The Pygmy people are under threat. As the world encircles them, they fight on in maintaining their ancient traditions.
A five hour journey from the port of Mbandaka on the Congo is a village that is home to the Mbuti, the Pygmy people of the Congo basin. The Pygmy people in the heart of the Congolese rain forest, still hold on to their ancient way of doing things. This is in spite of the outside extreme pressures, which has threatened their way of life for centuries.
Who are they?
They are an ethnic group who have resided in the forests of the Congo for thousands of years. There are up to 600,000 still living in the Congolese rain forest. The Mbuti pygmy people speak two languages (Bantu and Ubangian) The Pygmy people live throughout central Africa but reside mainly in the Congo basin. The live a hunter-gatherer existence. They hunt pray such as porcupines, through the technique of burning a leaves in order to smoke animals out of their holes. Then shooting with arrows as the animal flees.
Preparing to smoke out animals from their holes.
Preparing to fire as the animals run out of the holes
Music
The Pygmy people have a strong sense of rhythm. They often sing, dance and play instruments such as the drum. These activities occur when they receive special visitors or hold communal events. Women often burst into song, when men come back from a successful hunt. An American primatologist called David Greer mentioned ”I’ve seen them sing and dance for days on end, stopping only for food and sleep.”
A recording of ‘The Honey Harvest’ by Congolese Mbuti Pygmies. From the CD SWP 009 ‘On The Edge of the Ituri Forest’.
What have they had to Endure?
They have suffered a tumultuous past by being the victims of forced labour at the hands of King Leopold. After the discovery of rubber rich forests, the king enslaved the Pygmy people to collect and transport rubber without pay, and if they didn’t obey, harsh punishments were handed out such as the cutting of limbs or severe whippings.
What does the future hold?
Today their home is slowly being destroyed as the rain forests are being cut down at an astonishing rate. Pygmies are forced out of their homes to live in cities where they find themselves marginalized from society. The government has done very little to protect the rights of these peoples, and if people don’t fight against their own greed the future is bleak for these ancient tribes.
