|
Tribe Snapshots Bangubangu |
| Location: |
Southeastern Congo (Zaire) |
| Population: |
90,000 |
| Language: |
KiBangubangu (Bantu) |
| Neighboring
Peoples: |
Bembe, Boyo, Hemba, Holoholo |
| Types
of Art: |
The Bangubangu carve freestanding anthropomorphic
sculptures, which are characterized by coffee
bean shaped eyes and pointed beards. Women also
produce high quality pots that are sold in the
local markets for profit. |
| History: |
The Bangubangu are now thought to have a shared
history with other early hunters (pre-Bembe hunters)
who passed through the region, including the Bembe,
Boyo, northern Hemba, and Holoholo. All of these
peoples share similar carving styles that venerate
the ancestors. They originated in the southeast
around the Lualaba River and migrated in several
waves to their current location near Lake Tanganyika.
Like the Hemba, they have also been greatly influenced
by their contact with the Luba. During the 19th
century they cooperated with Moslem slave traders
from the eastern coast and helped to establish
a trading post at Kabambare. The population has
been seriously reduced due to wars, slavery, and
sickness, resulting in very few surviving examples
of Bangubangu sculpture. |
| Economy: |
Although descended from early hunters, very
little hunting is currently carried out by the
Bangubangu. 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. |
| Political
Systems: |
The current power structure in Bangubangu villages
was imposed by the Belgian colonials and consists
of a paramount chief, who is assisted in governing
by several officials. Many villages do not recognize
his power and pay allegiance to leadership selected
on the local level. Village leaders are known
as Sultani, a word which is obviously of Arabic
origin. Extended families claim ownership to land,
and inheritance is matrilineal. |
| Religion: |
The Bangubangu recognize a supreme god (Vilie
Nambi), 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 malevolent
spirits (djinns), who must be appeased. Within
Bangubangu communities, diviners, blacksmiths,
and waganga are invested with religious power. |
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