid/4954ce6123.html), open to editing and suggestions.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press 2. Augé, Marc. “Tribes and villages: the socio-political organization of the Ébrié”, in Power Theory and Ideology: A Case Study in Côte d'Ivoire. By Augé. Lyon: ENS Éditions, 2020. (pp. 65-96) 3. Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Côte d'Ivoire : Overview, 2007, available at: (https://www.refworld.org/docid/4954ce
They speak Laka, whose variations are known as Kabba Laka and Lau Laka, both of which are closely similar to each other. It is a Sara language and belongs to the larger family of Central Sudanic languages. Further, the Lau Laka is the only Central Sudanic language to be spoken by people in Nigeria.
Cameroon, Southern Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria
Laus, Lao Habes
They grow millet which is used for making their staple 'boule', which is a half round ball of millet cooked into a thick paste which is dipped in a sauce.
Most Laka live in villages where little notice is taken of events outside their own region. They are known for agriculture, and many Laka plant cotton for cash crops in addition to millet, corn, manioc and other vegetables, along with beef cattle.
Laka people are quite known for their body art which are most evident during initiation rituals.
Laka religion centers around recognition of the ancestors. Ownership of land is directly tied to the founding ancestors' remains being buried on that land. Offerings are made to the ancestors daily in the form of libations and food offerings.
It is believed that Laka peoples originated from the northwest in the area near Lake Chad and were pushed southward over the last two centuries by the expansion of the Fulani empire into their current location in southern Chad. They share linguistic and cultural ties with their Cameroonian neighbors who live to the south and were also pushed south by the Fulani.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press 2. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Laka 3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lau_Laka_language 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laka_language 5. https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/12953/CD
The Lambas speak a collection of closely related dialects that are grouped together as the Lama language. There are approximately 200,000 native speakers of Lama in Togo and Bénin. Lama most closely resembles the Kabiyé language spoken by the Kabiyé people in the Kozah and Binah Districts of Togo as well as in diaspora points. Lama and Kabiyé are classified under the Grusi, Eastern cluster of the Gur (or Voltaique) group of the Niger-Congo languages.
Togo, Benin
Lama, Namba, Nambane, Losso, Kabre (who the Lambas are a subgroup of)
451712 (2016), constituting almost 7.6% of the total population of Togo
The Lamba are accustomed to subsistence farming, commonly engaging in growing corn, sorghum, millet, taro and legumes. Lamba attend their own small markets or larger ones in towns in or adjacent to their lands. Weaving, basketry, pottery, and blacksmithing are well developed, and some crafts are exported. Many Lamba people have participated in rapid urbanization, and many others have migrated southward toward Lomé or westward into Benin seeking land or work. Lamba men served in the colonial armi
Weaving, basketry, pottery, and blacksmithing are well developed, and some crafts are exported.
Migratory. The Lambas in Togo migrated north between 600 and 1200 AD.
Population data taken from World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples (https://minorityrights.org/country/togo/). Open to editing and suggestions.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamba_people 3. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lamba 4. https://www.ancestry.com/dna/ethnicity/benin-togo 5. https://minorityrights.org/country/togo/
They speak Landoma also called Landouman, Landuma, or Cocoli (Cikogoli). It is a major dialect of the Baga languages, in the Mel branch of the Niger–Congo language family. It is related to Temne of Sierra Leone. It is also sometimes referred to as tiapi or tyapi, but it is considered as derogatory.
Guinea-Bissau
Landoma, Landima, Landouma, Cocoli, Kokoli, Tiapi, or Tyapi
The primary meal is cooked grain with palm oil sauce. Hunting and fishing, as well as purchased dried fish, helps provide some protein for the sauce. Chickens, sheep, and goats are raised, but generally they are only eaten on special occasions such as when entertaining guests or celebrating a wedding or religious festival.
28000
The Landuma are agriculturalists and practice subsistence farming, and most of what they cultivate is used for paying debts, leaving very little for themselves or for selling. They plant rice, millet, corn, and other grain crops for food, and peanuts primarily as a cash crop. They also plant gardens of manioc, sweet potatoes, bananas, peppers, tomatoes, and other vegetables, and orchards of mangos, oranges, cashews, and other fruits. Palm nuts are gathered for the oil. Several varieties of wild
The art of this tribe includes two remarkable statues. One is a rather abstract numbe mask in animal-head form. The numbe mask is the only one mask they are known to use. Horizontal, it is comprised of three elements: an ovoid head, an elongated snout, and a set of horns on top of the skull. This abstract, stylized composition suggests a buffalo. It has also been said to represent a narwhal or a dolphin. According to one source, its function would be to protect an enclosure. The other statue is
Most are Muslims with about 10 percent practicing their traditional religion centred on the activities of departed spirits.
They are said to have migrated from Upper Niger around the 14th century with several other groups, including the Baga people.
Population data taken from Joshua Project (https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/12979/gv), unreliable. Open to suggestions and editing,
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landuma_people 3. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Landuma 4. https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/12979/gv 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landoma_language 6. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Baga 7. http://www.zyama.com/landuman/
Lega or Kilega is a Bantu language, or dialect cluster, of the larger Niger-Congo family of languages. There are two major varieties within the Lega, Shabunda Lega and Mwenga Lega repectively. Variant spellings of 'Lega' are Rega, Leka, Ileka, Kilega, Kirega. Shabunda is also known as Igonzabale, and Mwenga as Shile or Ishile.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Balega, Balegga, Rega, Walega, Warega,
Not much is known about their food habits, but they generally hunt and occasionally roast their food. Women are commonly in charge of cooking, and if the weather is suitable, they will cook outside on a hearth formed from slow-burning logs that support a pot over the fire. In poor weather they cook in kitchens within the long houses. The men eat as a group in the men's house, and the women eat with the young children in or outside the kitchen. The Lega villagers were forced by the colonial admi
250000 (1998)
Although traditionally the Lega were mostly farmers, raising manioc, bananas, and rice, they have recently been panning for gold in alluvial river deposits. There are also iron ore mines in the region which employ local labor. The Bwami society, which is a political organization, requires large payments from those who wish to advance. As a result, even in very rural areas, there is a large amount of currency in circulation.
The Lega have produced figures and masks, mostly carved from ivory in a schematic style. These objects are used, together with a vast assemblage of artifacts and natural objects, in the initiation to successive grades of the Bwami association. Various categories of objects are used in connection with the association’s activities, including anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figurines, masks, hats, and others. Each anthropomorphic figurine symbolically represents a named personage with particular mor
The main gods are Kalaga, the promiser; Kenkunga, the reassembler; and Ombe, the hidden. Kaginga is recognized as the incarnation of evil and assists sorcerers. By joining Bwami one can develop an immunity to the evil doings of most witches. The highest rank of Bwami is Kindi and is directly associated with the skulls of the ancestors, which are placed in a hut at the center of the village. Objects which contain powerful supernatural medicines are not exposed to public eye but are instead placed
The Lega began their migration into the Congo, from what is now Uganda, in the 16th century. They were fierce warriors, and they assimilated many cultures along the way. Thus much of Congo culture that exists to the east of the Luba will show Lega influence in their societal practices, as well as in the styles of art they produce.
Population data taken from Wikipedia. Open to editing.
1.https://www.britannica.com/art/African-art/Kuba-cultural-area#ref57151 2. http://www.zyama.com/lega/ 3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lega_people 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lega_language 5. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Lega
They speak Lenje (alternatively: Chilenje, Chinamukuni, Ciina, Ciina Mukuni, Lengi, Lenji, and Mukuni), which is a Bantu language belonging to the larger Niger-Congo family of languages.
Zambia
Lenje, Lengi, Beni-Mukuni, Lengge
Kulamba Kubwalo is a traditional ceremony of the Lenje people, which occurs annually in early October. The ceremony is a celebration of the Lenje tribe’s history and culture, as well as an opportunity to celebrate the harvest and pay homage to the Senior Chief. It takes place very close to a site known as Likonde Lyaba Nkanga, which is where the mother of the seven Lenje chiefs is buried, and is marked by a celebration of dancing accompanied by drummers and people singing.
A staple diet involves that of cassava and cold porridge. The main crops cultivated are - maize, kaffir corn, beans, ground nuts, earth peas, sweet potatoes and sugar cone.
approx 150000
The main occupation of the Lenge is agriculture and this is mostly undertaken by women. In many Lenge villages it will be noticed that many of the men are away working on the mines. They spend six months of every year on the Reef returning to their homes for the other six months of the year. This places a great responsibility on the women of the tribe.
Tattooing and tribal marks. It is said that the lenge and the Chopi women have the whole history of their lives written on their bodies. Of all tattooing the most important is that of tribal marking. It is possible to tell a Lenje or a Chopi woman at a glance by seeing if she has a line running from; the corner of each eye to the ear.
They migrated from the Great Lakes Region to Zambia around the 16th century.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press 2. Talks on the Bantu Tribes of Africa: Lengge by E. Dora Earthy (available online: http://www.historicalpapers.wits.ac.za/inventories/inv_pdfo/AD1715/AD1715-36-3-5-001-jpeg.pdf) 3. https://margowormanzambia.wordpress.com/2017/01/23/kulamba-kubwalo/ 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenje_language 5. Wotela, Kambidima. (2010). Deriving Ethno-geographical Clusters for Comp
They speak Lengola which is a Bantu language closest to the Lebonya group of Bantu languages. it is further classified in the broader family of Niger-Congo languages
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Balengola, Lengora
197000
The Lengolas have traditionally been a riverine people whose livelihood came from fishing, trading, and riverbank farming. Most Lengolas still pursue this traditional lifestyle, although more and more are seeking work in cities and towns. The Butoka society regulates their social, political and economic activities.
Lengola produce large statues Butoka, which are made of six pieces of wood and have apotropaic functions and ensure social stability. Abstract, polychrome masks were used during the closing initiation rite, when the statues would be ceremonially brought out. Masks, somewhat influenced by Lega style, are also produced.
Unclear but their social and cultural structure is very similar to the neighbouring groups of Metoko, Kumu, Mbole, and the Yela. Other stylistic similarities suggest the influence of the Lega, their neighbors to the east.
Population data taken from Joshua Project (https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/13037/CG), is unreliable. Open to editing.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lengola_language 3. http://www.zyama.com/lengola/ 4. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lengola_(peuple) 5. https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/13037/CG
They speak Lese which is a Central Sudanic language of the Nilo-Saharan family of languages. It is also spoken by Efe people, and is alternatively known as lissi or efe.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Walese
They eat a staple dish called sombe which is cooked with leaves of cassava accompanied with meat or fish cooked in palm oil. However, fish do not constitute for a significant proportion of their diet. Most of the meat consumed by the Lese is supplied by the Efe to whom they provide with cultivated food or material goods in return. Cooking and other work-related activities are often done in a mafika (kitchen) which is a semi-enclosed shelter.
They collaborate in making a special wraparound cloth dress for each girl's puberty ceremony. Men cut bark from the fig tree and pound it into cloth. The women draw black designs on the cloth and paint the design with red, yellow, and white pigments. The girl is wrapped in the dress by the attending women in preparation of the ritual.
The Lese support themselves as subsistence farmers and as foragers. They cultivate cassava and bananas for subsistence and peanuts and rice for cash crops. These cash crops, as well as small amounts of coffee, are sold to merchants. The Lese also cultivate sweet potato, corn, squash, beans, sesame, and occasionally taro and yams. Livestock raising is limited to goats and poultry, and are slaughtered rarely except for ritual occasions. The cultivation cycle of the Lese is closely geared to the an
The primary religion practiced by the Lese is ethnoreligion. Ethnoreligion is deeply rooted in a people's ethnic identity and conversion essentially equates to cultural assimilation.
The Lese are subsistence farmers who practice slash-and-burn horticulture and live in semi permanent villages. They have inhabited the Ituri forest for 2000 years or more. The location of a village rarely changes, however village members may move to different villages or relocate their house in the same village. During early 20th century, The Lese lived in small shifting settlements dispersed throughout the forest.
1. Rutter, V. B. (1996). Celebrating Girls: Nurturing and Empowering Our Daughters. United States: Red Wheel/Weiser. 2. Bailey, R.C. and Devore, I. (1989), Research on the Efe and Lese populations of the Ituri forest, Zaire. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol., 78: 459-471. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.1330780402 3. Morelli, Gilda Ann, "A comparative study of Efe (Pygmy) and Lese one-, two- and three-year-olds of the Ituri forest of northeastern Zaire : the influence of subsistence-related variables and chi
They speak Liko, alternatively also known as Lika, which has been classified as Niger-Congo, Narrow Bantu, Central, D, Lega-Kalanga (D.20).
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Lika, Toriko, Bolikó ko Toliko (referred by themselves)
Most Liko are farmers living in villages with some husbandry, mainly goats and chickens, some raise pigs (adopted from Budu). Some men go hunting to supplement the staple menu of plantains, rice, beans and maize; women and children gather insects and condiments. Palm oil is produced for cooking and other usages. Villagers along the rivers practise fishery. Production of goods is limited to small-scale crafts and enterprises like carpentry, the making of hunting material, tailoring, the weaving o
About half of the population is Christian (the majority being Catholic). Many practise traditional religion as well.
1. Wit, De. “Liko phonology and grammar : a Bantu language of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.” (2015). [Available at: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Liko-phonology-and-grammar-%3A-a-Bantu-language-of-of-Wit/6dc26854f9d1a48853ca789aca626a391307d1a9
They speak Lobedu (also Lovedu, Khelobedu or Selobedu), which is a Bantu language regarded as a dialect of Northern Sotho. It exists only in an unwritten form and the standard Northern Sotho language and orthography is usually used for teaching and writing by this language community.
South Africa
Balobedu, BaLozwi, Bathobolo, Lovedu, Bakwebo
In the Lobedu tradition, the rain queens are regarded as the most powerful religious leaders within the Lobedu tribe. They have their own way of conducting rituals for making rain and the know-how to operate during the process is their secret. During the ritual ceremony, they sit next to a traditional designed circle in their homes and start calling the names of their ancestors to ask for luck. They have a practice of appeasing ancestors by pouring beer in a sacred place during a ceremony called
175000
Agriculture is their major economic activity, with corn (maize), millet, squash, and peanuts (groundnuts) cultivated by hoe. Animal husbandry is a secondary means of food production. Cattle are also a form of currency in some social and economic transactions, and in many common daily activities beer is traditionally used to make compensation. For the Lovedu the accumulation of goods is frowned upon, and produce is consumed rather than marketed. Lovedu labourers migrate from their localities to r
Balobedu have their own way of praising and talking to their gods. In the Lobedu tradition, the rain queens are regarded as the most powerful religious leaders within the Lobedu tribe. The Lobedu tribe believe in ancestral spirits. Krige and Krige (1980:231) state that the gods of the Lobedu are their ancestors, deceased fathers and mothers who guard them on death just as they did in life. The Lobedu tribe use the word ‘badimo’ to refer to their ancestors. The Lobedu are of the opinion that dise
The Balobedu tribe came into existence in the early seventeenth century. This group has its origins and attachments to the former Great Zimbabwe and Mapugumbwe Kingdoms. Balobedu are the descendants of the Shona from Zimbabwe. It is rumoured that this kingdom was established by Monomotapa (MwanaMotapa) after quarrelling with his father in the early seventeenth century. The Balobedu people were originally divided into two groups, namely the Southern Transvaal BaRozwi and the North Eastern BaRozwi
Lobedu are also recognised as Lovedu. Their population data is classified under Lovedu. Source is taken from (Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press), could be old. Open to updates and edits.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press 2. Khelobedu Cultural Evolution Through Oral Tradition by Moyahabo Rosinah Mohale. Available at: https://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/14467/STUDENT%20NO%20%2044542356.pdf?sequence=1 3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobedu_people#Language 4. https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/1085521 5. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lovedu
They speak one of the Mole ́-Dagbane languages.
Ivory Coast, Ghana, Burkina Faso
approx 500000
They were primarily hunters and gatherers, but more recently, make their living herding cattle or camels and raising cotton, peanuts, and millet.
They follow traditional and animist religion
Most ethnologists believe that they began arriving in their present homeland late in the eighteenth century after migrating from Ghana. During the years of the French and British empires, Europeans had little contact with the Lobi, and the Lobi migration continued during the colonial period as they moved into Burkina-Faso. There are more Lobi in Burkina-Faso today than in Ivory Coast.
Population data taken from (Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press), could be old. Open to updates and edits.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
"1. The Loma are a Mande-speaking people. Dialects of Loma proper in Liberia are Gizima, Wubomei, Ziema, Bunde, Buluyiema. The dialect of Guinea, Toma (Toa, Toale, Toali, or Tooma, the Malinke name for Loma), is an official regional language. 2. Today, Loma uses a Latin-based alphabet which is written from left to right."
Guinea, Liberia.
Loghoma, Looma, Lorma, Logoma, Toale, Toali, Toa, or Tooma
1. The most prominent ritual in Loma society is that of marriage, which is a several days process following an engagement that generally lasts about a year. (4 p93-97). 2. A typical Loma can spend quite a bit of time praying, including during their daily activities. 3. In one old ritual, all participants mix a small amount of their blood with ink and write some sort of agreement that they all submit to.
1. Wido Zobo- led the Loma people 2. Hawa Béavogui, Guinean politician 3. Louis Lansana Béavogui, former prime minister of Guinea from 1972 to 1984 4. Facinet Béavogui, Guinean author 5. Oyé Béavogui, Guinean politician 6. Tolo Béavogui, former civil servant and Ambassador of Guinea 7. Joshua Guilavogui, French footballer 8. K. Guilavogui, Guinean politician 9. Michel Guilavogui, Guinean footballer 10. Mohamed Guilavogui, Malian footballer 11. Morgan Guilavogui, French footballer 12. Pépé Guilav
1. The main carbohydrate staple is rice and they rely on meat or fish for proteins. 2. In rural areas, people begin the day with a small meal of leftover rice or boiled cassava dipped in the sauce from the day before. Depending on the time of year and the work schedule, the main meal may be served at midday or in the evening. Snacks of mangoes, bananas, sugarcane, coconut, fried plantain or cassava, and citrus fruits may be consumed throughout the day.
1. Large wooden masks that merge syncretic animal and human motifs. These masks have been a part of their Poro secret rites of passage. The largest masks are about six feet high, contain feather decorations and are believed by Loma to have forest spirits. 2. Till mid- 20th century, leather, skin, cotton cloth, wool cloth, bird talons, leopard skin were worn by Loma people. 3. On the occasion of marriage, the girl wore iron around her waist.
1. In 2012, Ethenic composition of Loma in Guinea was 2.6% of the whole population. 2. Their population was estimated at 330,000 in the two countries in 2010. 3. Wikipedia quotes 309,000 as the total population of Loma people in Guinea and Liberia in2021.
1. Main economic activities are- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and export of iron ore. The Loma have traditionally used irons as a form of currency. 2. They also grow beans, eddoes, maize, okra, peppers, plantain, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, tobacco, tomatoes, and cassava. Locally grown vegetables include pumpkins and eggplants, which are sold in outdoor markets. 3. The Loma exploit the rainforest by shifting rice cultivation from one area to the next, usually using slash-and-burn horticulture in
1. Toma face mask 2. Antique wood headrest stool carved by African tribal Loma
1. Primary Religion: Ethno Religion. 2. The Loma religion is classified as animism; however, they believe in the singularity of a God. They believe that God is totally self-sufficient and has no need or interest in anything they can offer. 3. A few Loma worship body parts of ancestors, but only of very notable ones. 4. Christian missionaries have introduced Christianity to the Loma, but few practice it.
Sedentary
1. The Loma people, led by Wido Zobo and assisted by a Loma weaver named Moriba, developed a writing script for their language in the 1930s. This writing script contains at least 185 characters. 2. The History of the Loma People, By Paul D. Korvah. 3. The Loma Avunculate: An Exercise in the Utility of Two Models by Gerald E. Currens. 4. The Lorma ethnic group: origin and culture [2007] by Jordbor, Massayan K.
1. A Brief History of the Loma People 2. LIBERIAN STUDIES, JOURNAL 3. Loma 4. Research Gate 5. Countries and their cultures 6. Discover African Art 7. Google Arts & Culture 8. Wikipedia
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Most Lombi people make their living as farmers, raising cassava as a staple. However, they have also become increasingly integrated into the regional commercial economy in recent decades. Large numbers of Lombis have moved to the city of Kisangani in search of wage labor.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
Sub group of the Luba people. Part of the Luba-shaba cluster of the Lubas.
Same as Luvale
South Africa
175000
Population data taken from (Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press), could be old. Open to updates and edits.
Same as Lobedu
They speak Lozi, also known as siLozi and Rozi, which is a Bantu language of the Niger–Congo language family within the Sotho–Tswana branch of Zone S (S.30), primarily spoken in southwestern Zambia and in surrounding countries.
Zambia, Botswana, Namibia
Barotse, Barutse, Barotze, Marotse, Balozi, Rotse, Rozi, also historically called Luyi
The Lozis celebrate the Kuomboka ceremony annually in March or April at the end of the rainy season. It is one of the most popular traditional ceremonies in Zambia. ‘Kuomboka‘ translates to ‘get out of the water’ and involves the Litunga, his Queen and a number of their subjects moving from his residence at Lealui which floods annually, to Limulunga. The king travels in a royal barge called the Nalikwanda (meaning ‘for the people’) drawing attention with the large model elephant on the top. The
The staple food of Zambia nshima is eaten by the Lozi as well, although it is called buhobe. The preferred fruits of the Lozi are exotic fruits. Apart from local fruits such as mumbole and namulomo which are preferred for their good taste, the local fruits that are most preferred by the Lozi people are those that have several uses such as mubula, which is used for making porridge, scones called manyende, and a drink known as maheu. Nuts are added as an alternative to groundnuts. Muzauli is added
Male members of Barosteland (the Lozi kingdom) wear a siziba – a skirt which is red, black and white chitenge (a cotton print fabric usually with bold patterns). They wear a matching waistcoat and red beret called a lishushu. The women wear a satin outfit called musinsi which consists of two skirts , a top called a baki and a small wrapper called a chali. Attire for the king: the Litunga’s traditional attire is called sikutindo, which is worn when boarding the royal barge. He also carries a nama
300000
The Lozi had a mixed economy in which they made efficient use of the variety of the resources provided by nature. Fishing was an important activity. In addition to fishing and agricultural sites, the Plains also provided rich grazing lands for the large herds of cattle the Lozi kept. It also provided the Lozi with other subsidiary productive activities like the hunting of animals and trapping of birds for livelihood. On the other hand, crops like millet, groundnuts and cassava grew in fields in
The Lozi are skilled ironworkers. They make vase-shaped utilitarian pots, some of which come without handles and are decorated around the neck with patterns of a lighter or darker colour, others are highly polished to give the appearance of glaze. Large urn-shaped maize bins are made of unbaked clay and also have clay lids. The average Lozi can carve a knobkerrie or a handle for an axe or a hoe; the Lozi also produce excellent dugout canoes. Lozi artistic expression includes ironic folktales, ma
The Lozi are primarily monotheistic, but they retain a number of beliefs about spirits and other supernatural beings. Elaborate rituals and offerings are focused on the burial sites of former kings and chief princesses. Priests mediate between the Lozi and the spirits of their former rulers. There is a different set of beliefs and practices concerning commoner ancestors, and rituals concerning these spirits takes place on an individual level. Sorcery, divination, exorcism, and the use of amulets
They first emerged as a self-conscious ethnic group in the seventeenth century, the result of the fusion of more than twenty groups. It is also said that the Lozi came from the Lunda Kingdom in the present-day Democratic Republic of Congo, and were led into Western Zambia by a Lunda princess called Mbuywamwamba between the 17th and 18th centuries. This was during the Bantu Migration from which other Zambian tribes such as the Bemba also moved into Zambia.
Population data taken from (Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press), could be old. Open to updates and edits.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press 2. Ocaya, V. (1993). Corporate kingship, the Lozi of Zambia and the Ultimately Meaningful and Real. Ultimate Reality and Meaning 16 (3-4):173-184. Available at: https://www.utpjournals.press/doi/pdf/10.3138/uram.16.3-4.173 3. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/lozi 4. https://theculturetrip.com/africa/zambia/articles/an-
They speak Luba which is a Bantu language and a part of the broader Niger-Congo cluster of languages. Various dialects of Luba (also referred to as LubaLulua, Luva and Tishiluba) are spoken by people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where it is an official language, and in parts of Angola and Zambia. Its two principal dialects are Luba-Kasai and Luba-Katanga respectively. Some other prominent Luba dialects include Hemba, Kanyok, Lwalu and Songe. Further, The Luba region has been considere
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia
Baluba
Oscar Kashala, oncologist and politician; Dikembe Mutombo, basketball player; Nico Kasanda, musician; Albert Kalonji, politician; Évariste Kimba, journalist and politician; Félix Tshisekedi, politician and current President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Jean Kalala N'Tumba, football player
over 4 million
During the height of its reign, the Luba empire operated on a complex system of tributes which acted to redistribute wealth throughout the region. The ruling class had a virtual monopoly on trade items such as salt, copper, and iron ore, which allowed them to continue their dominance. The Luba practice slash-and-burn agriculture. The most cultivated plants are cassava and maize, however, sweet potatoes, peanuts, tomatoes, onions, beans, cucumbers, tobacco, and sesame can also be found. Millet a
The iconographic representation of women in Luba art and sculpture is widespread and correlates to the important role of women in Luba society. The Luba are best known for their stools, wood sculptures, mboko (divination bowls), beautifully carved bow stands, and lukasa (memory boards). According to scholars, some of the most intricate artworks of the Luba people were mnemonic devices, a form of symbolic coded script to aid in preserving information and recalling the history and knowledge of the
The primary religion was based on the veneration of the ancestors and involved paying tribute to the spirits. The traditional religious beliefs of the Luba people included the concept of a Shakapanga (Universal Creator), a Leza or the Supreme Being, a natural world and a supernatural world. The supernatural world was where Bankambo (ancestral spirits) and Bavidye (other spirits) lived, and what one joined the afterlife if one lived a Mwikadilo Muyampe (ethical life). The religious life included
The Baluba developed as a society and culture by about 400CE, later developing a well-organised community in the Upemba Depression known as the Baluba in Katanga confederation. Their relentless expansion can be traced as far back as 1500 when it emerged from the Upemba depression which is still the heartland of the Luba. During the eighteenth century, the Luba empire expanded eastward and southward until it reached the basins of the Sankuru and Lomami rivers. However, the empire began to dimini
Population data taken from (Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press), could be old. Open to updates and edits.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press 2. Maret, Pierre de. “Luba Roots: The First Complete Iron Age Sequence in Zaire.” Current Anthropology 20, no. 1 (1979): 233–35. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2741910. 3. National African Language Resource Center (NALRC) - Luba. Available at: https://nalrc.indiana.edu/doc/brochures/luba.pdf 4. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-
Angola, Zambia
Lucazi, Luchatzes
over 60000 (in Zambia)
Population data taken from (Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press), could be old. Open to updates and edits.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola
During Belgium's colonial rule, the Lulua people profited economically under the leadership of Chief Mukenge Kalamba, who encouraged his people to acculturate to European ideas and to accommodate themselves to the European economy. The Luluas are prominent in commercial endeavors and in public administration. They remain a very influential subgroup of the Luba people.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
Angola
major sub-group of the Ovimbundu people
Zambia, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Alund, Arundes, Balondes, Loundas, Valundas, Malhundos, Luntus, Ruunds
During the eighteenth century, they expanded because of the salt, ivory, copper, and slave trades, but their decline set in during the nineteenth century. Like the Lubas, the Lundas are primarily maize and millet farmers, but they also work in the mining and industrial economy of Katanga Province.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
The Lungu language is part of the Mambwe group of languages, although many Lungus speak Bemba.
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia
over 100000
Their main economic activities constitute fishing, growing rice and cassava. They also grow millet and some raise cattles.
Population data taken from (Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press), could be old. Open to updates and edits.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
Luvale Language, a Bantu language (Belongs to longer Niger-Congo language division)
Zambia, Angola
Lovale, Balovale, Lubale and Lwena or Luena
1) Likumbi Lya Mize - One of the most popular traditional festival starts in the last weekend of August and generally lasts for one week. Includes dances by masked mens, dance by girls after their wali ritual, speeches by government officials and drumming. 2) Wali - It occurs when a girl starts her very first menstrual cycle. It includes teaching about hygiene, sex and household chores. Then the girl got ready for marriage. Due to legal systems, however the traditions happen at the age of pubert
The senior chief of the Luvale people is Chief Ndungu. However, this is a post-colonial practice, as the Luvale initially did not recognise a paramount leader but instead were ruled by local chiefs who inherited the throne through a matrilineal line.
Mwana pwevo is the knitted dance costume made of fiber, looped bark and wood which covers the body and seepod rattles and metal balls the ankles, is the traditional dress which represents the idea of beautiful women. It used to be worn by young men often during the initiation into men's society.
Luvale people are dependent on agro-fishery. The main staple crops are manioc, cassava, yams and peanuts. Tobacco and hemp are grown mainly for sniff and maize for beer. Pigs, chickens and goats also used for domestic purpose. Luvale people are renowned fishermen. They export dried catfish to mining centres of the copperbelt. The Luvale migrate to labour centres as far away as South Africa, although being stigmatized as rustics they have access to only menial jobs. Along with agriculture and fis
The Luvale people are skilled craftsmen known for making masks, baskets, metal work, weaving mats and making stools. Also make musical instrumentals as “jinjimba”, a xylophone or “likembe”, a small hand piano and variety of drums.
People of Luvale tribe believes in God Kalunga, a sky god of creation and immense power. They also believe in the Mahamba, nature and ancestral spirits of their descendants which should be appeased by offering food. Luvale people also believe in ”Orwanga”, sorcerers, which cause illness and bad heath and to counter these spirits tribe believes “nganga”, diviner, will cure the problems.
Nomadic
1. The history of the Luvale people and their chieftainship / Mose Sangambo 2. Mukanda and makishi in north-western Zambia / W. R. Mwondela 3. Book Ceremony! Celebrating Zambia’s Cultural Heritage (2007) by Tamara Guhrs,
1. https://theculturetrip.com/africa/zambia/articles/an-introduction-to-zambias-luvale-people/ 2. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Luvale 3. https://www.facebook.com/vakachinyama/posts/2593476674238807 4. https://www.britannica.com/place/Angola/People 5. https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft158004rs&chunk.id=d0e9293&toc.depth=1&toc.id=d0e9231&brand=ucpress
They speak Lwalu, which is also known as Lwalwa, is a Bantu language and a dialect of the Luban languages.
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola
BALUALUA, BALWALWA, LWALU
The land where the Lwalwa people live is rich and fertile, lending itself well to the agricultural economy of the people. The women are almost wholly responsible for all that goes into the growing of crops, both for local consumption and for trade. Men help out in hunting whilst also lending a hand during the busy harvest time. Although hunting by the men provides some occasional supplementary protein, the women provide the majority of the nutritious intake. Sculpting is recognized as a prestigi
The majority of Lwalwa art in collections consists of beautifully sculpted masks that reflect a dramatically different style. The masks may be divided into four types: the nkaki, or man’s mask, with a nose sculpted into a wide triangular panel that sometimes extends up to the forehead; the shifoola, a mask with a short, hooked nose; the mvondo, the nose of which is reminiscent of the nkaki’s, but smaller; and finally the mushika or kashika, which represents a woman and which has a frontal crest
Their religion entails belief in Mvidie Mukulu (a supreme god) and Nzambi (an omniscient creator). Respect is paid to recently departed ancestors, and offerings are made to various nature spirits who have shrines built in their honour. It is believed that everything has a mukishi (spirit), which can be offended and cause trouble. These spirits must be appeased if balance and order are to be maintained.
Lwalwa origins are closely tied to the Kete who live to the north of the Congo. Before the 17th century, the Lwalwa were divided into small matrilineal chiefdoms. Later, in the 18th century, they became part of the ties established between the Lunda and Luba. However, they remained independent, refused to pay tribute, and never truly accepted the Lunda chiefs as overseers. Instead, they have formed a political union between themselves, the Mbagani, the Salampasu, and the Kete. They have remained
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/312403 https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Lwalwa http://www.zyama.com/lwalwa/pics..htm https://www.africadirect.com/african-peoples-art-lwalwa https://discoverafricanart.com/tribes/lwalwa-people/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lwalu_language
Angola
Same as Luvale
Tanzania, Kenya
Masai
250000
The Maasai economy depends completely on cattle production, although they also keep goats and sheep. The Masai abhor other occupations and spend their time moving their herds seasonally in search of good pasture, living in their traditional huts surrounded by fences of thornbushes. Since the 1970s, however, significant numbers of Masai begun to settle down into a farming lifestyle.
Population data taken from (Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press), could be old. Open to updates and edits.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
They speak Maban which is a Western Nilotic language further classified under the Nilo-Saharan family of languages.
South Sudan
Maban (meaning, the people of the village), Maaban, Burum, Chai
The staple food of the Mabaan people is a sour, fermented pasty bread made of millet seed and water. Their hunting tools are not adequate enough as a result of which the animal protein consumed by them is almost negligible. They grind corn by making a hole in the ground, after which the dura is pounded by a pole which is about seven feet in length and three inches in diameter. This method of grinding corn is different from all the neighbouring tribes except for the Nuer, and it is carried out by
The men generally do not wear anything, however the village headman will wear clothes to meet with the District Commissioner. The men wear tips of gazelle and small antelope horns as charms hung around their necks. The men also wear whistles tied round their necks. The women and girls wear a square cloth apron in front, married women will wear a cloth tail behind often ornamated with beads or cowrie shells. All members except small children cover themselves with a mixture of red earth mixed with
Their main occupation is cultivation and the activity is usually undertaken by men and youth of the village. They cultivate maize, sweet potato, sorghum, pumpkin, simsim, tobacco, red dura, and white dura. The hareeg method of cultivation is used on freshly cleared land. Fishing is also practiced, while men and boys spear a few fishes from the rivers, fishing is usually carried out by women in the village. They have very few cattle and are obtained in exchange of goats from the Arab traders. The
The Mabaan are proficient in certain crafts, especially pottery and basketwork. The women also paint pictures of animals on the outside walls of the huts, a practice which is also observed amoong the Jum Jums.
The name for their God is Juon, however they do not discuss about him with strangers. They believe in witchcraft and consider that dreaming about a person is a sign of evil. In such a case, they consider it justified to kill the person they dreamed of without any further enquiry.
They say they have always lived in their present country. However, they are known to have experienced slave raids in the 19th and early 20th century. Further, other sources consider them to as Nilotic and related to the Shilluk and Dinka, and speculate them to have migrated to their present home from the west.
1. Wedderburn-Maxwell, H. G. (1936). THE MABAN OF SOUTHERN FUNG. Sudan Notes and Records, 19(1), 179–183. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41716209 2. DAVIES, H. R. J. (1960). SOME TRIBES OF THE ETHIOPIAN BORDERLAND BETWEEN THE BLUE NILE AND SOBAT RIVERS. Sudan Notes and Records, 41, 21–34. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41716951 3. Dr. Rosen’s Shangri-La by Dr. Albert Rosenfeld, for LIFE Magazine. (https://books.google.co.in/books?id=LE4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA10&lpg=PA10&dq=mabaan+tribe&source=bl&ots=uSmtjAK
Madagascar
Mehafaly, Mahafali
approx 150000
Their traditional economic activity revolved around raising cattles and goats, and moving the animals seasonally for forage. More recently, they have been involved with the larger commercial economy.
Population data taken from (Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press), could be old. Open to updates and edits.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
They are a Bakota speaking people
Gabon
They are mostly working as small farmers
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi
Maconde, Mawis, Matambwes
approx 1.3 million
They make their living as hoe agriculturists, raising millet and sorghum as their staples. Although they also raise cattle and goats, livestock are not central to their economy. In recent decades, substantial numbers of Makonde have migrated to neighbouring cities to work as wage laborers.
Approximately 80 percent of the Makondes are nominal Sunni Muslims. The rest are nominal Christians or faithful to the indigenous Makonde religion.
Population data taken from (Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press), could be old. Open to updates and edits.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
Same as Mandinka
The Mambila language is part of the Mambila-Vute group of the Benue-Congo family.
Nigeria, Cameroon
Mambillas,Mamberes, Bangs, Nor Tagbos, Tongbos
approx 165000
Population data taken from (Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press), could be old. Open to updates and edits.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
They speak a Mandekan language of the Mande branch of the Niger-Congo family. Together, the Mande cluster of languages makes up the largest ethno-linguistic group in West Africa.
Ghana, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Gambia, Guinea, Senegal, Mali, and Guinea-Bissau
Maninka, Mandinko, Mandingo, Malinke, Julas (in Ivory Coast because of their Muslim faith)
Tabaski, which usually falls in the spring or summer, the day being determined according to the Islamic lunar calendar. Tabaski commemorates the moment when Abraham was about to sacrifice his son Isaac in obedience to God's command, when God interceded and a ram was substituted. The Malinke start saving months ahead of time for the celebration to purchase new clothes and to have an abundant supply of food.
General Sangoulé Lamizana, former President (1966–1980); Sona Jobarteh, first female kora artist (musician); Adama Barrow, politician; third President of the Gambia since 2017; Naby Keita, Guinean footballer; Mamady Doumbouya, Guinean military officer (current interim President of Guinea); Yaya Touré, Ivorian footballer; Henriette Diabaté, former Ivorian politician; Aminata Touré, former Prime Minister of Senegal; Alex Haley, writer (author of the 1976 book Roots: The Saga of an American Family)
A typical breakfast might consist of corn porridge eaten with a spoon made of a small, elongated calabash (gourd) split in half. Meat is rarely eaten. Those living near rivers or lakes may supplement their meals with fish. The midday and evening meals may consist of rice or couscous with sauce and/or vegetables. Couscous can be made of pounded and steamed millet, sorghum, or cornmeal. A substantial quantity of rice or couscous is placed in a plastic or enamel basin around which those sharing the
Women generally wear a loose, scoop-necked smock over a long skirt made by a wrap-around piece of cloth. They often tie a matching piece of cloth around their head in an informal turban, each woman's turban having its own special flair. They use brightly colored cotton prints with splashy, large designs; some also wear tie-dyed, wood-block, or batik prints. The traditional casual dress for men is made with the same bright prints fashioned in an outfit that resembles pajamas. For formal occasions
approx 11 million
Mandinka communities established their trading networks near mining and agricultural centres which later became the lynchpin for trade with European merchants from the 17th century. Much of the overland trade connecting the coast with the interior was controlled by the Mandinka merchants. The other part of Mandinka people are rural subsistence farmers, cultivating peanuts as a main crop, and staples such as millet, corn and sorghum and tending small herds of cattle, kept primarily for trade, bri
Some of the most important art of the Malinke is the oral art, songs, and epic poems sung by the griots playing a kora musical instrument. In former times it was common for the blacksmiths to forge ornamental oil lamps from iron and large iron door locks, as well as fanciful iron figures of spirits or animals to crown the staffs; the blacksmiths also carved wooden figures and masks. These artistic endeavors are less common today.
While the majority of Mandinkas were still animists up to the 18th century, over 99% converted to Islam through a series of conflicts with the Fula led kingdom of Fouta Djallon and the Mande led empire of Kaabu. This conversion began in the 14th century during the reign of the Mandinka ruler, Mansa Musa (AD 1320 – 1358). Although a few Mandinkas have converted to Christianity, the majority of them are opposed to the teachings of the Bible. Hence Christian converts are viewed as traitors to Mandi
They are descendants of the Mali Empire that rose to power under the rule of the great king Sundiata Keita. They make up one of the largest ethno-linguistic groups called the Mande who number more than 20 million people including the Dyula, Bozo and Bambara. The Mandinka migrated westwards from the Niger river basin in search of better agricultural lands and opportunities for conquest. During this historical expansion, they established their empire in the area stretching from present day Gambia
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press 2. National African Language Resource Center (NALRC) - Mandinka. Available at: (https://nalrc.indiana.edu/doc/brochures/mandinka.pdf) 3. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/malinke 4. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Malinke 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandinka_people#Notable_people_by_country
Their language is classified by ethnolinguists as part of the central Sudanic cluster, but there is diversity there too, since the Ga’anda speak a Chadic language and the Benas an Adamawa language.
Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Manbetu
They are a highly diverse group with a number of subgroups within them. They are said to have migrated from Sudan to the northern and northeastern Congo Basin between late 17th century to early 18th century. More recently, they live in regions between the Ituri and Uele rivers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As a result of this migration, the Mangbetus have absorbed a number of surronding ethnic groups in the past century.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
Central African Republic
They originated centuries ago in the larger Gbaya group but broke away from them and evolved a separate identity.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
They speak a language of the Mande-fu cluster of the Manding family of languages
Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea
Ma
140000 (in Liberia)
They are mostly small farmers growing millet, rice and peanuts.
Like other Manding people, the Mano trace their history, through oral traditions, back to the thirteenth-century Mali Empire. They believe that, after the disintegration of the empire, they migrated southwest to Liberia.
Population data taken from (Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press), could be old. Open to updates and edits.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
They speak Marka, which is a Manding language of West Africa and belongs to the broader family of Niger-Congo languages.
Burkina Faso, Mali
Marka Dafing, Meka, Maraka, Soninke
Dousssou Bagayoko, Malian musician Mamadou Bagayoko, Malian footballer Siaka Bagayoko, Malian footballer
Breakfast foods include fonde, porridge made of millet, sugar, milk, and salt, and sombi, porridge made of rice, millet or corn. For lunch demba tere and takhaya are very common, both containing rice and peanuts. Dere, a stew, is a mixture of millet and beans
195,000
Traditionally, they were merchant communities during the time of the Bambara Empire, however, when the Bambara empire wsa defeated in the 19th century, the Marka also lost much of their trade and significance from which they could not recover. As of now, Most people earn their living by farming and raising animals. More and more young men are traveling to Cote d 'Ivoire to work on plantations; lack of job opportunities is a major problem for Marka youth.
They are famous for their masks and puppets. Similar to Bambara Ntomo society masks, Marka masks are generally carved with a comb on top of the head, but unlike Bambara masks they are often covered with metal plaques.
They practice Islam and rejected the animist tradition and practices of the Bambara people.
They are descendants of the Soninke people who arrived in Mali several centuries ago, probably migrating west from the Ghana Empire.
Population data taken from Joshua Project, could be unreliable. Open to edits.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press 2. Baquart, Jean-Baptiste. The Tribal Arts of Africa. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc. 1998. 3. Richard L. Roberts. Warriors, Merchants and Slaves: The State and the Economy in the Middle Niger Valley 1700-1914. Stanford University Press 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marka_people 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soninke_people 6. https://joshuaproject.net/people_gro
Kenya, Tanzania
Masai
over 250000
Their economy depends on cattle production, although they also keep goats and sheep. The Masai people tend to avoid other occupations and spend their time moving their herds seasonally in search of good pasture, and live in their traditional huts surrounded by fences of thornbushes. Lately, since the 1970s, a significant number of their population have began settling down and adopting farming lifestyles.
Population data taken from (Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press), could be old. Open to updates and edits.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
The Mbala people speak the Mbala language which is one of the ‘dialects’ of the Bantu cluster.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Bampeen, Bambala, Bababala, Mbal
No particular festivities, however, Great communal hunts take place once a year.
Clothing is made from palm cloth(called Kipussu). It is worn around the waist and secured by a girdle of the same fabric. European brass bracelets and rings are worn too. The body is painted with either Red clay or Tukula wood imported from Kasai. Further, the body is ornamented with scars and sometimes, jewellery of teeth and bones is worn too.
approx 900000
Agriculture is one of the major economic activities. Manioc, called soko,bananas, tichipi, plantains, qmipindi, sweet potatoes, kata n'dunge, small haricots, makundu, and ground nuts, n'zukn, are all cultivated, and tobacco is to be found in every village. Trading is done by a small shell called djimbu. The Mbala are great traders. The use of credit is frequent and markets are often set up to promote trading. Hunting and fishing are also done.
Basketwork is done by men and pottery by women. The pigments used are clays of various colors. The Pindi figure is one of the notably crafted figures. It is owned by the land chief who invokes it in times of war or other disastrous situations.
Roman Catholic Christianity ( Introduced and popularised by the Atlantic Slave Trade), Natively Zambi(the one) and Moloko are the dieties worshipped.
Sedentary
"Population data taken from peoplegroups.org could be unreliable. Notes on the Ethnography of the Ba-Mbala Author(s): E. Torday and T. A. JoyceSource: The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 35(Jul. - Dec., 1905), pp. 398-426 is old and could be unreliable. "
1. zyama.com 2. peoplegroups.org 3. Congo: The Epic History of a People 4. Notes on the Ethnography of the Ba-Mbala Author(s): E. Torday and T. A. JoyceSource: The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 35(Jul. - Dec., 1905), pp. 398-426
They speak Banda which is classified as an Adamawa-Eastern language.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Mbanza, Mbandja
approx 500000
They are primarily a farming community
They do not have well-defined geographic boundaries. Mbanza communities are dispersed throughout far northwestern Zaire.
Population data taken from (Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press), could be old. Open to updates and edits.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
Gabon, Congo
Mbeti
approx 250000
They are primarily a farming community
Population data taken from (Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press), could be old. Open to updates and edits.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
- MBO (Manenguba/ MBO Cluster) is one of the languages spoken by the people of this tribe. Manenguba is a cluster of closely related Bantu languages and MBO is one of them. - Lekongho is one of the 5 variants of MBO language and is also spoken by some of the tribal people. - Some people of this tribe also speak English, French (Effect of colonialization).
Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Sambo; Babong; Balondo; Bareko; Londo; Nla Mbo; Santchu
- Festival Botina: It is a fair of heritage dances, artistic exhibitions and cultural initiation rites of the people. - Fête du Ngondu: Annual water-centered festival. The festivities extend over 3 days. - Festival Des Ecrans Noirs: Film Festival in Cameroon. It is “Central Africa’s Largest Cinema Event”. Its aim is to promote and disseminate African cinema to all and for all. - Festival Cultural Medumba: This fest takes place every 2 years. It provides an opportunity for people to exhibit the c
- Daniel Kamwa: A filmmaker and actor from Nkongsamba. His movie “Our Daughter” entered into the 12th Moscow International Film Festival. - Francine Gálvez: She is a Spanish Journalist and television presenter of Cameroonian origin. Started her career in 1989, she became the first black person to present the weekend edition of “The Telediario”. - Diederrick Joel: He is a Cameroonian football player born in Nkongsamba who plays in Premier League. - Samuel Eto'o: He is a retired football playe
Popular ingredients of their food cuisines are: Palm nuts, Bananas, Variety of meats, Cocoyam, Cassava, Beans, Maize, Plantain, Fufu, Okra, Eggplant, Peanuts, Corn, Peppers etc.
- Traditional Hat - Sanja Wear - Kaba Ngondo with Scarf - Women’s Pagne - Atoghu
approx 50000
Historically, their economic activity was dependant on their interaction with the Europeans, as they had become an active-middlemen in the Atlantic slave trade during the 17th and 18th centuries. During French colonial period, they had become educated and were considered the most acculturated groups in Cameroon. However, in recent years, they have lost most of their economic influence.
Primary Religion: Christianity (70%) - Roman Catholics: 43% - Protestant: 30% - Other Christians: 25% - Independent: 2% Ethnic Religions: 30%
They are believed to have migrated from the then Zaire around the 16th century. They believe they are descended from the Mbedi and Ewala peoples and are closely related to the Batangas of the Kribi region and the Bakweris of western Cameroon.
- A Comparative-Historical study of the Mananguba Languages of Cameroon by Robert Hedinger - English- Lekongho Dictionary by Sentemong Mehpah, Fonsah E.G. - The South-Eastern Bantu by John Henderson Soga
Population data taken from (Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press), could be old. Open to updates and edits.
1.A Comparative-Historical study of the Mananguba Languages of Cameroon by Robert Hedinger 2. Nguti Council, South-West Region, Republic of Cameroon Forest Communities And their Traditional Way of Life 3.Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press Odin.linguist.org www.cambridge.org www.city-facts.com www.ecransnoirs.org www.joshuaproject.net www.mammypi.com www.scriptsource.org www.searchdonation.com www.w
They speak a Fula language, also known as Fulani or Fulah. It is a Senegambian spoken by people across West and Central Africa. The Mbororo do not have a written script for the Fula, it is only spoken by them.
Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Niger, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Wodaabe, Bororo, Fulani, Peul, Fulbe, Fula
The Guérewol (var. Guerewol, Gerewol) is an annual courtship ritual competition among the Wodaabe Fula people of Niger. Young men dressed in elaborate ornamentation and made up in traditional face painting gather in lines to dance and sing, vying for the attentions of marriageable young women. The Guérewol occurs each year as the traditionally nomadic Wodaabe cattle herders gather at the southern edge of the Sahara before dispersing south on their dry season pastures.
They are predominantly vegetarian and consume millet, milk and occasionally cassava or manioc. They rarely eat cattle meat, instead they raise it for trade.
During Gerewol, the men adorn themselves using an array of colourful face paints. Their outfits are also vibrantly decorated, embellished with beads, feathers, buttons and baubles in the brightest of colours. Mirrored tunics and hats add to the exuberance and adornment.
They are nomadic cattle herders and agro-pasturalists. Considered as the largest nomadic group in the world, they play a crucial economic role, in that their herds of cattle and sheep are the major source of meat for hundreds of villagers, town and cities from the shore of lake Chad to the Atlantic coast of Senegal. Historically the number of cattle that a man owned was an index of his wealth and importance. The women were responsible for milking and they carried the milk, with pats of butter fl
They practice predominantly Islam
They are nomadic cattle herders who also practice subsistence farming.
1. Pelican, Michaela. (2008). Mbororo Claims to Regional Citizenship and Minority Status in North-West Cameroon. Africa. 78. 540 - 560. 10.3366/E0001972008000430. 2. https://minorityrights.org/minorities/mbororo-2/ 3. https://minorityrights.org/minorities/mbororo/ 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fula_language 5. https://mboscuda.org/2017/09/09/who-are-the-mbororo/
They speak a Mongo language which is a part of the larger Bantu linguistics family
Democratic Republic of the Congo
They are considered to be a part of the forest culture, and are involved in fishing and farming; typically growing cassava, bananas, kola nuts
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
Botswana, Angola, Namibia
Hambukushus
Their origins are traced back to the middle Zambezi River Valley. Some ethnologists consider them as one of the Kavanga people. Before the 19th century, they are said to have been in living in Botswana and across the border from Angola. However, in the mid 20th century, they are known to have left Angola for Botswana escaping civil wars in Angola
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
Bantu Languages
Namibia and Angola (live on both sides of Okwango River)
These along with four other ethnic groups are collectively refered to as Kavango
fishing, land cultivation and stock farming
The Kavango believe in a mighty being named Karunga, a god that stands above all other creatures and things. In the Kavango’s believe Karunga was neither created nor born – he just exists.
Originally the Kavango settled at the big lakes in East Africa before they stared moving southwest until they reached Mashi at the upper Kwando in today’s Zambia. During the 16th and 18th century they immigrated into the Kavango area. After an early political separation of the Mbukushu from the rest of the immigrants, Mbunza, Kwangali, Shambyu and Gciriku split at a later stage. Today the majority of the Kavango live directly at the Okavango River. Some have settled further south at the edge of
https://www.lcfn.info/mbunza/information/ethnology
They speak a Manding language
Sierra Leone, Liberia
Mendi, Kossa
approx 1.4 million
Most Mende people are small farmers who raise wet or dry rice, cassava, palm kernels, coffee, cocoa, and ginger. The rice and cassava are staples, while the others are cash crops. However, since the early 1970s, an increasing number of Mende ́young men have migrated to Freetown, Port Loko, Makeni, Bo, Pujehun, and Sulima in search of work. The move to the cities has created a labor shortage on the rural farms.
The traditional Mende ́religion revolved around the supreme creator—Ngewo. It was an animistic faith. The Mende ́ believed that Ngewo could be approached through the spirits of their ancestors or spirits representing their various religious societies. Belief in the power of witches was central to Mende ́ indigenous religion. Islam was introduced to the Mende in the 19th century, but it was slowly adopted by them till the early 20th century. Today, approximately one-third of the Mende ́are Muslim
Population data taken from (Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press), could be old. Open to updates and edits.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
They speak an Okande language
Gabon
Mitshogo, Tshogo
The MItsogo were widely respected for their abilities in iron and cloth manufacturing, but suffered due to Bakele slave traders in the 19th century. In the early 20th century, due to the discovery of gold in the territory, European and African traders had overrun the area, suggesting that the Mitsogo were also involved in mining and extracting gold. Today, most of them are small farmers.
They originally lived in the Ivindo River area but migrated southwest into the mountains between the Offoue and N’Gounie ́rivers to escape slave raiding by the Bake`le`s.
1. Felix, M. L., Olson, J. S., Meur, C. (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Belgium: Greenwood Press
The Mongo language has about 200 dialects, They speak a dialect or language within a larger group of Mongo languages, which are themselves within, or related to, the Niger-Kordofanian, Niger-Congo, Benue-Congo, Bantoid, and Bantu groups.
the African equatorial forest, south of the main Congo River bend and north of the Kasai and Sankuru rivers in Congo (Kinshasa).
Lomongo
12 million
The Mongo traditionally cultivated cassava and bananas but also relied on wild-plant gathering, fishing, and hunting. Their material culture was generally simple, though some hunting and fishing techniques were well developed. Descent was patrilineal, and communities were grouped in lineages stemming from a single ancestor.
The worship of ancestors played a central part in the traditional religion of the Mongo. People believed in a number of different deities and spirits, including a Supreme Being, but these were considered approachable only through the intervention of deceased elders and relatives.
Information taken from old records.
1. Birmingham, D., and P. M. Martin, eds. 1983. History of Central Africa. Vol. 2. New York: Longman. 2. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/mongo 3. Middleton, John and Amal Rassam (Eds.) 1994. Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume IX: Africa and the Middle East. New York: G.K. Hall & Co
Mole´ (More´, Moore), which is part of the Mole´-Dagbane cluster of the Niger-Congo group of the Voltaic language family.
Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin
Moose. Moshi
Ancestral and harvest oriented rituals
1. Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo, former Prime Minister of Burkina Faso 2. Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo, former president of Burkina Faso
The Mossi are engaged mainly in subsistence farmers, raising millet as the staple.
cotton cloth, pottery, painted designs, wood sculpture
Traditional, Christianity, Islam
Sedentary
1. Skinner, Elliott P. 1964. The Mossi of the Upper Volta: The Political Development of a Sudanese People. Stanford: Stanford University Press. Reprint, with supplementary chapter. 1989. The Mossi of Burkina Faso: Chiefs, Politicians, and Soldiers. Prospect Heights, Ill.: Waveland Press.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mossi 3. Middleton, John and Amal Rassam (Eds.) 1994. Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume IX: Africa and the Middle East. New York: G.K. Hall & Co
There are at least fifteen distinct Mumuye dialects spoken by the group.
Cameroon, Nigeria
Yam festival
Men wear one or more leather girdles, the ends of which are decorated with beads and cowries (bright shells). Goat skins are also worn with the girdles. Both men and women wear beads, brass and iron bracelets and anklets, and pieces of wood in their ears. Women also tattoo their stomachs and wear straw and wood in their pierced nostrils.
Over 500,000
The Mumuye practice subsistence horticulture, raising ginger, millet, guinea corn, beans, and citrus products.
Sclupture
Animism, Christianity
Sedentary
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Adamawa-Ubangi-languages#ref707320
Tiv
Cameroon, Nigeria
Tiv
The main crops such as yams, millet, and sorghum, are served and eaten as porridge or are made more palatable by their combination in sauces and stews.
Their attire is the black-and-white-striped.
Over 2.5 million
The Tiv are traditionally engaged in agriculture. They are subsistence farmers whose main crops include yams, millet, and sorghum.
Traditional religion, Christianity, Islam Many Muchi/Tiv have converted to Christianity, while many have also adopted Islam. Their traditional religion, based on the manipulation of forces (akombo) entrusted to humans by a creator god, remains strong.
Sedentary
1. Abraham, R. C. 1933. The Tiv People. Lagos: Printed and published by the Government Printer. 2. Bohannan L, and P. Bohannan. 1953 (2017). The Tiv of Central Nigeria: Western Africa Part VIII, New York: Routledge. 3. Bohannan, P. 1957. Justice and Judgment Among the Tiv, New York: Oxford University Press. 4. Duggan, E. de C. 1932. "Notes on the Munshi ("Tivi") Tribe of Northern Nigeria: Some Historical Outlines." Journal of the Royal African Society Vol. 31, No. 123, pp. 173-182.
Although often referred to as Munchi, the people seemed to self-identify as Tiv.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tiv 3. https://minorityrights.org/minorities/tiv/
Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda
Traditional Religion, Christianity
1. Geluwe, H. V. 1957 (2017) Mamvu-Mangutu et Balese-Mvuba: Central Africa Belgian Congo Part III: 48 (Ethnographic Survey of Africa), New York: Routledge.
#The Mvuba seem to be a very small group, lack of detailed source.
Nalu
Guinea, Gunea-Bissau, Gambia, Senegal
Nalou, Nalus, Bagas
The are primarily engaged as cultivators and artisans.
Traditional religion, Islam, Christianity
1. Rodney, W. 1970. A History of the Upper Guinea Coast 1545–1800. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. https://data.bnf.fr/en/16722018/nalu__peuple_d_afrique_/
Nama
South Africa, Namibia, Botswana
Naman, Namakwa, Namaqua
Hendrik Witbooi: A famous resistance fighter againt Germans colonialist.
Over 230,000
The Nama are traditionally engaged in agriculture. Some Nama still graze sheep, cattle, or goats where the groundwater of their arid countryside is not too highly mineralized for their stock to drink; many more are migrant labourers on nearby farms herding sheep, tending gardens, or working in homes.
Embroidery, applique work, leather work, karosses, mats, jewellery, flutes, clay pots, tortoiseshell.
Islam, Christianity.
https://www.arebbusch.com/nama-people-namibia/ could be unreliable
1. Hahn, C. H. L., Vedder, H., and Fourie, L. 2006 (1928). The Native Tribes of South West Africa. Oxon: Frank Cass and Company Limited 2. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nama-people 3. https://namibian.org/namibia/people/nama 4. https://www.arebbusch.com/nama-people-namibia/
Central African Republic, Cameroon
Namchi
Ancestor worship
They are engaged in agriculture, the products which they consume themselves and also market for cash. Animal rearing is also an emportant activity.
Traditional religion, Islam, Christianity,
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
1. Shaw , Jonathan. 2011. "Filming Kivu, Speaking Nande." Critical Interventions, 5:1, 120-134. DOI: 10.1080/19301944.2011.10781404
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. # Lack of detailed sources.
Christianity
IsiNdebele, a Southern Bantu language, part of the Nguni Language Group.
Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe
Amandebele, Mapoggers, Ndzundza, Ndzundza-Ndebele or Manala-Ndebele, Southern Ndebele
Male and female initiation rites
Maize cereals, which are known as isitshwala, are a favourite. Corn and sorghum milk are commonly consumed. They also grow and consume a variety of food crops, fruits and vegetables. The community also rears cattle for milk that is used to prepare foods such as isathiyane, which is porridge with fresh milk.
The Ndebele traditional attire is colourful. Ladies wear different types of ornaments to symbolise their status. Married women typically have more spectacular clothes. Clothing for women also included neck hoops and isigolwani, which were made from grass. During ceremonies, married men wore ornaments that were made by their wives.
Over 1.8 million
They traditionally relied on animal husbandry and the cultivation of corn (maize), millet, beans, sweet potatoes, and various other crops. Since precolonial times, Ndebele are believed to have engaged in trade with neigbours.
Bead work, mural art, wall painting
Traditional religion, Christianity
1. Ndlovu-Gatsheni, SJ. 2008. "Nation Building in Zimbabwe and the Challenges of Ndebele Particularism." African Journal on Conflict Resolution Vol. 8 (3), pp. 27-56. DOI: 10.4314/ajcr.v8i3.39430 2. Ndlovu-Gatsheni, SJ. 2009. The Ndebele Nation Reflections on Hegemony, Memory and Historiography. Amsterdam: Rozenberg. 3. Kaarsholm, P. 1997. "Inventions, Imaginings, Codifications: Authorising Versions of Ndebele Cultural Tradition." Journal of Southern African Studies, 23(2), 243–258.
Population taken from joshuaproject.com
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/13275 3. https://www.southafrica.net/us/en/travel/article/culture-and-expression-of-identity-the-ndebele-of-south-africa 4. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ndebele-South-African-people 5. Middleton, John and Amal Rassam (Eds.) 1994. Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume IX: Africa and the Middle East. New York: G.K. Hall & Co 6. https://briefly.co.z
Mongo language
Democratic Republic of Congo
The Ndengse are considderedto be a Mongo clan.
They are engaged in a part hunter-gatherer, part agricultural way of life. A wide range of produce is gathered from the rainforest. Agriculture is becoming an important mode of subsistance.
Traditional religion, Christianity
They are regarded as a part of the Mongo.
1. Stokes, Jamie. Ed. 2009. Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East. New York: Infobase Publishing, Inc.
Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo
Mbaka
Jean-Bedel Bokassa: Ruler of the Central African Republic between 1966 and 1976.
The Ngbakas are a riverine people who have traditionally supported themselves by planting small gardens on the river banks, fishing, and trading up and down the Ubangi River.
Masks and scluptures. The Ngbaka are peoples whose sculptures are of major significance. There is no single Ngbaka sculptural style: at times the figures are fleshy and rounded; at other times they are considerably more angular. Small animal figures are used as fetishes in hunting. They have similar artistic products with the Ngbandi.
1. Luyckfasseel, Margot. 2019. "‘Still so many illusions to cast off!’: The territorial unification of the Ngbaka (Belgian Congo) in the 1920s." African Studies, 78:1, 126-143. DOI: 10.1080/00020184.2018.1519330
1. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Ngbaka 2. Stokes, Jamie. Ed. 2009. Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East. New York: Infobase Publishing, Inc. 3. https://www.britannica.com/art/African-art/Kuba-cultural-area#ref520119 4. https://www.gulftoday.ae/culture/2020/01/06/award-winning-congolese-singer-banza-takes-sudden-fame-in-her-stride
They speak language that belongs to the Adamawa-Ubangi subgroup of the Niger-Congo language family.
Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic
Gbandi, Mogwandi
Mobutu Sese Seko: Former president of Zaire Celine Banza: Singer and songwrier in Ngbandi, winner of the prestigious Radio France International Discovery Award.
They consume corn (maize), cassava (manioc), peanuts (groundnuts), sweet potatoes, lima beans, peppers, pineapples, papayas, and tobacco.
Traditionally, men have hunted, fished, and cleared land for cultivation, while women have gathered wild foods and done the hoeing, planting, and harvesting. The migration of able-bodied men and women from rural areas to the city in search of work has been steadily increasing with the growth of the money economy.
Scluptures, lances, knives, curved-neck harp Both the Ngbaka and the Ngbandi make clay images to be used in funeral rituals. The Ngbandi are also known for wooden fetishes and figures. Small carved ivory or wood figures were worn by Ngbandi warriors, who carried shields made of decorated woven fibre.
1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ngbandi 2. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press
They have a number of dialect clusters.
Ivory Coast
There are several sub-groups and known by names Wee, Guéré, Sapo, Wobe, Kran, etc
Uptill recently, the Ngere were all subsistence farmers, raising rice and manioc, but most of them have now made the transition to the larger commercial economy.
Mask
Traditional religion
1. Holsoe, S., & Lauer, J. 1976. "Who are the Kran/Guere and the Gio/Yacouba? Ethnic Identifications Along the Liberia-Ivory Coast Border." African Studies Review, 19(1), 139-150. doi:10.2307/523856 2. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press
They do not speak a common language.
Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia.
Anguni, Angoni, Mangoni, Wangoni
Umtheto: A cultural festival aimed at revamping the traditional values of the Ngoni people. uMthetho: A cultural festival characterize by the arrangement of feasting on the meat at the top of Hora Mountain and aimed to encourage more people to take part in paying tribute to the Ngoni ancestors who settled at the settlement.
Most of them make their living raising livestock, especially cattle, and producing maize on small farms.
1. Read, M. 1936. "Tradition and Prestige among the Ngoni." Africa 9(4), 453–484. 2. Chibambo, Y. M. 1942. My Ngoni of Nyasaland. London : United Society for Christian Literature
1. Thompson, T.J. 1981. "The Origins, Migration and Settlement of the Nothern Ngoni." The Society of Malawi Journal, Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 6-35. 2. Rosendal, T. 2018. "Speaking of Tradition: How the Ngoni Talk About Value Maintenance and Change." Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 39:9, 776-788 3. http://africultures.com/murmures/?no=17685 4. http://www.54etats.com/en/malawi-ngoni-cultural-festival-uniting-east-and-southern-africa
They speak many closely related Bantu languages such as Ndebele, Ngoni, Xhosa, Zulu, etc..The Nguni languages have imploded clicking phonemes.
South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Swaziland
First food celebration: Ceremony of sacrificing the first fruits of the harvest to diety.
They are known for their elaborate costumes and dresses. Women mark their social status with heavily beaded front skirt panels.
Most of the Nguni cultivate millet and kept a large number of cattle, which had both a subsistence role and a social role in Nguni society. cultivated millet. There was a distinct division of labour: women were associated mainly with hoe cultivation and men with cattle husbandry.
Beadwork, basket weaving
Traditional Religion, Christianity, Others
1. Ownby, Carolan Postma. 1981. "EARLY NGUNI HISTORY: LINGUISTIC SUGGESTIONS." South African Journal of African Languages, 1:1, 60-81. DOI: 10.1080/02572117.1981.10586450
Nguni is a cluster of related Bantu-speaking group.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press 2. Shoup, John A. 2011. Ethnic Groups of Africa and the Middle East: An Encyclopedia, Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, LLC. 3. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nguni 4. Snedegar, Keith. 1998. "First Fruits Celebrations Among the Nguni Peoples of Southern Africa: An Ethnoastronomical Interpretation." Journal for the History of Astronomy, 29(23), S31–S38. https://doi.org/10.1177/002182869802902304
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press #Lack of detailed sourse.
#Appears to be the name of figures/statues made by the Kongo people
#Appears to be the name of a past civilizational culture
Fang
Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon
Ntoumou, Ntums
The basic foods of the Fang people include peanut (owono), chocolate ( ndóc), pumpkin (ngoan) and vegetables ( bilog). The foods considered secondary are cassava, banana, yam, malanga, etc.
They are traditionally farmers, raising cocoa, rice, coffee, groundnuts, cassava, and a variety of other vegetable crops.
Wooden figures, carvings
Traditional religion, Christianity
1. Okenve, Enrique N. 2014. "They Never Finished Their Journey: The Territorial Limits of Fang Ethnicity in Equatorial Guinea, 1930–1963." The International Journal of African Historical Studies, 47(2), 259–285.
They are a sub-group of Fang.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. Stokes, Jamie. Ed. 2009. Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East. New York: Infobase Publishing, Inc. 3. https://mincultur.gob.gq/en/culture/our-identity/
Nuni
Burkina-Faso, Ghana
Nunuma
Over 100,000
They are traditionally subsistence farmers, with their basic crops being millet, sorghum, and peanuts. They also raise poultry and small livestock when possible. Maize, rice, peanuts, and beans are grown in addition to these staples.
Mask, statues, jewellery
Belief in a supreme creator being is central to Nuna beliefs. A shrine to this god occupies the center of every village. An element of this creator god is Su, the mask spirit which is enshrined in the oldest and most sacred mask in the community.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Nuna
Nupe
Nigeria
Nupe Day Festival: A commemoration of the defeat of the British Army by a native African army.
Alhaji (Dr.) Umaru Sanda Ndayako: He was the Chairman, Niger State Police Public Relations Committee in 1988, and also a member of the Constituent Assembly in 1988.
A major staple food among the Nupe is rice. This is prepared either as joloff rice or in the form of “eje boci” (mashed) rice. Other food types include meals prepared from sorghum, millet, and maize.
The common mode of worship in Islam which requires long dress for prayers, the Nupe people are found of using the same type of dress common with Hausa people especially the “Babariga” (Big flowing Gown) and “Dan Kano” (long dress) that is now regarded as “Senegalese” because of the “over size” pattern of the dress.
Those in rural areas are engaged in agriculture. They are also engaged in commercial activities. Commercial crops include rice, peanuts (groundnuts), cotton, and shea nuts. Men do most of the farming, while women prepare and market the crops. Craftspeople including blacksmiths, brass smiths, weavers, and tailors operate through highly developed guild organizations.
Glass beads, weaving fine leather and mat work, brass trays, fine cloth
Traditional religion, Islam Most Nupe are now Muslims, but many older rituals are still performed. The indigenous religion includes belief in a sky god, ancestral spirits, and spirits associated with natural objects.
Sedentary
1. Nadel, S. F. 1954. Nupe Religion. Illinois: The Free Press. 2. Nadel, S. F. 1935. "Nupe State and Community." Africa, 8(3), 257-303. DOI:10.2307/3180414
The Nupe are organized into a number of closely related territorial groups.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2 https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nupe 3. Yahaya, Mohammed Kuta. 2003. "The Nupe People of Nigeria." Studies of Tribes and Tribals, 1:2, 95-110. DOI: 10.1080/0972639X.2003.11886489 4. https://allafrica.com/stories/201602120050.html
Kinyamwezi
Tanzania
Banyamwezi
National and religious festivals are observed.
A favorite food is ugali, a stiff porridge made from corn, millet, or sorghum meal. Cassava, rice, bread, peanuts, spinach, cassava leaves and other vegetables are also eaten.
Nyamwezi traditionally wore clothing made of bark cloth.
Over 1 million
The Nyamwezi are traditionally engaged in cereal agriculture, their major crops being sorghum, millet, and corn (maize). Rice is a significant cash crop.
Traditional crafts include building, ironwork, pottery, basketry, drum making, and stool carving.
Traditional religion, Islam, Christianity Nyamwezi spirituality has been shaped by traditional beliefs, Islam, and Christianity. Traditional Nyamwezi spirituality centers on the connection between the living and their ancestors. Ancestors are seen as upholding the tradition, law, and values of society.
1. Abrahams, Ray G. 1967. The Political Organization of Unyamwezi. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press 2. Abraham, Ray G. 1981. The Nyamwezi Today. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 3. Schönenberger, Paul. 1995. "Nyamwezi Names of Persons." Anthropos, 90(1/3), 109–132.
data taken from everyculture might be unreliable and open to editing
1.Middleton, John and Amal Rassam (Eds.) 1994. Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume IX: Africa and the Middle East. New York: G.K. Hall & Co. 2. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 3. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nyamwezi 4. https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Tajikistan-to-Zimbabwe/Nyamwezi.html
They speak the Nyanga language, which is a Bantu language, and possibly part of the larger cluster of the Niger-Congo language family. As a secondary language, they also speak Congo Swahili
Democratic Republic of Congo
Banianga, Banyanga, Kinyanga, Nianga or Nyangas
As a tradition, Nyanga men participate in masquerade dances as a part of initiation rites of young men of the tribe.
The Nyanga economy revolves around hunting, trapping, and food gathering, as well as banana growing. They also farm and raise cattle for milk and meat.
Mentions a cult that developed around the spirit of Karisi, often striking a similarity to Kalisia, a pygmy deity, pointing out the significance it has had on Nyanga culture
The Mwindo Epic from the Banyanga (More at: https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/mwindo)
They are among the cluster of Kivu group of people.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. Carter, H. (1971). [Review of The Mwindo Epic from the Banyanga (Congo Republic), by D. Biebuyck & K. C. Mateene]. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 34(3), 654–657, http://www.jstor.org/stable/613954 3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyanga_language 4. https://www.britannica.com/art/African-dance/Masquerade-dancers#ref519850 5. https://en.wikiped
the Nyindu speak Kinyindu, their tribal language. In some villages Kilega, the tribal language ofthe Lega, is spoken also. Most are fluent in Kingwana (the Zairean dialect of Swahili), a common language among the peoples of eastern Zaire. Van Bulck includes the Nyindu language in the subgroup of Lac Kivu of the Young Bantu Group of Northeastern Bantu (Section B). Jan Vansina includes the Nyindu language in the Maniema group which is the same as Lega.
Mwanza region in Tanzania; Mwenga district of Democratic Republic of the Congo
The "most traditional food" (chakula ya asili) of the Nyindu was finger millet, sorghum and sweet potato, supplemented with banana, yam and taro.
They make their living by mostly fishing and farming. The principal subsistence activity of the Nyjndu is slash-and-burn agriculture. They grow almost 40 distinct crops, mostly in small quantities. Today, their main crops are cassava, maize, kidney bean and banana. Other subsistence activities are hunting of mammals and birds, and fishing in rivers or stream.
D. Biebuyck observes that the Nyindu are mostly a mixture of aboriginal groups (of M'minie and Lenge origin, but mixed with pygmies) and immigrant offishoots of the Lega and Furiiru-Vira. He also notes that the Nyindu have the closest connections with the Lega cluster, among the groups adjoining the Lega people. The Nyindu people who profess to belong to the kabila ya Banyindu (Nyindu group), some belonged to the same clans of Lega, such as the Batumba, Balambo, and Banyemganga. The Nyindu have
Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. Yamada, Takako. (1984). Nyindu Culture and the Plant World: The Dynamic Relationship Between the Knowledge on Plant Use and the Change in House Form. Senri Ethnological Studies. 15. 69-107.
The Nyoro speak a Bantu language characterized by a rich system of prefixes attached to roots. Their language is called Lunyoro (Lu-Nyoro) or Runyoro (Ru-Nyoro).
Uganda
Runyoro, Banyoro, Bunyoro, Kitara
Nyoro Ekpe
The staple food is finger millet, also including vegetables such as sweet potatoes, cassava, peas, and beans.
967,000 (2014 census), increasing. Census based on tribal affiliation.
The traditional economy involves the hunting of elephants, lions, leopards, and crocodiles. Many Nyoro are small-scale rural farmers whose crops include millet, sorghum, plantains, yams, squash, cassava, and peanuts (groundnuts). Cotton and tobacco are also grown in lower areas as cash crops. Early Nyoro blacksmiths fashioned a variety of tools and weapons from locally obtained iron ore smelted in pit furnaces. Cowry shells and other currency items were used by the Nyoro in an elaborate exchange
The Nyoro are historically regarded as skilled blacksmiths.
Traditional religion, Christianity and Islam
1. Beattie, J. H. M.1960. "On the Nyoro concept of mahano." African Studies, 19:3, 145-150, DOI: 10.1080/00020186008707111 2. Beattie, J. H. M. 1968."Aspects of Nyoro Symbolism." Africa: Journal of the International African Institute, 38(4), 413–442. https://doi.org/10.2307/1157875 3. Beattie, J. H. M. 1971. The Nyoro State. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nyoro 3. Stokes, Jamie. Ed. 2009. Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East. New York: Infobase Publishing, Inc. 4. https://pages.ucsd.edu/~dkjordan/resources/Nyoro/NyoroMyth.html#pt3 5. https://www.ethnologue.com/language-of-the-day/2014-08-30
They speak a Mbete language, which is classified as zone B.60 in Guthrie's classification. It is a Bantu language and possibly belongs to the larger cluster of the Niger-Congo family of languages.
Gabon, Congo
Mbamba, Ombamba, Obamba
15,092 in Congo (2000)
Today most Obambas are small farmers.
Possibly sedentary now. Several centuries ago, they lived up the Se ́be ́ River in the Congo, but attacks from the Mbochi people drove them downriver to the region of Okondja. There they drove out the Kaniguis and took control of the region themselves.
Population data has been taken from (Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.), is of the year 2000 and hence old. Open to updates.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition. Dallas, Tex. 3. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/x84266
https://www.jstor.org/stable/40459084
religious and political fraternity of Yoruba speaking people in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo
Alternatively, also a cult
#Appears to be the name of an institution/society
Okiek is part of the Kalenjin branch of Southern Nilotic languages. Okiek dialects are mutually understandable. Okiek are usually multilingual, speaking the language of their nearest neighbors in addition to Okiek. Many contemporary Okiek also speak Kiswahili, a national language in Kenya and Tanzania alike.
Kenya, Tanzania
Okiek is a collective name consisting of many groups. They are also known by Athi, Dorobo, Ndorobo, Torobbo, Wandorobo. Local groups also have more specific names such as, Kaplelach, Kipsang'any, Kapchepkendi, etc.
Traditionally, as hunter-gatherer, the Okiek diet consist of little vegetation, they relied on a diet of meat and honey, supplemented by traded grains.
The Ogiek are traditionally engaged in collecting honey and hunting. They have also moved into agriculture, cultivating corn (maize), millet, and some root crops
Okiek crafts include the making of pottery, baskets, leather bags and clothing, and beaded personal ornaments by women. Men produce their weapons (bows, clubs, and various kinds of spears and arrows) and fashion snuff and tobacco containers from horn, ivory, and wood.
Okiek believe in one god, called Torooret or Asiista, who is thought to be beneficent and is invoked in blessings. Ancestor spirits, on the other hand, can cause illness and misfortune for the living if they are forgotten or in retribution for wrongs committed among their relatives. Okiek know about Christian churches, but Christian missionary activity is relatively recent in their areas, taking hold only after 1980.
1. Blackburn, Roderic H. 1974. "The Okiek and Their History." Azania, Journal of the British Institute in Eastern Africa. pp. 139–157. 2. Huntingford, G. W. B. 1929. "Modern hunters: some account of the Kamelilo-Kapchepkendi Dorobo (Okiek) of Kenya colony." Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 59:333-76. 3. Distefano, J. A. 1990. "Hunters or Hunted? Towards a History of the Okiek of Kenya." History in Africa, 17, 41–57. https://doi.org/10.2307/3171805
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. https://www.ogiek.org/indepth/Okiek.pdf 3. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Okiek 4. Middleton, John and Amal Rassam (Eds.) 1994. Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume IX: Africa and the Middle East. New York: G.K. Hall & Co
The Ogoni languages are a group of 4-8 languages spoken in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. They are usually considered to be part of the Cross River group of Benue-Congo, although the evidence for such a grouping remains tenuous.
Nigeria
Kana, Khana
New yam festival (Dezua): The festival is an important way of marking the beginning and end of the farming season. It is a celebration of life, accomplishments in the community, culture and well-being. Yam, which is a popular produce among the Ogoni, celebrate its yearly harvest in this elaborate ceremony
Ken Saro-Wiwa: Author and activist who is instrumental in the fight against the Nigerian military regime and the Anglo-Dutch petroleum company Royal Dutch/Shell for causing environmental damage in the land of the Ogoni people.
An estimated population of the Ogoni in Nigeria is 500,000 in 2001.
The Ogoni are traditionally engaged as subsistence agricultural and fishing. The agricultural economy has mainly consisted of yam and cassava production. Oil exploration and exportation is one of the chief commercial activities in Ogoniland, but many of the most impoverished residents of the area do not receive the benefits derived from oil revenues. The Ogoni played a major role in commerce involving agricultural products on the rivers and streams of the Niger Delta.
Masks, decorative arts, pottery
Traditional, Christianity Christianity is widely practiced in Ogoniland, but a number of indigenous elements of Ogoni culture are still present. The traditional culture places a great deal of importance on the land, including the abundant streams and rivers that run throughout the region.
Archaeological and oral historical evidence suggests that the Ogoni have inhabited the area for over 500 years. Presently, two theories exist about the origin of this people. First, the Ogoni may have migrated into their present territory from across the Imo River sometime around the eighteenth or the nineteenth century. The second theory claims that the Ogoni people came on the trading ships, which often visited Bonny, a small city-state island in the delta. They began to settle in Bonny until
1. Saro-Wiwa, Ken. 1968. The Ogoni Nation Today and Tomorrow. Port Harcourt: Saros International. 2. Jeffreys, M. D. W. 1947. "Ogoni Pottery." Man 47: 81-83 3. Isumonah, V. A. 2004. "he Making of the Ogoni Ethnic Group." Africa: Journal of the International African Institute, 74(3), 433–453. https://doi.org/10.2307/3557011
1. Oylnlade, A. Olu and Jeffery M. VIncent. 2002. "The Ogoni of Nigeria." In Endangered Peoples of Africa and the Middle East : Struggles to Survive and Thrive. Edited by Robert K. Hitchcock and Alan J. Osborn, Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. Blench, Roger and Kay Williamson. 2008. The Ogoni languages: comparative word list and historical reconstructions 3. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/ogoni 4. https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/new-y
Gabon
The art of the Ogowe tribes, particularly the Mpongwe, is closely tied to death rituals. Their masks, painted white to symbolize death, represent dead female ancestors, though they are worn by male relatives of the deceased.
1. Garner, R. L. 1902. "Native Institutions of the Ogowe Tribes of West Central Africa." Journal of the Royal African Society, 1(3), 369–380.
Ogowe appears to be a group of tribes.
https://www.britannica.com/art/African-art/Central-Africa#ref520080
They speak afaan oromo, also known as oromiffa or oromo. Oromo language is a Cushitic language spoken by more than about 50 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Egypt and is the 3rd largest language in Africa. Oromo people also speak Amharic, Tigrinya, Gurange and Omotic languages.
Ethiopia, Kenya
There are many sub-groups including Arusi, Bararetta, Borana, Itu, Macha, Randili, Tulama, Walega, Wollo, etc.
Oromo national day, ceremonial rites of passage known as ireecha or buuta, Islamic and Christian holidays. Irreechaa: The annual thanksgiving festival.
The main foods of Oromos are animal products including foon (meat), anan (milk), badu (cheese), dhadha (butter), and cereals that are eaten as marqa (porridge) and bideena (bread). Oromos drink coffee, dhadhi (honey wine), and faarso (beer). Some Oromos chew chat (a stimulant leaf).
Clothing varies from one subgroup to another. In isolated areas traditional dress predominates. This includes, for men, a waya, a togalike garment, or a short kilt, and, for women, leather skirts, often with a cotton top. Men generally wear their hair short, while women have many elaborate hairstyles.
25.4 million (2007 National Census)
The Oromo are traditionally pastoral. They are now engaged in agriculture, growing wheat, barley, Xxafi, and various agricultural products including coffee that grows wild in some area
Wood work, iron tools, string musical instruments, drums
Traditional religion, Christianity, Islam Oromos traditionally recognize the existence of a supreme being or Creator that they call Waaqa. They have three major religions: original Oromo religion (Waaqa), Islam, and Christianity.
Historically Oromo have never formed a single state but were organized in small societies of clans and villages. There are four main groups: western Oromo, mainly in ‘Wollegha’; northern Oromo, of Mecha-Tulam, modern Shoa and the area to the south, who are more integrated into Amhara culture than other Oromo groups; southern Oromo, who often have semi-nomadic lifestyles and are not incorporated into any larger regional or religious unit; and Borana, believed by some to be the seminal branch of t
1. Lemmu, B. 2004. The Oromo Gada system of government: An indigenous African democracy. In A. Jalata (Ed.), State crises, globalisation and national movement in north-east Africa (pp. 101-121). New York: Routledge.
1. https://minorityrights.org/minorities/oromo/ 2. https://scholar.harvard.edu/erena/oromo-language-afaan-oromoo 3. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Oromo 4. https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Oromo.html 5. https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Costa-Rica-to-Georgia/Oromos.html 6. Stokes, Jamie. Ed. 2009. Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East. New York: Infobase Publishing, Inc. Shoup, John A. 2011. Ethnic Groups of Africa and the Middle East: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbar
Oron, which is related to Efik and Ibibio. Many people also speak and understand the Ibibio language.
Nigeria
Oro Ukpabang or Akpakip Oro
Ogbom: A ceremony in which Ala, the earth deity and is appeased. It was believed to increase the harvest and iaids in child bearing.
The Oron people have a very colourful mode of traditional dressing. especially with an Iyara (which is red in colour). The red Iyara is usually worn with a white tailored traditional shirt and a wrapper (large fabric wrapped around the waist) to match.
The main economic staple in the region is the palm tree, the oil of which is extracted and exported.
Some of the finest wooden statuary attributed to Oron peoples are beautifully carved ekpu (ancestor figures).
Oron religion is based on paying tribute to the village ancestors. Failing to appease these ancestors is believed to bring wrath. The most important ancestors are those who achieved high rank while living, usually the house heads.
The migration history of the Oron people is closely related to that of the Efik Eburutu people. In fact, the Efik people regard and treat the Oron people as part of the larger Oron and Calabar people because of their common Bantu origin, culture, and tradition.
1. Uya, Okon Edet, 1984, A history of Oron people of the lower Cross River basin, Nigeria : Manson Pub. Co. 2. Simmons, Donald C., 1960. "Oron proverbs." African Studies 19:3, 126-137 DOI: 10.1080/00020186008707108 3. Murray, K.C., "Ekpu: The Ancestor Figures of Oron Southern Nigeria." The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs, Vol. 89, No. 536 (Nov., 1947), pp. 310+312-315.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Oron 3. https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/11863256#History
Ovambo/Ambo
Angola, Namibia, South Africa
Ambo, Aawambo
Olufuko, Omagongo
The traditional food includes grains like sorghum and mahangu, which are used for a variety of foodstuffs ranging from porridge to traditional brews.
Their most popular clothing item, the odelela cloth, is used to make long dresses with puffy short sleeves, skirts, and even shirts for men. When it comes to weddings, traditional ceremonies like olufuko, the odelela skirt is adorned with waist beads, shells and animal hide belts that are all worn differently depending on a woman’s age and marital status.
The Ambo economy rests almost equally on agriculture and animal husbandry, supplemented by fishing, hunting, and gathering. Millet and sorghum are the most extensively cultivated crops; cattle, sheep, and goats are owned by all of the groups. The Ambos have lived in an economically underdeveloped region, working as migrant laborers, small farmers, and herders.
Traditional religion, Christianity
Because of their remote location off the main slave-trading thoroughfares and their pastoral lifestyle, the Ambos remained highly isolated until the early nineteenth century. Political conflict in southern Africa in modern times has forced tens of thousands of Ambos into refugee status. The Ambos are subdivided into the following subgroups: the Kwanyamas, Ndongas, Kuamis, Ngandjeras, Mbalantus, Kualuthis, and Nkolon-kati-Eundas.
1. Hayes, P. M. 1992. A History of the Ovambo of Namibia, c 1880-1935 (Doctoral thesis). https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.44938 2. Schwarz, E. H. L. and H. H. Johnston. 1919. "The Origin of the Hereros and Ovambo." The Geographical Journal, Vol. 54, No. 1 (Jul., 1919), pp. 46-52. https://doi.org/10.2307/1780291 3. Cooper, Allan, D. 2001. Ovambo Politics in the Twentieth Century. Lanham, Md: University Press of America.
1. https://theculturetrip.com/africa/namibia/articles/a-guide-to-the-aawambo-people-of-namibia/ 2. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ambo-people 3. Stokes, Jamie. Ed. 2009. Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East. New York: Infobase Publishing, Inc. 4. Shoup, John A. 2011. Ethnic Groups of Africa and the Middle East: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, LLC 5. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
They speak Umbundu, a Bantu language of the Niger-Congo language family.
Angola, Namibia
Umbundu
Cassava is the staple food.
Historically, the Ovimbundus actively participated in the slave, ivory, agricultural products, and wild rubber trades. They became active middlemen between European traders and such inland groups as the Lundas, Chokwes, Lozis, and Kazembes. When new transportation systems rendered the traditional Ovimbundu caravans obsolete, the Ovimbundus made the transition to commercial maize production. Farming and cattle rearing are the mainstays of the community. Agricultural crops include corn, palm oil,
Wooden statues carving,staffs, musical instruments
Traditional religion, Christianity Their traditional religion involved vairious spiritual concepts and magical practices, which influences their belief and conduct. The supreme being in Ovimbundu traditional religion is Suku, who is regarded as the maker of the mountains, rivers, sky, and people.
Historically, the Ovimbundus were subdivided into distinct, autonomous kingdoms, and, in the twentieth century, those identities have acquired ethnolinguistic characteristics. The primary Ovimbundu subgroups are the Bailundus, Bie ́s, Dombes, Gandas, Huambos, Hanhas (Hanyas), Chicumas, Lumbos, Sumbes, Cacondas, Chiyakas (Kikayas), Ngalangis, Kibulas, Ndulus, Kingolos, Kalukembes, Ekeketes, Kakondas, Kitatas, Mbuis, Kissanjes, Sambus, and Seles.
1. Childs, G. M. 1970. "The Chronology of the Ovimbundu Kingdoms." The Journal of African History, 11(2), 241–248. http://www.jstor.org/stable/180319 2. Edwards, Adrian C. 1962. The Ovimbundu Under Two Sovereignties: A Study of Social Control and Social Change Among a People of Angola (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429491238 3. Childs, Gladwyn Murray. 1949. Umbundu Kinship and Character, London: Oxford University Press.
1. Tucker, L. S. 1940. "The Divining Basket of the Ovimbundu." The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, 70(2), 171–201. https://doi.org/10.2307/2844369 2. Stokes, Jamie. Ed. 2009. Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East. New York: Infobase Publishing, Inc. 3. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ovimbundu 4. Hambly, Wilfrid D. 1932. "Spiritual Beliefs of the Ovimbundu of Angola.," The Open Court, 8:4. 5. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Af
Yoruba
Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and a sizeable diaspora in other continents.
Yoruba is considered as a more encompassing nomeclature, and includes many sub-groups within it, like the Òyó, Ijesa, Ekiti, etc.
The economy is primarily based on agriculture and trade, although fishing, hunting, metalworking, wood carving, weaving, crafts, etc. are also significant.
Body decoration, weaving, dyeing, embroidery, pottery, calabash carving, leather and beadworking, jewelry, metalworking
Islam, Christianity
Sedentary
1. Akinjogbin, I. A. 2002. Milestones and Concepts in Yoruba History and Culture: A Key to Understanding Yoruba History, Ìbàdàn: Olú-Akin Publishers. 2. Ogundiran, A. 2020. The Yoruba: A New History, Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
1. Falola, T. and Ann Genova. 2006. Yoruba Identity and Power Politics, New York: University of Rochester Press. 2. Middleton, John and Amal Rassam (Eds.) 1994. Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume IX: Africa and the Middle East. New York: G.K. Hall & Co. 3. Stokes, Jamie. Ed. 2009. Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East. New York: Infobase Publishing, Inc.
they speak a pangwa language which belongs to the family of Bantu languages, and possibly to the larger cluster of the Niger-Congo family of laguages
Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Panga
The Pangwa are traditionally engaged in fishing, working small gardens on the river banks, and engaging in commercial trade. They are still engage in those traditional pursuits, although the numbers moving to cities and towns looking for work in other sectors is rapidly increasing.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. https://www.ethnologue.com/language/pbr
Sepedi, also known as "Sesotho sa Leboa" (Northern Sotho) is a southern Bantu language.
South Africa, Eswatini
Bamaroteng, Bapedi, Basotho, Marota, Northern Sotho
Malopo ritual is then the best medium for understanding a Pedi culture. Through malopo ritual, the Pedi culture's socially significant occupations are practised. Through the procedures of music learning and teaching, the Pedi culture's values are reflected. One finds information in the content of its material, which reveals the identity and interests of the community. The community's ways are exposed in its inherent processes. The ethos and significance of the Pedi community are expressed from i
The Pedi eat meat and vegetables, and popular dishes include thophi (made from maize meal and a fruit called lerotse, a melon), mashotja (Mopani worms), moroga wa dikgopana (spinach cooked and left to dry in the sun), and dikgobe (coarsely ground corn/samp and beans).
Over 3.7 million
The traditional Pedi life focused on a village existence, with the people raising cattle, goats, maize, and sorghum.
Important crafts included pottery, house building and painting, woodworking (especially the making of drums), metalsmithing, beadwork.
The Pedi traditionally believe in ancestors and gods, they believe that through ancestors they can talk to gods about their needs.
"Pedi," in its broadest sense, has been a cultural/linguistic term. It was previously used to describe the entire set of people speaking various dialects of the Sotho language who live in the northern Transvaal of South Africa. More recently, the term "Northern Sotho" has replaced "Pedi" to characterize this loose collectivity of groups. The Northern Sotho have been subdivided into the high-veld Sotho, which are comparatively recent immigrants mostly from the west and southwest, and the low-veld
1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pedi 2. https://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_pedi.html 3. https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/pedi 4. Middleton, John and Amal Rassam (Eds.) 1994. Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume IX: Africa and the Middle East. New York: G.K. Hall & Co. 5. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1015-87582014000500002 6. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
KiPende/Phende
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Pande
The basic food consists of a flour-half manioc, half millet or maize-accompanied sometimes by meat or, most often, by a vegetable, such as manioc leaves.
The Pende are farmers mainly produce millet, maize, plantain, peanuts, etc. The local economy is also connected to exploiting palm oil.
Mask, carved stools, staffs, chairs, swords
The Pende refer to God by three names: Nzambi, Kalunga, and Mawese. "Nzambi" is probably the most recent. They also practice Christianity
The Pende, along with their neighbors the Yaka and Suku, can trace their origins to modern day Angola, between the Atlantic Coast and the Kwanza (Cuanza) River. They were forced north to their current region during the Lunda expansion in 1620, which also resulted in numerous cultural influences. They are divided into two major groups, a western group who live just to the east of the Yaka and an eastern group who live on the western bank of the Kasai River. Although each group is culturally disti
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Pende 3. Middleton, John and Amal Rassam (Eds.) 1994. Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume IX: Africa and the Middle East. New York: G.K. Hall & Co.
They speak a Bantu language
Democratic Republic of the Congo
they farm and raise cattle for milk and meat.
1. Biebuyck, Daniel P. ‘‘Sculpture from the Eastern Zaire Forest Regions: Mbole, Yela, and Pere.’’ African Arts 10 (October 1976): 54–61
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
The Pokot are a Kalenjin-speaking people whose language (ng'ala Pokot, "tongue or language of Pokot") incorporates words from the neighboring Karamojong and Turkana. It is a Western Nilotic language
Kenya, Uganda
Suk
Male and female initiation, the cleansing of newborn infants and their mothers, the cleansing of twins, coming-of-age ceremony for men, marriage, harvest, healing ceremonies, etc. are important part of the Pokot culture.
Tegla Loroupe: The founder of the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation, who in 2012 also appeared in the African top 100 personalities of the year.
The Pokot food consists of honey, milk, cooked fruit seeds, wild fruits, meat, wild edible roots and tubers, mushrooms, etc.
Generally, Pokot women wear colorful necklaces and beaded headgears, brass jewelry and big loop type earrings whereas men wear just a few wrap garments and cowhide capes and shirts.
More than 220,000
Cattle keeping and grain growing, including sorghum, finger millet, maize are at the center of Pokot subsistence and commercial activities. Women weave baskets, work leather, and make milk gourds and unglazed pots for cooking and water storage. Men specialize in woodworking, making beehives, headrests, and the handles for spears, knives, and hoes.
Beadwork, gourds, containers, baskets, pots
Traditional religion, Christianity In the traditional religion, Tororot is considered the supreme deity. Prayers and offerings are made to him during communal gatherings, including feasts and dances. Such ceremonies are usually presided over by a community elder. Diviners and medicine men also play a significant role in maintaining spiritual balance within the community.
1. Bollig, Michael. 2000. "Staging Social Structures: Ritual and Social Organisation in an Egalitarian Society. The Pastoral Pokot of Northern Kenya." Ethnos, 65:3, 341-365, DOI: 10.1080/00141840050198027 2. Bollig, Michael. 1990. "An Outline of Precolonial Pokot History." Afrikanistische Arbeitspapiere 2 3 :7 3–92. 3. Bollig, Michael.1998. "Moral Economy and Self-Interest: Kinship, Friendship, and Exchange among the Pokot (N.W.Kenya)." In Kinship, Networks, and Exchange, edited by Th. Schweizer
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. Peristiany, J. 1951. "The Age-Set System of the Pastoral Pokot: The Sapana Initiation Ceremony." Africa, 21(3), 188-206. doi:10.2307/1156592 3. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Pokot 4. Middleton, John and Amal Rassam (Eds.) 1994. Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume IX: Africa and the Middle East. New York: G.K. Hall & Co 5. https://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.com/201
They speak Punu language, which is considered to be a Bantu language.
Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo
Bapunu or Pungwe, Pungu, Uréwé
The Mukuji is one of the white masks of the Punu tribe from Gabon. The term Mukuji designates the mask, the dance and the entire ceremony. The masks are worn by men but represent female figures, with the characteristic braids of the female members of the Punu tribe, almond-shaped eyes and scarifications on the forehead and temples. These scarifications represent each of the nine Punu clans. The Mukuji is a celebratory dance which is performed, for example, in the event of the birth of twins. It
Over 40,000
Punu economy is based on shifting hoe farming conducted in fields that have been carved out of the rain forests through slash and burn techniques. This is supplemented when necessary with hunting, fishing, and livestock, such as goats, sheep, and chickens
The most common types of objects found are carved masks, which have been stylistically compared to Japanese art. They also carve standing reliquary figures, which watch over the bones of the deceased. Punu art forms suggest a connection with their neighbors that may have emerged from a shared history or simply through contact.
There is very little known about the Punu religion, but similarly to their neighbors to the north, the Fang and Kota, the Punu carve wooden reliquary figures which are stylistically different, but similarly attached to a basket carrying the bones of individual family ancestors. This seems to indicate a similarity in religious practices in regard to ancestor worship.
linguistic evidence suggests that they moved into their current location from an area to the north, possibly driven southward by the Kota and Fang who moved into the area just north of Punu territory in recent centuries. This area had been occupied by various Pygmy peoples prior to Bantu expansion.
1. Perrois, Louis and Charlotte Grand-Dufay. 2008. Punu: Visions of Africa Series Milan: 5 Continents, 2008. 2. Plancke, Carine . 2010. "On Dancing and Fishing: Joy and the Celebration of Fertility Among the Punu of Congo-Brazzaville." Africa, 80, pp 620-641. doi:10.3366/afr.2010.0405 3. Cameron, Elisabeth L. 1998. "Men Portraying Women: Representations in African Masks." African Arts, Vol. 31, No. 2, Special Issue: Women's Masquerades in Africa and the Diaspora (Spring, 1998), pp. 72-79+94.
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Punu https://www.sorosoro.org/en/2009/11/the-mukuji-rite-with-the-punu-from-gabon/
Pygmies speak languages that they have borrowed from their neighbors
Cameroon, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Angola, Namibia
There are many African Pygmy tribes throughout central Africa, known by the names Mbuti, Aka, BaBenzelé, Baka, Efé, Twa, Wochua, etc.
Baka: Ritual and participation dances, Water drums, Male initiation rite to the Spirit of the Forest.
Alice Nyamihanda: Uganda's first Batwa pygmy graduate
Although some Pygmies are fishermen and potters, most still survive off the forest, migrating back and forth seasonally between the farming villages of other ethnic groups and a hunting-gathering lifestyle in the forest.
Traditional Religion, Christianity
Nomadic
1.Schlichter, Henry. 1892. "The Pygmy tribes of Africa." The Scottish Geographical Magazine 8: 289-301, 345-357. 2. Turnbull, Colin M. 1961. The Forest People. New York: Simin & Schuster. 3. An African Population: African Pygmies. Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza, Ed. Academic Press, Orlando, FL, 1986
The term Pygmy has been used, mostly in the past, as an umbrella term to refer to a member of the tropical-forest forager groups such as the Mbuti, Twa, Mbenga, etc. of Central Africa.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. Stokes, Jamie. Ed. 2009. Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East. New York: Infobase Publishing, Inc. 3. https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/pygmy 4. http://www.pygmies.org/#libri
they speak Rendille, which is a Cushitic language and possibly part of the larger Afro-Asiatic cluster of languages
Kenya
Rendille, Randille, Randile, Randali, Reendile, Rendili
Initiation rituals and an important part of the Rendille society. Every 7 to 14 years, initiation rituals are done. Proceeding from one set to another, a person’s role in the community changes and develops over time as the individual ages.
Traditionally the Rendille tribe depended and lived off of camels, an animal very suited to the dry plains of Kenya. The milk and meat provided by camels are essential foods. As a diet of plants is difficult to come by due to unavailability, the Rendille also also keep cattle, sheep, and donkeys.
Traditional dress includes beautiful beads worn by the women around the neck, wrists, and ankles. The moran wears colorful shukas (clothe wrapped around their bodies) and colors their hair with a mud/mineral mixture. Men often wear a wrapped cloth rather than trousers.
Around 34,000
The Rendille people are traditionally pastoralists keeping goats, sheep, cattle, donkeys, and camels.
Basket weaving
Traditional Religion, Chiritianty, Islam Their traditional religion is centered mainly on the worship of their god, Wakh and is comprised mainly of prayer and worship to the moon (which represents their god) and their ancestral spirits. They pray while looking heavenward and religious rituals are performed during naming, circumcision, marriage and death events.
Today the Rendille Tribe live a slightly less nomadic lifestyle.
1. Ngure, Dr. Kenneth; Karuru, D. W., "Language and Identity within the Decision Theory Framework: The Case of the Rendille People of Kenya" International Journal of Liberal Arts and Social Science Vol. 3 No. 8 October, 2015. 2. Fratkin, E. 2001. "East African Pastoralism in Transition: Maasai, Boran, and Rendille Cases." African Studies Review, 44(3), 1-25. doi:10.2307/525591 3. Spencer, P. Nomads in Alliance, Oxford University Press, London, 1973, http://eprints.soas.ac.uk/20803/1/NOMADS%20IN%
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. https://jetsetbunny.com/exploring-the-colorful-culture-of-kenyas-rendille-tribe/ 3. https://theculturetrip.com/africa/kenya/articles/a-guide-to-traditional-festivals-that-celebrate-kenyan-heritage/ 4. Shoup, John A. 2011. Ethnic Groups of Africa and the Middle East: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, LLC
Tabwa speak a Bantu language closely related to those of neighbouring Bemba of Zambia and Luba of Congo.
Tanzania, Kenya
tabwa, lungu
Most Rungus now live in farming villages where they raise sheep, goats, maize, and millet. They also work on sugarcane, sisal, and cotton plantations.
Tabwa carvers produce many beautiful utilitarian objects such as combs, drums, and bellows, but also produce sculpted figures representing ancestors and twin figures. Although a few masks exist in collections, very little is known about them.
The Tabwa have developed a system of religion honoring the ancestors. Similarly to the Luba, the Tabwa have utilized this system in a way which benefits the traditional leaders, who use the remembered power of their ancestors to explain their current power. Ancestors are embodied in figural sculptures known as mikisi, which are carved by religious specialists, anointed with clay, and given offerings of food during the new moon, a time which is of great importance to the Tabwa.
It is not known whether the Rungu are an ethnonym used for the Lungu people, or are they a completely separate group.
Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tabwa https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Tabwa
Sakalava is a dialect of Malagasy, the dominant language of Madagascar. Linguistically, the Sakalava dialect reflects the impact of worldwide trade networks, with loanwords drawn from Arabic, kiSwahili, numerous Bantu languages, and, mostly recently, French. There is also a smattering of loanwords from Portuguese, German, English, and several Chinese and Indian languages.
Madagascar
Saclave, Sakalave, Sklave, Kibushy
A historic ceremonial procession, called ‘Tromba’, is very important to the Sakalava people. Initiated by dady priests who preserved the remains of royals after their death, it involves divining ancestral spirits and sharing their messages with the people.
Sakalava consume fish of all sizes as well as shellfish and turtles. Seafood is prepared in a variety of ways: cooked in stews, fried, smoked, or salted. Hunting and occasional gathering of wild foods further supplement local diets. Crickets and other insects, which are available seasonally, are rich sources of protein, as are hunted animals, including birds, fruit bats, lemurs, and wild boars. Wild honey is also gathered.
Most Sakalavas are semi-nomadic pastoralists who also practice rudimentary forms of agriculture. Small-scale commerce is also very much a part of Sakalava economic activity today.
Knowledge of indigenous textile arts has declined considerably within the last generation or two; earlier in the twentieth century, Sakalava textiles exhibited complex weaving techniques. Single ikat designs, with colors derived from plant dyes, were woven in cotton and raffia on a horizontal loom with a fixed heddle. Today mats and storage containers are plaited by hand into a basket-weave design from palm and other plant leaves.
Religious practices and beliefs are closely linked to royal affairs. Today the term "tromba" is used throughout Madagascar to describe a host of forms of spirit possession; strictly speaking, however, it is a Sakalava term. At the heart of Sakalava religion are the royal ancestors, or tromba, who are the spirits of dead royalty. Tromba spirits are arranged hierarchically into generations that correspond to dynastic lineages of the northern and southern Sakalava. They are then further differentia
They are divided, according to some ethnologists, into the following ethnic groups: Antankaranas, Antiboinas, Antifiherenas, Antimailakas, Antimarakas, Antimenas, Antimilanjas, and Vezus. Most Sakalavas are semi-nomadic pastoralists who also practice rudimentary forms of agriculture.
1. Kent, R. K. 1968 "The Sakalava, Origins of the First Malagasy Empire sem-link, Outre-Mers." Revue d'histoire Année 199 pp. 145-189. 2. Lambek,Michael. 2008. "The Sakalava Poiesis of History: Realizing the Past Through Spirit Possession in Madagascar." American Ethnologist https://doi.org/10.1525/ae.1998.25.2.106.
Data taken from the culture trip is not reliable. Open to editing
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. https://theculturetrip.com/africa/madagascar/articles/an-introduction-to-the-sakalava-people-of-madagascar/ 3. Middleton, John and Amal Rassam (Eds.) 1994. Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume IX: Africa and the Middle East. New York: G.K. Hall & Co
They speak Salampasu, which is classified as a Bantu language
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola
Salampaso
The Salampasos are small farmers and fishermen.
1. Pruitt Jr., William F. “An Independent People: The Salampasu of Luisa Territory.” Ph.D. thesis, Northwestern University, Evanston, 1974. 535 pp.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Samburu speak the Samburu dialect of the Maa language, which is a Nilotic language. The Maa language is also spoken by other 22 sub tribes of the Maa community otherwise known as the Maasai.
Kenya
Loikop, Lokop
Munget Lemouyo: Coming of age festival
The Samburu are highly dependent on their livestock for survival. Their diet comprises mostly of milk and occasionally blood from their cows. Meat is only served on special occasions. The Samburu people's diet is also supplemented with vegetables, roots and tubers that are made into a soup.
The traditional dress of the Samburu tribe is a striking red cloth wrapped like a skirt and a white sash. This is adorned with many colorful beaded earrings, bracelets, anklets and necklaces. Each piece of jewellery worn represents the status of the wearer.
They practice animal husbandry, raising cattle, goats, sheep, and camels. Traditionally Samburu men look after their cattle and they are also responsible for the overall safety of the tribe. Samburu women are responsible for gathering vegetables and roots, and household chores.
Traditional religion, Christianity
Semi-nomadic
1. Spencer, Paul, 1965. The Samburu: A Study of Gerontocracy in a Nomadic Tribe. London: Routledge. 2. Spencer, Paul, 1973. Nomads in Alliance: Symbiosis and Growth among the Rendille and Samburu of Kenya. London: Oxford University Press.
They are often incuded under the Maasai people. Siyabona and Safari Consultants are unreliable sources and cannot be veriified. Meanwhile, African Holocaust cannot be confirmed as a reliable source or not.
1. https://www.africanholocaust.net/peopleofafrica.htm#samburu 2. https://www.siyabona.com/samburu-tribe-kenya-culture.html 3. https://safari-consultants.com/munget-lemouyo-the-samburu-coming-of-age-celebrations/ 4. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 6. https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/samburu-people/m024t2g?hl=en
San languages are usually classified as being in the Khoisan Family; there are three sets of these languages, each with its own history. Zhu I 6asi, !Xu, and Au ei (formerly spoken around Lake Ngami, now with few living speakers) are mutually intelligible and together constitute the Northern Khoisan Group; they are grammatically, syntactically, and lexically distinct from other Khoisan languages.
South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Angola
Bushmen, Twa, Sarwa (Basarwa)
Kuru San Dance Festival
They have traditionally relied heavily on game, wild vegetables, fruits, nuts, and insects; and are increasingly reliant on gathering and agriculture crops.
At the turn of the 21st century the San numbered about 100,000.
Most of them are farmers and cattle raisers, but several thousand still live their traditional hunting and foraging life.
San rock paintings
The religions of two San groups, the !Kung and the |Gui, seem to be similar, in that both groups believe in two supernatural beings, one of which is the creator of the world and of living things whereas the other has lesser powers but is partly an agent of sickness and death.
A small number are nomadic.
1. Hitchcock, Robert K. 2002. "'We are the First People': Land, Natural Resources and Identity in the Central Kalahari, Botswana." Journal of Southern African Studies 28:4, 797-824. DOI: 10.1080/0305707022000043520 2. Solway, Jacqueline and Richard B. Lee. ‘‘Foragers, Genuine or Spurious? Situating the Kalahari San in History.’’ Current Anthropology 31 (April 1990):109–46
1. Middleton, John and Amal Rassam (Eds.) 1994. Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume IX: Africa and the Middle East. New York: G.K. Hall & Co 2. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 3. https://www.britannica.com/topic/San 4. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/San
Sango
Central African Republic
Sanghas, Bosangos, Sanga
1. Samarin, William J. 1955. "Sango, An African Lingua Franca." WORD, 11:2, 254-267. DOI: 10.1080/00437956.1955.11659562
They are divided into a number of subgroups, including the Bassanga, Mbimus, Bombos, Konanbembes, Besoms, Bondongos, Bondjos, Mondjombos, Bandzas, Baboles, Kabongos, Bonguilis, and Bomitabas. A distinction may also be made between native Sango speakers and those using it as a lingua franca.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. https://nalrc.indiana.edu/doc/brochures/sango.pdf
Brafe, Brofi, Samvign, Sanvi
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Ivory Coast
Mainly Christianity
#source
#Appears to be the name of a region/city.
Palaka, Dyimini, and Senari in Ivory Coast, and Suppire in Mali
Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkina Faso
Minianka, Senari, Senefo, Senna, Senofo, Senufo, Senufu, Siéna, Suppire, Syenambele, Syenamana
The Senoufo practice richly varied series of divination, initiation, and funeral rituals designed to strengthen and protect their community. Religious practice, worship, prayers, and sacrifices seek to restore and maintain healthy relationships with the hierarchy of spiritual beings, which consists of the deity, the ancestors, and bush spirits.
The Senoufo traditionally have been self sufficient, cultivating staples such as millet, sorghum, yams, corn, cassava, and other grains which they eat with a sauce containing locally grown foodstuffs such as peppers, eggplant, okra, and shea butter, a fat obtained from the nuts of the shea tree, native to west Africa. Fruits such as papaya, banana, and lemons and meats, when available, supplement the Senoufo diet.
Estimated to be over 3 million in 2001.
The Senufo are mare mainly engaged in agriculture. Their major crops include corn (maize) and millet.
They are famous for wood sculpture, mainly masks and figures.
Senoufo practice richly varied series of divination, initiation, and funeral rituals designed to strengthen and protect their community, and Islam.
Sedentary
1. Richter, Dolores. “Further Considerations of Caste in West Africa: The Senufo.” Africa 50, no. 1 (1980): 37-54. DOI:10.2307/1158641. 2. Glaze, Anita J. 1981. Art and Death in a Senufo Village. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Senufo 2. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/senoufo 3. Middleton, John and Amal Rassam (Eds.) 1994. Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume IX: Africa and the Middle East. New York: G.K. Hall & Co.
Gabon
They are a sub-group of Koto
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Shambala
Tanzania
Sambaa, Shambala, Sambala and Sambara
Traditionally, the Shambaa held initiation ceremonies for both young men and young women.
The Shambaa diet is composed of starchy foods such as rice, maize, and sweet potatoes. These are usually accompanied by beans, meat, and vegetables.
Men wear kanzus (long, flowing white robes) and a small cap, or barghashia, on their heads. Women use lengths of colorful cloth as wraps for the body; these are called khangas and kitenges
Over 664,000
The Shambaa are mainly engaged in agriculture. The Shambaa plant many different food crops adapted to the climate of the area, including tubers, medicinal plants, tobacco, beans, and bananas. Banana plants used to be the main food crop of the Shambaa. This has changed with the introduction of maize (corn) and cassava to the area.
Traditional beliefs, Christianity and Islam Traditional Shambaa beliefs center on healing the land and the body. Rainmakers were important people in the society. They were believed to have the power to prevent or cause rainfall. Mufika (ancestor worship) was important. The Shambaa believed that ignoring one's ancestors, especially one's deceased father, was sure to lead to misfortune.
Sedentary
1. Feierman, Steven. 1974. The Shambaa Kingdom: A History. University of Wisconsin Press: Madison. 2. Winans, Edgar V. 1962. Shambala, the Constitution of a Traditional State. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Every Culture is not a verifiable and trusted source
1. https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Tajikistan-to-Zimbabwe/Shambaa.html 2. https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/shambaa
Sambiu
They speak a Tsonga language, which is one of the major linguistic groups in South Africa
Mozambigue, fewer concentrations in South Africa as well
Shanganas, Changane
Most of them today are subsistence farmers
It is said that Shangaan migrants had migrated from present-day Mozambigue along with the Tsonga people after the Gaza Kingdom was conquered by the Portuguese in the late 19th century.
Most information on the Shangaan people have been collected by travel websites and other related blogs, thus making it difficult to compile any data by using them as reference. They are part of the larger Tonga cluster of people. Most information on the Shangaan people have been collected by travel websites and other related blogs, thus making it difficult to compile any data by using them as reference
Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. https://www.britannica.com/place/Gazankulu#ref109546 https://www.britannica.com/place/South-Africa/Languages#ref920741
They speak the Sherbro language which is also known as Southern Bullom, Shiba, Amampa, Mampa, and Mampwa. It is considered an endangered language of Sierra Leone and belongs to Mel group of the Niger-Congo language family.
Sierra Leone
Their economy revolves around fishing and the production of rice, cassava, and palm oil.
About 40% of Sherbro people pratice Islam as their faith.
The Sherbro are considered to be closely related to the Bullom people. By the 17th century, The Temne people had spread in the coast, dividing the Bullom group into two. The northern Bulloms retained the Bullom name, however, the southern Bulloms came to be known as Sherbro. In recent decades, the Sherbros have been increasingly absorbed by the Mende ́s. The Krim people are further considered to be a sub-group of the Sherbro
Sherbro and the Sherbros by D.F. Wilberforce (available at: http://www.sierra-leone.org/Docs/Sherbro_and_Sherbros.pdf)
The book mentioned under literature section is written by a Reverend and might have concepts regarding Christian missionary in how they viewed the people from the community. This claim is not guaranteed but this was the only relevant book on the community that was found. Moreover, it was published in 1886, making the data compiled in the book very dated. Language data has been referred by Wikipedia as well as Britannica sources.
Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. https://www.britannica.com/place/Sierra-Leone/Plant-and-animal-life#ref517401 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherbro_language
They speak Shi, which is also known as Nyabungu, and is a Bantu language.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
mashi, shi
The Shi people farm and raise cattle for milk and meat.
Ethnologists consider them to be part of the Kivu cluster of peoples. Recently, the Shis have often engaged in violent struggles for power with the Kusu people, who live to the west.
Joshua Project is not a reliable source
Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/14907/CG
They speak an Eastern Sudanic language of the Nilo-Saharan language family.
south sudan
Collo
Those who are Muslim or Christian might follow those religious celebrations. For the Shilluk, the chief “holidays” would be the installation of a new reth, a marriage festivity, collective fishing and harvesting, and especially the celebration of Nyakang at the start of the rainy season, which involves the slaughtering of animals, dancing, and drinking fermented sorghum (merisa). Most villages have a shrine to Nyakang where amulets and charms may be placed to invoke ancestral spirits, often by a
durra is fermented to make an alcoholic drink (merisa). As farmers they are endowed with livestock including sheep, goats, and especially cattle which play important roles in religion and kinship. However, cattle for the Shilluk are not nearly as significant as they are for the neighboring Nuer and Dinka. Shilluk men are in charge of milking the cows, and they do not use fresh cattle blood, unlike the Dinka and Nuer. Because the Shilluk are riverfolk, their foods are diversified by hunting and f
Today most Shilluk men wear Western clothing or Arab jellabiyas, but traditional attire is still seen. For women, traditional clothing was either animal-hide wraps, skirts (rahat), or aprons. Women's hair was usually shaven. Males were traditionally naked, but a reth or his noblemen could wear a toga-like garment. For men and women, armlets, breastplates, bracelets, beads, bells, necklaces, and body-painting were common. For men, hair sculpture (especially in a popular flared helmet shape, prote
about 150,000
The Shilluk are sedentary agriculturists with strong pastoral interests (cattle, sheep, and goats). Men hunt, herd, and milk the livestock; both sexes do agricultural work.
. They wear beads, and other decoration which include cutting dots on forehead and tattooing on the body. The Shilluk have developed music instruments: a kind of guitar (thom), flute made fom the horns of kudu (kang), (adalo), and drum (bul).
The complex animist religious beliefs of the Shilluk are held most devoutly. The most important spiritual force is that of Nyakang. As with most animist or polytheist religious systems, the sacred and secular worlds of the Shilluk are linked. Spiritual forces abound in animals, elements, and places, and the folklore of the Shilluk serves to integrate the people with this worldview through storytelling, origin myths, sacrifices, and invocations. A few Shilluk have turned to Islam and Christianity
Before the Nilotic migration, the Shilluks had settled between the White and Blue Nile rivers, primarily on the west bank of the Bahr-al-Jabal, just north of the point at which it becomes the White Nile. The Shilluks are sedentary farmers.
The Shilluks are divided into the following subgroups: the Anuaks who live on the Sobat River; the Jurs, who live southwest of the Bahr-al-Jabal River; the Acolis, who are northeast of Lake Albert; and the Jaluos in Uganda and Kenya.
Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shilluk https://m.facebook.com/southsudanwitheva/posts/wearing-a-shilluk-traditional-lowalawa-of-paskadesigns-kitengeh-material-and-the/121512426060030/ https://fortuneofafrica.com/southsudan/kingdoms/ https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/asia-and-africa/middle-eastern-history/shilluk
shona language (bantu)
Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia.
Karanga, Vashona, Mashona, Chona
The main constituents of the village diet in rural Zimbabwe include maize, (Zea Mays), sorghum (Sorghum sp.) and millet (Pennisetum sp. and Eleusine coracana), potatoes, vegetables, meat, milk, fruit and groundnuts
The traditional dress of Zimbabwe is colourful and consists of wraparound dresses and headdresses for women. Men don a breastplate made from animal skin.
Around 9 million
In precolonial times the main crops were various types of millet. Now, except in the drier areas, maize is predominant. Groundnuts and various vegetables are also grown for relish. Early in the colonial period, farmers grew surpluses for sale. Cash crops such as tobacco and cotton are also grown. Today, shortages of land are acute in many areas, and few Shona are able to make much of an income from farming. Agriculture is largely supported by salaried or wage labor in the towns. A cash income in
Traditional crafts of basketwork and pottery are still widespread. One now finds carpenters, builders, tailors, and other semiskilled specialists in many rural areas. Women engage in sewing and knitting, now often on a cooperative basis.
There is belief in a creator-god, Mwari, and a concern to propitiate ancestral and other spirits to ensure good health, rain, and success in enterprise. Christianity is also followed. However, magic and witchcraft continue as important means of social control and explanations for disasters.
Historically, the Shona groups were attacked by the Ndebeles in the 1830s and 1840s, which resulted in the loss of their lands and cattle herds. They found themselves paying tribute to the Ndebeles. In 1896–1897, the Shonas joined the Ndebeles in a bloody and ultimately unsuccessful war against the British colonial administration. When more centralized economic and political institutions began to affect Shona life, they did not identify themselves as Shonas. Instead, they identified themselves a
1. Beach, David N. (1980). The Shona and Zinmbabue, 900-1850. Gweru: Mambo Press. 2. Bourdillon, M. F. C. (1987). The Shona Peoples. 3rd ed. Gweru: Mambo Press. 3. Gelfand, Michael (1979). Growing Up in Shona Society. Gweru: Mambo Press.
The Shona ethnic cluster includes 75 percent of the ethnic black Africans in the country of Zimbabwe. The major Shona subgroups include the Kalangas, Karangas, Korekores, Zezurus, Abarues, Ndaus, Tembos, Nyatanzas, Bandas, Marungas, Mwanyas, Nyampisis, Chirumbas, Makates, Mucatus, Chirwares, Chilendjes, Manyicas (Manhica), Mavondes, Choas, and Atewes.
1. Olson, James S. 1996. The People of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Press. 2. Middleton, John and Amal Rassam (Eds.) 1994. Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume IX: Africa and the Middle East. New York: G.K. Hall & Co 3. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shona 4. https://www.africancraftsmarket.com/african-tribes/shona-people.html 5. https://www.mundomayafoundation.org/interesting/faq-shona-tribe-clothing.html 6. https://minorityrights.org/country/zimbabwe/
Democratic Republic of the Congo
buyu
By their name, they seem to be a Bantu speaking group
Doesn't seem to be a group, rather mentioned as a city or province in Nigeria which was relevant during the reign of the Fulani Empire
They speak a language of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic (formerly Hamito-Semitic) family.
all of Somalia, a strip of Djibouti, the southern Ethiopian region of Ogaden, and part of northwestern Kenya.
Somal
istunka festival
waris dirie(author,supermodel,human rights activist)
Ninety-eight percent of Somalis eat meat, rice and pasta,” one local grocer explained. Eating fish, apparently, isn't very popular. Vegetables appear to largely be side dishes, and often are woven into a meat dish, such as combining potatoes, carrots and peas with meat and making a stew.
Somali men wear sarong-like clothing (a long piece of cloth wrapped around the waist). Usually it is a white cotton piece, but it can also be colorful. It is called "macawiis" To cover the top part of the body men in Somalia use another white piece of cloth that is worn like a shawl.As headdresses Somali men wear colorful turbans and embroidered caps (called "koofiyad" and "taqiyah. Somali women are very conservative, so they wear clothing that covers their body entirely. Also there are a lot of
The Somalis are primarily nomadic herdsmen who, because of intense competition for scarce resources, have been extremely individualistic and frequently involved in blood feuds or wars with neighbouring tribes and peoples. A second category of Somalis are the townspeople and agriculturists of the urban centres
Every one of the larger Somali villages has inhabitants who specialize in the manufacture of iron goods, pottery, and leatherwork. Often such artisans belong to groups that are considered inferior. Larger villages may also host some tailors and, in the riverine zones, sesame-mill operators.
In the 14th century many Somalis, converted to Islam by Arabs. Their conception of Islam is vague, and religious practices are dominated by the worship of ancestral saints.
nomadic
desert flower- waris dirie
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Somali-people, http://nationalclothing.org/africa/29-somalia/33-traditional-clothing-of-somalia-sarongs-for-men-and-virtuous-attire-for-women.html https://ethnomed.org/resource/nutrition-and-fasting-in-somali-culture/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CNinety%2Deight%20percent%20of%20Somalis,meat%20and%20making%20a%20stew.
It is widely assumed that their languages form a branch of the Nilo-Saharan language family.
mali, nigeria,algeria
Songhay or Sonrhai,
The Songhai Empires food are like no other. Since their staple crops are millets, it is consumed in three ways: as a pancakes also known as haini maasa, porridge or doonu, and lastly paste of howru. The food are mixed inside of the locally made pots and served with meatless sauces made of vegetables and peanuts.
Rural and urban Songhay men today wear a combination of traditional and Western clothing. They generally wear trousers and a loose-fitting shirt that they wear untucked. Younger men might wear used jeans and tee-shirts they buy at the market. Some men, however, prefer to wear the traditional, cotton three-piece outfit. It consists of draw-string trousers, a long-sleeved loose-fitting shirt with an open neck, and a boubou (long, full robe).
2 million
Cultivation, largely of cereals, is practiced intensively only during the rainy season, from June to November. Cattle are raised on a small scale, and fishing is of some importance
The extremely talented people of Songhai are well known for their weaving of blankets and mats. Everyday markets are held for tourist and the villagers to purchase the exquisite textiles, clothing and pots.
Almost all Songhay are practicing Muslims. They pray five times a day; avoid alcohol and pork; observe the one-month fast of Ramadan; and try to the best of their ability to make the hajj, the very expensive pilgrimage to Mecca.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Songhai, https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Japan-to-Mali/Songhay.html
Nsongo language
Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo
Basongo, Atsong, Bansongo, Basongge  Bassongo  Kassongo  Ma-Singas  Masongo  Massongos  Nsongo Songos  Sungu  Tsong, Tussongo, Zasongo, Zongo
Songo are a sub-group of the Mbundu people of north-central Angola
1. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Songo 2. https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/19052/AO
Most Songhay women rarely, if ever, wear Western clothing. They wear long wrap-around skirts (pagnes) and matching tops.
language of the songoora people
KiSongye (Bantu)
Democratic Republic of Congo
Songye Songe Basongye Basonge Bassonge
150,000
The Songye traditionally relied mostly on farming and hunting for subsistence. Because the rivers were associated with the spirits of deceased chiefs who were often buried in them, fishing was not practiced except in times of great need. The artistic wares of the Songye, including pottery made by women and weaving and metalworking done by men, were traded extensively with their neighbors. They were recognized as superior craftsmen, and their products were in great demand.
There are numerous mask styles associated with the Songye. Power objects and objects associated with divination are also prevalent in Western collection. The Songye also produce prestige stools, ceremonial axes, made of iron and copper and decorated with interlaced patterns, neckrests, bracelets and copper adzes.
The creator god of the Songye is Efile, although sacrifices are not made directly to him. Much attention is focused on familial ancestors, to whom sacrifices are made to encourage the well-being of the individual and the family.
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Songye, https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/x91567, http://www.zyama.com/songye/pics..htm
They speak a Mande language of the Niger-Congo family
senegal,west africa, northwestern Mali and Foute Djalon in Guinea, and southern Mauritania
Sarakole, Seraculeh, or Serahuli,
the population in the Bakel area remain farmers whose chief crop is millet.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Soninke
The Sotho language, seSotho, is a Bantu language closely related to seTswana
Free State, Gauteng and Eastern Cape Provinces, with small groups in Namibia and Zambia. (Lesotho and South Africa)
Suthu or Suto
Moshoeshoe's Day (March 12) and Independence Day (October 4). Moshoeshoe's Day is marked by games and races for the nation's young people. Independence Day is celebrated by state ceremonies that often include performances by traditional dance groups.
Sotho people share many food traditions with the other peoples of South Africa. Staple foods are corn (maize), eaten in the form of a thick paste, and bread. Beef, chicken, and mutton (lamb) are popular meats, while milk is often drunk in soured form. South African beer is made from sorghum rather than barley.
the Sotho people were skilled craftsmen, renowned for their metalworking, leatherworking, and wood and ivory carving. Traditions of folk art include beadwork, sewing, pottery making, house decoration, and weaving. Functional items such as sleeping mats, baskets, and beer strainers continue to be woven by hand from grass materials.
The Supreme Being that the Sotho people believe in is most commonly referred to as Modimo. Modimo is approached through the spirits of one's ancestors, the balimo, who are honored at ritual feasts. The ancestral spirits can bring sickness and misfortune to those who forget them or treat them disrespectfully. Today, Christianity in one form or another is accepted by most of the Sotho-speaking people. Most people in Lesotho are Catholics, but there are also many Protestant denominations.
https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/sotho-south-sotho-or-basotho, https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Japan-to-Mali/Sotho.html
chiikuhane
Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia.
Subiya / Basubiya / Veekuhane
According to Shamukuni, Veekuhane have a diverse economy that includes: pottery, blacksmith, basketry, hunting, carving and agriculture.
carving, basketry,pottery
101lasttribes is unreliable
http://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/subiya.html
They speak a Bantu language of the Niger-Congo group of languages.
southwestern Congo (Kinshasa) and northwestern Angola
Basuku
Suku women cultivate cassava (yuca) as the staple crop, and men hunt
The Sukus are a subgroup of the Yaka people of Democratic Republic of the Congo.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Suku-people
Ethopia
suri
They speak a dialect of Susu-Yalunka, a language belonging to the Mande branch of the Niger-Congo languages.
southern coastal regions of Guinea and the northwestern parts of Sierra Leone. senegal
Soso; Susa
Ramadan
Although Western clothing is available in the markets, most of the Susu women prefer wearing their traditional African styles, which include long skirts that usually reach their ankles. Older men commonly wear loose fitting cotton robes, while
190000
The Susu are primarily farmers. Rice and grain are the two principal crops; however, pineapples, mangoes, and coconuts are also grown. The women make various kinds of palm oil from palm nuts, as well as peanut oil and soap. In addition to farming, fishing and salt production are important enterprises to the Susu economy.
they are well known for their leather and metal work
Largely Muslim
some info taken from joshua
https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/15141/SL, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Susu
Swahili(Kiswahili)
Kenya. The Swahili are found along the east African coast, with some living in Mombasa, Kwale, Tana River, Lamu and Kilifi counties
The Swahilis were initially known as Wangozi
Every year, the Kenyan coastal region hosts the Maulidi Festival, celebrating the birth of Prophet Mohammed, and the Lamu Cultural Festival, celebrating the rich culture and traditions of the communities inhabiting the coastal region
Rice cooked with coconut milk has traditionally been a staple food for the Swahili. Their meals incorporate locally available vegetables, fruits, and spices served with tea several times a day. Fish is also central in the diet, while chicken and goat meat are popular for holiday meals.
The ‘kanga’ is a popular swahili garment. It is a rectangle of pure cotton cloth with a border all around it, printed in bold designs and bright colors and a Swahili saying or slogan inscribed at the bottom. Women wrap the two cotton fabrics clothing around their waists and upper bodies and draped over their shoulders and heads.Men wear a striped cloth (kikoi) around the waist that hung to the knees. As a mark of being Muslim some men sported small white caps with elaborate tan embroidery. Dress
The Swahili were an urban, maritime community, who interacted with foreigners from various parts of the world during the extensive Indian Ocean trade. They became middlemen and used dhows to move goods from various parts of the African coast, to the middle East and India. Their economy relied on trade, agriculture and fishing. Before the introduction of numismatic currency, payment for goods and services was done in cowrie shells. Items of trade were ivory, timber and slaves among others. Swahil
Kanga (A kanga, also known as a leso, is a traditional Swahili cloth. It is a cotton cloth which has Swahili sayings printed on it. Today, the Swahili use modern printing methods, and printing blocks or mataba leiso are no longer in use.) A mat (mkeka) made from doum palm leaves is also famous. It was made by men to be sold for use at home. As skilled craftsmen, the Swahili make beautiful products like baskets, furniture and ornaments out of wood, reeds and doum palm leaves. A wooden mortar and
The Swahili are predominantly Muslim. However, before the arrival of Islam, the Swahili worshiped according to the traditions of their ancestors. They believed in 'Mungu', God who is the creator of the universe, to whom they prayed directly.
Ushahiri (poetry) is an art and is regarded as the most important of the Swahili literature. It follows a set of rules which have been handed down from generation to generation. Through poetry, they expressed their thoughts, joys and agonies.
https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/the-swahili-community-of-kenya-national-museums-of-kenya/oQJSxAllYVHzJg?hl=en, https://electiveafrica.com/blogs/four-elements-of-swahili-culture-youll-encounter-in-mombasa-kenya
(swati or swazi)belongs to the Benue-Congo group of the Niger-Congo languages; with the Zulu and the Xhosa, the Swazi form the southern Nguni ethnolinguistic group.
tree-studded grasslands of Swaziland, the neighbouring Mpumalanga province of South Africa, and Mozambique
One of the most popular cultural celebrations of this tribe is the Umhlanga Reed Dance.The eight-day ceremony commences in late August or early September. The ritual requires the unmarried girls to cut reeds and present them to the queen mother
emasi, Umncweba and umkhunsu, Porridge,corn
According to the Swazi culture clothing, infants aged 3 months are clothed with protective medicines only. Males that are between 3 months and three years are given tiny loin skin to wear, whereas the females of the same age group are required to wear no cloth or sometimes wear a string of colorful beads. Males between 3 years and eight years wear loin skin while females of the same age wear a string of beads and a skirt that is made of grass or fabric. Males aged 8 to 17 are required to clothe
1,810,000 in the late 20th century.
chiefly agriculturists and pastoralists,
The Swati ethnic group is famous throughout South Africa due to its appealing arts and crafts, which they still use to date. They have colorful beaded jewelry that is breathtaking.
The Swati believe in a supreme being whom they call Mkhulumnqande. They think that Mkhulumnqande formed the earth but demands no sacrifices. There is also a belief that Mkhulumnqande is not to be associated nor worshipped with the ancestral spirits. It is the role of the Swati men to offer sacrifices to the ancestors during the traditional religious ceremonies. On the other hand, the women communicate with the spirits, while the queen mother acts as the custodian of the rain medicines.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Swazi-people, https://theculturetrip.com/africa/swaziland/articles/10-delicious-swazi-foods-you-have-to-try/ https://briefly.co.za/30382-swazi-culture-food-people-beliefs-traditional-attire-wedding-ceremony-facts.html
Tabwa speak a Bantu language closely related to those of neighbouring Bemba of Zambia and Luba of Congo.
southwestern shores of Lake Tanganyika, on the high grassy plateaus of the Marungu massif in extreme southeastern Congo (Kinshasa). Some also live in northeasternmost Zambia and along the Luapula River.
Tabwa, also spelled Taabwa, also called Rungu,
The Tabwa turned to fishing and growing cash crops of potatoes, wheat, and onions for the colonial market; and cassava, corn (maize), and beans for the domestic one. Copper is mined in southern Tabwa territory.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tabwa
Teke masks are worn by members of the Kiduma - a secret society that takes charge of social celebrations and rituals. The mask is held in place with a bite bar at the back which the wearer holds in his teeth. These masks are usually decorated with geometric symbols and divided by a horizontal stripe. They are colored with clay and paint.
The info filled belogs to Kiduma people not Teke people
https://artsandculture.google.com/culturalinstitute/beta/usergallery/TgJiwHxPHml0Jg
bantu
southern coastal plain of Mozambique, parts of Zimbabwe and Swaziland, and the Transvaal of South Africa.
Tsonga
They numbered some 4.6 million in the late 20th century
Tsonga economy is based on mixed agriculture and pastoralism. Cassava is the staple; corn (maize), millet, sorghum, and other crops are also grown. Women do much of the agricultural work, although some men grow cash crops. Most Tsonga now depend on wage labour for cash, many migrating to Zimbabwe or South Africa to find work.
Although many Tsonga are Christian, many also adhere to their own traditional religion, which entails constant attention to the propitiation of ancestral spirits
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tsonga
Semi-Bantu-speaking
Bamenda region and in the western high plateau.
The Tikar people are famous for beautifully decorated brass pipes,
https://www.britannica.com/place/Cameroon/People
toma
Guinea-Liberia border
loma, toale, toa
292,000
fire-cleared land was used to plant vegetables and rice. Larger villages were usually located on remote hillside terraces often surrounded by secondary forest growth.
Artistically, their reputation rests on their Landai mask which has an articulated crocodile jaw and a flattened, stylized human face. This mask symbolically devours Poro society candidates at the end of their initiation period, after which they are revived as full members of this sodality. Some rare figures exist which are kept within each household
Ethnoreligion. Ethnoreligion is deeply rooted in a people's ethnic identity and conversion essentially equates to cultural assimilation.
https://discoverafricanart.com/tribes/toma-people/, https://www.peoplegroups.org/Explore/groupdetails.aspx?peid=13433, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Loma
The Toubou people speak the Tebu languages, which are from the Saharan branch of the Nilo-Saharan language family
northern Chad, southern Libya, northeastern Niger and northwestern Sudan
Tabu, Tebu, Tebou, Tibu, Tibbu, Toda, Todga, Todaga, Tubu, Tuda, Tudaga, and Umbararo
The Teda were estimated to number about 50,000 at the turn of the 21st century.
Toubou life centres on raising and herding their livestock, or on farming the scattered oases where they cultivate dates and grain and legumes. Their herds include dromedaries, goats, cattle, donkeys and sheep. The livestock is a major part of their wealth, and they trade the animals. In a few places, the Toubou also mine salt and natron, a salt like substance which is essential in nearly all components of Toubou life from medicinal purposes, as a mixture in chewing tobacco, preservation, tannin
metal work, leather work, pottery and tailoring,
is thought that all the Teda are Muslims. Their Islamization dates very probably to early in the Arab conquest, although most education in the Quran and in the intricacies of the legal system was a result of the establishment of Senusi schools in Libya and Chad within the last century. Although there are some traces of pre-Islamic belief, most of these have been incorporated into the Muslim system.
nomadic pastoralists
No clear information if Toubou people are also known as Teda people while the data put here uses the word Toubou and Teda interchangeably
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Teda , https://www.britannica.com/topic/Teda
tsogo language
Ngounié Province in southern-central Gabon, to the north and east of Mouila.
mitsogo
harvest festival
13000+
Mitsogo economy is based on shifting hoe farming in fields that have been carved out of the rain forests through slash and burn techniques. This is supplemented when necessary with hunting, fishing, and livestock, such as goats, sheep, and chickens. The surrounding Equatorial forests also provide various fruits, nuts, and tubers for consumption. The main crops include banana, yams, cassava, maize, peanuts, and manioc. Men do most of the hunting and gathering and clearing of land, and women perfo
Until the arrival of French missionaries and a new colonial economy based extensive agriculture production, the Mitsogo where renowned wood carvers. Mitsogo artists produced fine wooden reliquary figures that were used to protect the spirits of deceased ancestors and masks. Today, despite the profound cultural and social changes there is a Mitsogo cultural revival. Masks still play a big role in the culture of Mitsogo people. The masks are worn during harvest festivals, to welcome important gues
Since early 20th Century most Mitsogo converted to Catholicism. Today 20% of Mitsogo combine Christian rituals with the old African religion. Mitsogo religion centred on ancestors who were believed to wield power in the afterlife as they had as living leaders of the community. The skulls and long bones of these men were believed to retain power and are said to have control over the well-being of the family of the relics' keepers
http://www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/mitsogo.html
Bantu (Xisongfa Language)
South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Mozambioque
Xitsonga, Tswa, Tonga, Chopi, Rhonga, Thonga
Religious Practice: Magic is used for evil purposes (vuloyi) by evil sorcerers (valoyi) to harm the community. Conversely, magic is applied to the advantage of the community by the traditional practitioners (tin'anga; sing. n'anga ) who are usually both specialized herbalists and diviners. Cultural festivals feature traditional dances, choirs and drum majorettes, and speeches. Festivities may conclude with a sacrifice at royal graves. Ceremonies. At birth a baby is cleansed and shown to his fat
Termites are a great source of protein, and the way they are prepared will have you salivating in no time. Other delicacies include the xigugu that is popular among the Vatsonga Shangaan language speaking Bantu. The dish is based on the corn and peanuts ingredients that are roasted and crushed to come up with very wholesome and sweet food. Others include Tihove, tshopi, and vuswa. Apart from termites, Vatsonga people also eat worms. Specifically, the Mopani worms that are fried for an excellent
The people are known for their bright traditional attires. the bright head wrap known as "duku," wooden legs, and hand bracelets called "deha" necklace beads(vuhlalu) men tend to wear traditional attires made from different animals skin and hide while the women wear Xibelani skirts accompanied by beads and other colorful details that complement the dance movements by shaking
4.6 million in the late 20th century
Traditionally, the Tsonga lived mainly by fishing for subsistence. A few goats and chickens were raised, and crop cultivation was important. Their tsetse fly-infested coastal lowland habitat made cattle raising an uncommon practice Tsonga economy is based on mixed agriculture and pastoralism. Cassava is the staple; corn (maize), millet, sorghum, and other crops are also grown. Women do much of the agricultural work, although some men grow cash crops. Most Tsonga now depend on wage labour for ca
Shangaan- Tsonga people have developed a number of musical instruments including 'fayi' - a small, stubby wooden flute that produces a breathless, raspy, but haunting sound, and is often played by young herd boys. The 'xitende', is a long thin bow tied on each end by a taut leather thong or wire - which runs across a gourd. Women manufacture household articles such as sleeping mats made of grass, different types of baskets, clay pots, and strainers for beer making. The production of household
The Tsonga believe in a supreme being, Shikwembu, who created humans. He is not directly worshiped. The central theme in Tsonga religion is belief in and veneration of the spirits of the dead. A distinction is made between family (maternal and paternal) and alien ancestral spirits. The wishes of the ancestral spirits are generally revealed by means of divination after illness, misfortune, or dreams. The homestead of every senior family head has a platform that serves as an altar (gandzelo) for s
https://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_shangaan_tsonga.html, https://briefly.co.za/30548-tsonga-culture-people-language-music-food-traditional-attire.html, https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/tsonga , https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tsonga, https://edline.co.za/4269-2/
bantu speaking
botswana and south africa
Motswana (singular) or Batswana (plural), formerly spelled Bechuana,
Men wore a loin-skin called “tshega”, a “kaross” (rug or blanket made from animal skin), a skin cap, sandals and belt of tails (the latter is allowed only for warriors). And, of course, various ornaments were a very important part of a male costume. It could be copper wire necklaces, bead strings, armlets and etc. Women wore an apron in front called “khiba”, a skirt behind called “mosese”, a “kaross” to cover the upper body, and a lot of ornaments (necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings etc.). A
Historically, the Tswana have lived in a grassland environment, practicing animal husbandry and subsistence agriculture based on corn (maize) and sorghum. There has long been a seasonal and periodic migration of men who work in the mining and industrial centres of South Africa, although the migration has greatly declined since the 1990s.
There are few specialized arts. Beadwork is practiced by some, and children are often adorned (sometimes for protection from malevolent forces) with beads and other decorations. Compounds and houses are often beautifully designed and painted. Song (pina ) and dance (pino ) are highly developed forms of artistic expression. Choirs perform and compete with each other on official and ritual occasions. They compose lyrics that offer narratives and critiques of the past and present. (See also "Indust
Although Batswana received Christian missionaries in the early nineteenth century (see "History and Cultural Relations") and most belong to a church today, precolonial beliefs retain strength among many Batswana. Missionaries brought literacy, schools, and Western values, all of which facilitated the transition to migrant wage labor. In precolonial times Batswana believed in a Supreme Being, Modimo, a creator and director, but nonetheless distant and remote. More immediate and having a greater i
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tswana, https://www.encyclopedia.com/places/africa/botswanan-political-geography/tswana, https://textilevaluechain.in/in-depth-analysis/articles/textile-articles/botswana/, https://www.everyculture.com/Africa-Middle-East/Tswana-Religion-and-Expressive-Culture.html
berber
Niger, Mali, Libya, Burkina Faso
They call themselves Imohag,
. In the 2010s there were estimated to be more than two million Tuareg.
pastoralists
Although most Tuareg now practice some degree of Islam - the Maliki sect of Islam, resulting from the teachings of the great prophet El Maghili from the early 16th century - they are not considered Arabic. They have preserved many pre-Islamic traditions and do not strictly follow many Islamic rituals.
nomadic
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tuareg, https://www.bradshawfoundation.com/tuareg/
The Turkana speak an Eastern Nilotic language of the Nilo-Saharan language family.
northwestern Kenya, from Lake Rudolf (Lake Turkana) to the Ugandan border.
lake turkana festival
paul ereng(olympic runner)
Milk and other dairy products (butter, ghee, and yogurt) as well as blood are important to the Turkana diet. Camels provide milk and meat. goat and sheep are also kept and slaughtered later being shared among the community. Wild nuts, berries, game, and fish are also important foods.
Turkana clothing is almost as colourful as the Maasai and Samburu, with men wearing bright woollen blankets and women adorning themselves with beaded jewellery. Quantity and quality of this jewellery indicates the social standing of the woman, so people can tell with once glance her status. Women also wear animal skin clothing, whilst men cover their heads with mud, painting it blue and adding ostrich feathers. Both men and women wear a lip plug in the lower lip.
According to the 2009 Kenyan census, Turkana number 855,399, or 2.5% of the Kenyan population
Turkana are ardent pastoralists who give names to, sing to, and diligently care for their cattle. Turkana practice transhumance, visiting the same general pastures from season to season and returning to rainy season sites for millet and vegetable farming
women are at home looking after the children and making necklaces and bracelets. Men also craft weapons such as knives and spears, and are very skilled at metalwork, wood and stone carving. Turkana men carry wooden stools for sitting on in the hot sand, and also for headrests to keep their heads off the ground and protect ceremonial head decorations.
The Turkana follow a traditional African religion. They pray to their god Akuj or the spirits of their ancestors for blessings in times of hardship, like the many droughts they have faced over the years. The Turkana believe that following their traditions each day will lead to blessings, which in turn will provide an increase in wealth, whether that be livestock, wives, children or food. Witch doctors are also popular, and they often tattoo stomachs to cast out unwanted spirits.
nomadic for pastures
population only for kenya
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Turkana, https://farandwild.travel/wilder/article/tribes-of-kenya-meet-the-turkana
Kinyarwanda; Kirundi; French, English
Rwanda and Burundi and northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire)
Batusi, Tussi, Watusi, or Watutsi,
National holidays include Independence Day, May Day, New Year's Day, and the major Christian holidays. The Tutsis' traditional holidays were celebrated with dancing and sacred drumming. These holidays are no longer observed.
Milk, butter, and meat are the most highly valued foods. However, people will only kill a cow on a special occasion. Goat meat and goat milk are also eaten. However, they are eaten secretly because it is against Tutsi customs. Tutsi in rural areas consume milk products, bananas, and sorghum beer. Meals are arranged around work schedules. Alcoholic beverages are made from bananas and sorghum. People drink them on special occasions.
In the past, Tutsi men and women wore robes brought in from the African coast. A woman's costume included a white robe and white headbands. Today Western-style clothing is usually worn. Women wear dresses and scarves made from the printed cloth popular in East Africa. Men wear pants and shirts.
In the past, the Tutsi were cattle herders
Traditional crafts of Rwanda and Burundi include basket weaving, pottery, woodworking, metal working, and jewelry making.
Today most people in Rwanda and Burundi are Christians. However, some traditional beliefs survive. These include the belief in a distant creator called Imaana. This god has the power to grant wealth and fertility. The king shares in this power. It can be seen in his sacred fire, royal drums, and rituals. Spirits of dead relatives, called abazima , carry messages between Imaana and the human world. However, the abazima may bring bad luck to those who do not respect them. People offer gifts to pro
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tutsi , https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Brazil-to-Congo-Republic-of/Tutsi.html
They speak a language of the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo language family.
southern nigeria
The term Sobo is used by ethnographers as a cover term for both the Urhobo and their neighbours, the Isoko, but the two groups remain distinct from each other.
Thus the two-day annual Ohworu festival in Evwreni, the southern part of the Urhobo area where the Ohworhu water spirit and the Eravwe Oganga are displayed. Also included in the heritage of the Urhobo people is the annual fishing festivals that include masquerades, fishing, swimming contests, and dancing.
These people usually dress by tying a Georgian Wrapper and wearing a Lace Shirt with a Cowboy Hat and a Walking Stick and beads are worn on the hands and neck.
approx 4 million
Living in the tropical rain forests has helped to shape the economic choices of the Urhobo. They practice slash and burn farming that requires frequent crop rotation for soil preservation. Fishing and hunting are also important sources for subsistence. They also gather palm nuts and process them into oil, a commodity which is eventually traded on the international markets.
The Urhobo produce numerous art forms, including Ivwri (shrine figures), a type of wooden sculpture that is popularly associated with the cult of the hand, and masks and masquerading
The Urhobo recognize the existence of a dual cosmological system: the spirit world and the physical world. It is believed that everyone in the physical world has a replica in the spiritual world and that these two worlds have great influence over one another. Power, however, seems to be in the hands of the spirits, who are constantly making demands on and causing problems for the living, who in turn must appease the spirits through sacrifice. Every ten years the Urhobo hold a large masquerade ce
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Urhobo, https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Urhobo, https://allnigeriainfo.ng/top-10-nigerian-traditional-dresses/, https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/food-travel/urhobo-a-br ief-walk-into-the-lives-of-one-of-nigerias-most-interesting-people/jltsrlz
Venda language, TshiVenda or LuVenda (Bantu)
Limpopo Province of South Africa
Bavenda
The traditional cuisine in this community mainly depends on grains and vegetables. Maize is a staple food to date. It is ground then prepared into a porridge that can be eaten plain, as pancakes or as an accompaniment to stews and meat. The main traditional Venda food is Tshidzimba, which is a mixture of beans, groundnuts, and maize.The community widely consumes Mopane worms which are nutritious. They can either be eaten cooked or dried. They taste like chicken. Other foods that are commonly con
The most colourful part of Venda women's clothing is the upper garment made from multi-coloured striped cloth called 'wenda. It is a length of cloth with a strip (bannda) sewn on across the top and two straps (mivhofho) of the same cloth to tie over the shoulder.A traditional garment which was worn only by married women, is a goat skin apron called tshirivha, covering the back and front. On special occasions, married women used to wear a ceremonial back apron made of sheepskin called gwana A lo
459,986
Agriculture dominates the Venda economy. The principal crops are corn (maize), peanuts (groundnuts), beans, peas, sorghum, and vegetables, and the planting season starts around October. The Venda may have been primarily herders in the past. During the 20th century their cattle holdings—especially the herds of their chiefs—increased from a few to an appreciable number; they also keep goats, sheep, pigs, and fowl.
famous for woodwork and pottery. Venda court art consists mostly of stone monoliths adorned with concentric designs, and carved doors and drums used in rain-making ceremonies. Their initiation objects are usually wooden or clay figures, called Matano, which are brought out during ceremonies to illustrate a story. These figures are thought to represent either an ideal girl, a man, a renegade man or even an animal
Ralu Vhimba is the deity traditionally recognized
Nomadic
kaffir boy mark mathabane
https://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_venda.html, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Venda-people, https://briefly.co.za/40097-venda-culture-wedding-traditional-clothing-food-language-facts.html#:~:text=Venda%20traditional%20food&text=Maize%20is%20a%20staple%20food,beans%2C%20groundnuts%2C%20and%20maize. https://www.vukuzenzele.gov.za/venda-traditional-dress, https://discoverafricanart.com/tribes/venda-people/
Atlantic coast of Gabon, Cabinda and the People’s Republic of the Congo,
BAVILI, IVILI
Vili artists carved with naturalistic features maternity figures, nail fetishes, figures of dogs and monkeys often carrying mirrors, nkissi (magical objects) or nails. The face masks of the Vili are characterized by a realistic design and a striking color scheme. The Vili give their masks a veritable expression of pathos by painting them black, white and red, and leaving the mouth slightly open. The two-faced ndungu mask in a massive attire of plumage, is worn by the medicine-man at the coronati
http://www.zyama.com/vili/
Winien
Burkina faso
25000
Winiama are primarily sedentary farmers, growing millet, sorghum, and yams. Maize, rice, peanuts, and beans are grown in addition to these staples. Farmers throughout the region practice slash and burn farming, using keri (fields) for approximately seven or eight years before they are allowed to lie fallow for at least a decade. In the family fields close to the villages, women grow cash crops, including sesame and tobacco, which are sold in local markets. Men participate in hunting during the l
The most recognized of the Winiama art forms are magnificent wooden masks. In addition anthropomorphic figures sculpted from clay and wood and various personal objects, ranging from jewelry to wooden stools, are created to honor nature spirits
Belief in a supreme creator being is central to Winiama beliefs. A shrine to this god occupies the center of every village. An element of this creator god is Su, the mask spirit, which is enshrined in the oldest and most sacred mask in the community. The spirit of Su can be harnessed to benefit the community or to cause harm to their enemies.
sedentary
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Winiama
migrating through much of the Sahel from northern Cameroon to Chad, Niger, and northeast Nigeria
between 160,000 and 200,000
The Wodaabe's main economic activity is cattle-herding. Cattle provide milk products that, along with cereal obtained through trading, are the basis of the diet. Beef is eaten only during ceremonies. The Wodaabe also keep goats and sheep for milk and meat and use camels and donkeys for transportation.
nomads
https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/wodaabe
they speak the Wolof language of the Atlantic branch of the Niger-Congo language family. also French
Senegal and The Gambia
Chelofes, Galofes, Guiolof, Gyloffes, Ialofes, Iolof, Jalof, Jolof, Olof, Ouoloff, Valaf, Volof, Wollufs, Yaloffs, Yolof
The Wolof observe the major Muslim festivals, the most important for them being Korité, the feast at the end of Ramadan, and Tabaski, the feast of the sacrifice of sheep. The principal life-cycle ceremonies include the naming ceremony (nggentée ), and the circumcision ceremony for boys. It is likely that circumcision was a pre-Islamic Wolof custom, given that the key ritual specialists and practices are non-Islamic.
filmmaker from Senegal, Djibril Mambeti Diop, writer Alioune Diop, singer Youssou N'Dour
Wolof usually eat three meals a day. Towns-people with money drink cacao and eat French bread with butter or mayonnaise, jam, and processed cheese imported from France. The traditional breakfast consists of a paste-like dough made of millet with milk poured over it (lakh), or sombee (boiled rice covered with curdled milk, sugar, and raisins). The Wolof people also are known for their Mbaxal-u-Saloum , a spicy tomato, peanut, and dried-fish sauce with rice. Another popular dish, Mafé , is made w
Men prefer silver bracelets and rings, while women wear gold necklaces, chains, and rings Wolof women are renowned for their elaborate hairstyles, abundant gold ornaments, and voluminous dresses.
Most Wolof are farmers, growing peanuts (groundnuts) as a cash crop and millet and sorghum as staples; many, however, live and work in Dakar and Banjul as traders, goldsmiths, tailors, carpenters, teachers, and civil servants.
The Wolof are known for their woodcarvings. They fashion statues, figurines, and masks, mainly for the tourist market. Wolof are also fine tailors. Some Wolof are traditional weavers. addition to agriculture, many villagers engage in a wide variety of specialized crafts, among them metalworking, leatherworking, weaving, the dyeing of cloth, tailoring, pottery and basketry making, hairdressing, house building, and thatching. There are two types of smiths: blacksmiths, who mostly make agricultural
The overwhelming majority of Wolof are Muslim, belonging to the Malikite branch of the Sunni group. The remaining 10 percent are Roman Catholic. Less than 1 percent are Protestant.
In Wolof and Senegalese society, there are professional storytellers, known as griots . They are historians, poets, musicians, and entertainers.
https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Rwanda-to-Syria/Wolof.html, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wolof, https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/anthropology-and-archaeology/people/wolof
democratic republic of congo
bawongo
10,000
They farm maize and manioc
They have a fine tradition of craftwork in woodcarving, as well as in raffia weaving and embroidery. Wongo artistic traditions reflect the influence of Kuba realistic features, Pende-type masks and Lele-style adzes. The Wongo make several styles of cup for drinking palm wine, including some in human form, which are often characterized by numerous body scarifications.
http://www.zyama.com/wongo/
Kiwoyo (Bantu)
democratic republic of congo
Woyo / Bahoyo / Bawoyo / Ngoyo
corn, manioc, bananas, beans, and pineapple.
Woyo masks are usually painted with contrasting colors against a white background and are often worn with a full length costume made from banana leaves.
Men fish in the ocean, collect coconuts, and make palm wine. They also practice some hunting and do most of their own smithing. Women also fish, mostly in local ponds. They contribute significantly to the local economy, farming corn, manioc, bananas, beans, and pineapple. Surplus food is often traded to inland neighbors for profit under the supervision of local lineage heads from individual villages.
blacksmith, sculpting. Woyo sculpture shows the influence of their Kongo neighbors, while remaining stylistically distinct. Numerous types of figural sculptures, which are used in religious ceremonies are carved from wood. Many are painted, and all are adorned with leaves and feathers when used in ceremonies. The Woyo also carve various utilitarian objects, including pot lids, which serve as an ingenious means of communication between husband and wife.
The Woyo observe the supreme deity Nzambi Mphungu who is rarely represented and is almost never receives prayers. Instead, they pay tribute to local deities known as nkisi, and various river spirits, or itobo. The Woyo believe in both sorcery and witchcraft, and particular respect is given to priests and diviners who are able to uncover this type of anti-social behavior. Fire and poison ordeals are employed to determine the guilt of those accused.
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Woyo
Wum (Macro-Bantu)
Cameroon
12000
The Wum are farmers who grow maize, yams, and peanuts as staple crops. They also raise some livestock, including chickens and goats, which play an important role in daily sustenance. Women, who are believed to make the soil more fruitful, are responsible for the tasks of planting and harvesting the crops. Men are responsible for clearing the fields for planting and practice some nominal hunting.
In recognition of the importance of the skull, representations of the head are found in nearly all decorated utilitarian items. Masks used in initiation and for education purposes are common. Statuary often represents the Fon (head chief), and many types of beaded and ivory objects, including stools which symbolize the seat of royal power are related to the Fon's investiture
The Wum reserve the highest allegiance for their lineage ancestors. Ancestral spirits are embodied in the skulls of the deceased ancestors. The skulls are in the possession of the eldest living male in each lineage, and all members of an extended family recognize the same skulls as belonging to their group. Respect is also paid to female skulls, although details about such practices are largely unrecorded.
https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Wum
they speak mutually intelligible dialects of Xhosa, a Bantu language of the Niger-Congo family.
Eastern cape province, South Africa
Xosa
The Supreme Being among the Xhosa is called uThixo or uQamata. As in the religions of many other Bantu peoples, God is only rarely involved in everyday life. God may be approached through ancestral intermediaries who are honoured through ritual sacrifices. Ancestors commonly make their wishes known to the living in dreams. Xhosa religious practice is distinguished by elaborate and lengthy rituals, initiations, and feasts. Modern rituals typically pertain to matters of illness and psychological w
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Xhosa, https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/xhosa
Kiyaka (northwestern Bantu)
Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo
300,000
Rural Yaka are subsistence farmers of cassava and corn (maize) as staple crops. Most Yaka men seek work in Kinshasa or other urban centres, and many engage in trade in the greater Congo area. the men are hunters
Yaka material culture (carving, basketry, metalwork, and weaving) is well known. Yaka masks and figures have distinctive bulky forms, globular eyes, and turned up noses; some are polychrome, and many have raffia cloth or fringes attached. Yaka style dominates the expressive forms of neighbouring groups. Both mbwoolo sculptures and a type of carved slit drum known as a mukoku are used by ritual specialists. Mukoku help in the divination process, and mbwoolo are used to embody protective medicine.
Ndzambyaphuungu (the creator who inhabits the sky) is responsible for life, death, and all unanswerable questions. There are no religious practices that actively pay homage to this god. Instead, religious celebrations focus on honoring the elders and bambuta (ancestors). The death of an elder is cause for a public ceremony performed by other elders. Bambuta may be honored by recognizing and practicing the traditional ways and through offerings and gifts. The offering place is usually a yipheesol
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yaka https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/show/Yaka
The Yohure are geographically and linguistically situated between the Baule, an Akan language group to the east, and the Guro and Gban (Gagu), southern Mande-speaking peoples to the west. Depending upon their proximity to their neighbors, the inhabitants of Yohure villages are either entirely Baule or Mande speaking
territory between the Baule to the west, the Guro to the east and Lake Kossou to the north.
(SNAN, YAOURE, YAURE
20,000
The Yaure adorn a variety of everyday objects with figurative representations, but it is their masks that reveal their artistic abilities. The masks of the Yohure represent human faces often supplemented by animal attributes. They have an elongated face with a protruding mouth and pierced semi-circular eyes set under a high forehead. An elaborate plaited coiffure parted on each side, often with horns at the end, completes the image, while the outline of the mask is characteristically surrounded
https://discoverafricanart.com/tribes/yaure-people/, http://www.zyama.com/yohure/pics..htm
Seyiyi, Bantu language
botswana
Bayeyi
25000(approx)
These early settlers were mainly fishermen and hunters and cattle herders. They grow drought-resistant crops such as millet and sorghum and rear cows, goats and sheep for their milk, skins and meat. During the annual flooding of the Okavango Delta, fishing is of high importance but hunting and gathering are of diminishing importance to the Wayeyi, especially due to the increasingly severe hunting restrictions
The craftmanship of their canoes, drums, furniture and jewellery is highly sophisticated, and many women sell basketwork and beaded items
https://www.survivalinternational.org/material/95
They speak a language of the Benue-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo language family.
nigeria, benin and togo
Local festivals are usually dedicated to individual deities. Yoruba may also celebrate the following holidays, depending on whether they are Christians or Muslims: New Year's Day, January; Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice), June or July; Easter, March or April; Maulid an-Nabi (Muhammad's birthday); Ramadan, followed by a three-day feast; Nigerian Independence Day (October); Eid al-Fitr ; Christmas (December).
Adebayo Salami popularly known by his stage name Oga Bello, is a veteran Nigerian actor, filmmaker, movie producer and director, Gloria Bamiloye, dramatist, film actress, producer and director ***A Yoruba, Olisa Agbakobe, led a group of lawyers that founded the human rights group, the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO).
Fufu (Pounded Yam), Chicken and Okra Soup are some common dishes. The Yoruba diet consists of starchy tubers, grains, and plantains. These are supplemented by vegetable oils, wild and cultivated fruits and vegetables, meat, and fish. The daily family diet relies on cassava, taro, maize, beans, and plantains. One of the most popular foods is fufu (or foo-foo ), similar to a dumpling, but made of cassava (white yams). Rice and yams are eaten on special occasions. The recipes are very popular and
Western-style dress is worn in urban areas. Traditional clothing is still worn on important occasions and in rural areas. It is very colorful and elaborate. Traditional fabrics were block printed with geometric designs. Women wear a head tie made of a rectangular piece of fabric. They carry babies or young children on their backs by tying another rectangular cloth around their the waists. A third cloth may be worn over the shoulder as a shawl over a loose-fitting, short-sleeved blouse. A larger
5.3 million
Most Yoruba men are farmers, growing yams, corn (maize), and millet as staples and plantains, peanuts (groundnuts), beans, and peas as subsidiary crops; cocoa is a major cash crop. Others are traders or craftsmen. Women do little farm work but control much of the complex market system—their status depends more on their own position in the marketplace than on their husbands’ status. The Yoruba have traditionally been among the most skilled and productive craftsmen of Africa.
They worked at such trades as blacksmithing, weaving, leatherworking, glassmaking, and ivory and wood carving. In the 13th and 14th centuries Yoruba bronze casting using the lost-wax (cire perdue) method reached a peak of technical excellence never subsequently equaled in western Africa. Yoruba women engage in cotton spinning, basketry, and dyeing. Both men and women weave, using different types of looms. Cloth is woven from wild silk and from locally grown cotton. Men also do embroidery, parti
pray their own deity. Ancestral religion; Islam; Christianity
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yoruba, https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Yoruba.html
speak a language of the Adamawa-Ubangi branch of the Niger-Congo language family.
central africa, sudan,democratic republic of congo
Azande, also spelled Asande
The Zande numbered more than 3.8 million at the end of the 20th century.
The regions they inhabit, savanna in the north and rainforest in the south, are mostly suitable for agriculture and hunting. The contemporary people are fine craftsmen in iron, clay, and wood
The contemporary people are fine craftsmen in iron, clay, and wood
Zande religion also focuses on ancestor worship.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Zande
Swahili
Tanzania
Dzalamo, or Saramo
rice, millet, sorghum, corn (maize), peas, cassava, coconuts,
600000
Although they keep some livestock the rural Zaramo concentrate mainly on agriculture, producing rice, millet, sorghum, corn (maize), peas, cassava, coconuts, and a number of other crops. The proximity of the sea permits fishing by a variety of techniques.
Zaramo skill at woodcarving has been displayed in ornamental doors, musical instruments, and other functional creations, as well as in wares prepared for tourists. they also make pottery and perform basketry
Traditional religious beliefs such as the kolelo fertility cult and the worship of the deity Mulungu have been abandoned to some extent. over 98% of them are Muslims, more specifically the Shafi'i school of Sunni Islam
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Zaramo, https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/zaramo
They form part of the southern Nguni and speak mutually intelligible dialects of Xhosa, a Bantu language of the Niger-Congo family.
living primarily in Eastern Cape province, South Africa
xosa
They numbered some 7.3 million in the early 21st century.
many remain agriculturists who keep some sheep and cattle.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Xhosa
Nguni
As much as there are some scattered Zulu- speaking people all over the provinces, majority of the Zulu-speaking people live in KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa
They celebrate the Shaka's day in the month of September annually to remember the famous founder of the Zulu Kingdom, Shaka. They wear their full traditional attire which includes the weapons and have a gathering at KwaDukuza in Stanger, where Shaka’s tombstone is
Albert Luthuli(South African politician)
Zulu culinary are mainly vegetarian dishes that predominantly consists of vegetables and grain. Starch is a dietary staple and they take form in pap (porridge) and beer. Maize, pumpkins and potatoes are common ingredients used to in traditional dishes. Oxen are only slaughtered on special occasions such as weddings and coming of age ceremonies.
Women dress according to their marital status. An eligible and single Zulu woman shows the pride she has of her body by flaunting it and wearing skirts made out of grass or beaded cotton strings. A married woman will cover her body to indicate to others that she is taken. An engaged Zulu woman will naturally grow her hair and cover her chest with decorative cloth as a sign of respect to her in laws. The traditional attire for men is umqhele (warrior's headband) , amambatha to put over the should
10 million
Traditionally grain farmers, they also kept large herds of cattle on the lightly wooded grasslands, replenishing their herds mainly by raiding their neighbours. European settlers wrested grazing and water resources from the Zulu in prolonged warfare during the 19th century, and, with much of their wealth lost, modern Zulu depend largely on wage labour on farms owned by individuals of European descent or work in the cities of South Africa
The ingungu drum is made of goatskin, that has been cleaned and stripped from its hair, and a black clay pot. Zulu people are very creative and this is seen in their art and craftwork – primarily beadwork, basketry and pottery.
Traditional Zulu religion was based on ancestor worship and on beliefs in a creator god, witches, and sorcerers. The king was responsible for all national magic and rainmaking; rites performed by the king on behalf of the entire nation (at planting season, in war, drought, or famine) centred on the ancestors of the royal line. Modern Zulu Christianity has been marked by the growth of independent or separatist churches under prophets, some of great wealth and influence.
https://www.emdonenilodge.com/7-surprising-truths-never-took-serious-zulu-tribe/, https://southafrica.co.za/the-zulu.html, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Zulu, https://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_zulu.html
408 records

Alert

Lorem ipsum
Okay
View larger version
Download CSV