|
Tribe Snapshots Luchazi |
| Location: |
Eastern Angola,
western Zambia |
| Population: |
15,000 |
| Language: |
Luchazi (Bantu) |
| Neighboring
Peoples: |
Chokwe,
Luba,
Lunda, Lwena,
Ovimbundu, Songo |
| Types
of Art: |
Most Luchazi art is in the form of masks, many
of which are danced during initiation ceremonies
to educate the initiates and to mark the territory
where the ceremonies take place. |
| History: |
Luchazi peoples are closely related to Chokwe,
and their history is interconnected with both
Chokwe and Lunda political movements, which have
historically dominated the region. Between 1600
and 1850 they were under considerable influence
from the Lunda states and were centrally located
in Angola. In the second half of the 19th century,
though, considerable development of the trade
routes between the Chokwe homelands and the Angolan
coast led to an increased participation in trade
of ivory and rubber. Wealth acquired from this
allowed the Chokwe kingdom to expand, eventually
overtaking the Lunda states that had held sway
over them for so long. |
| Economy: |
The Luchazi grow manioc, cassava, yams, and
peanuts. Tobacco and hemp are also grown for snuff,
and maize is grown for beer. Domesticated livestock
is also kept, including sheep, goats, pigs, and
chickens. Meat is obtained through hunting. There
is a exclusive association of big game hunters
(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 Luvale. Slash and burn techniques
and crop rotation are practiced to naturally conserve
the land. |
| Political
Systems: |
Luchazi do not recognize a paramount leader,
but instead offer allegiance to local chiefs who
inherit their positions matrilinearly from the
maternal uncle. The chiefs (mwana nganga) consult
with a committee of elders and ritual specialists
before making decisions. Villages are divided
into manageable sections, which are governed by
family headmen. All members of Luchazi society
are divided into two categories, those who are
descended from the founding matrilineal lines
and those who are descended from former enslaved
populations. |
| Religion: |
Luchazi recognize a god of creation and supreme
power (Kalunga) and a series of nature and ancestral
spirits (mahamba). These spirits may belong to
the individual, the family, or the community,
and neglecting them is sure to result in personal
or collective misfortune. Evil spirits may also
be activated by sorcerers (wanga) to cause illness,
and this must be counteracted to regain health.
In order to accomplish this, individuals normally
consult with a diviner (Nganga), who attempts
to uncover the source of the patient's problem.
The most common form of divination among Luchazi
involves basket divination, which consists of
the tossing of up to sixty individual objects
in a basket. The configuration of the objects
is then "read" by the diviner to determine the
cause of illness. |
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