|
Tribe Snapshots Makonde |
| Location: |
Tanzania,
Mozambique |
| Population: |
n/a |
| Language: |
Makonde (Bantu) |
| Neighboring
Peoples: |
Mwera, Makua, Mabia |
| Types
of Art: |
The Makonde are known as master carvers throughout
East Africa, and their statuary can be found being
sold in tourist markets and in museums alike. |
| History: |
The Makonde of Tanzania and Mozambique are separarted
by the Rovuma River and are culturally distinct.
Immigration from Mozambique to Tanzania has resulted
in a blurring of ethnic identities and a sharing
of certain ideas. Because of the relative isolation
of their homeland, the first contacts with Europeans
did not occur until 1910, and then they were very
sporadic. The coastal location of the Makonde,
however, indicates that they were involved with
Swahili slave traders for centuries. Recently,
enclaves of Makonde have developed on the outskirts
of Dar es Salaam and of Kambia in Kenya, although
they seem to limit their interaction with outsiders,
preferring to identify with their own cultural
traditions. |
| Economy: |
In the traditional homelands of the Makonde
the primary source of food comes from slash and
burn farming. Crops include maize, sorghum, and
cassava. This is often supplemented by hunting.
Carving for the tourist trade has become a major
industry for Makonde artists along the coast and
near the cities. |
| Political
Systems: |
Individual settlements recognize a headman who
has inherited his position matrilineally, based
on his family's position of power within the community.
There is no ruler of all the Makonde peoples,
as each village maintains a certain degree of
independence. |
| Religion: |
The Makonde have retained their traditional
religion despite centuries of influence by Islamic
traders. Their practices center around the celebration
and remembrance of the ancestors. |
|
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