| |
|
|
Tribe Snapshots Holoholo |
| Location: |
Southeastern Congo (Zaire) (shore of Lake Tanganyika) |
| Population: |
2,000 |
| Language: |
Kiholoholo, Kiswahili |
| Neighboring
Peoples: |
Luba, Bemba, Tabwa |
| Types
of Art: |
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
in museum collections. |
| History: |
Holoholo are descended from the Baguha peoples
who escaped from southwest Congo (Zaire) amidst
Luba expansionism during the 18th century. In
the 1880s the water level of Lake Tanganyika dropped
significantly, inviting members of various ethnic
groups to move into the area surrounding the town
of Kalemie. The settlement that developed led
to the emergence of the Holoholo. Their position
on the lake placed them along Arab and eastern
African slave trade routes. This allowed some
financial gain during the late 1800s, but when
the Europeans came, they expelled the Arabs and
stymied Holoholo economic growth. The area has
since been largely depopulated as a result of
disease and regional warfare. |
| Economy: |
Holoholo economy during the height of late 19th
century expansion was directly related to the
eastern African slave trade. 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. |
| Political
Systems: |
The Holoholo never existed as a discrete ethnic
group and as a result did not acknowledge allegiance
to one particular political power. They were a
small conglomeration of diverse peoples who shared
a common language used primarily to expedite regional
trading. Individual villages and families usually
recognized a local leader, and theirs was an abbreviated
feudal system. Very little political structure
remains in the region today that is reflective
of the Holoholo influence. |
| Religion: |
The supreme god is Kabedya Mpungu ("remote in
the sky"), and appeals are never made directly
to him. Local religious practices center around
ancestor worship carried out through offerings
made to miniature huts, which are said to house
the souls of the spirits (muki). Nature spirits
that inhabit rocks, water, and mountains are not
appeased by the general population, but their
services may be called upon by witch doctors.
Two secret societies exist for healers and witch
doctors, one each for men and women. Secrecy and
witchcraft accusations act as powerful social
controls. Poison ordeals were employed to determine
whether an accused was actually guilty of witchcraft.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Privacy
notices ||| © AfricanStreetKids.com ||| Copyright notices
|||
|
|
|
