A Reflection on the Mbuti Tribe

A Reflection on the Mbuti tribe
November 15, 2010

A Reflection on the Mbuti Tribe
There are those who welcome and embrace change, and then there are those who do not want change to occur in their lives. Change is not in the vocabulary of the Mbuti tribe of the African Congo region, formerly Zaire. These pygmy hunter-gatherers, also known as the Bambuti, are decedents of Egypt and now a part of a seemingly impenetrable rainforest that lies beyond the reaches of modern society (Ronnei 2008). They are a peaceful people, who find their home, the rainforest, as a sacred place. The use song as a way of rejoicing, and to show devotion to the forest and their home. This devotion is directed toward the forest as their home, and as a support for the human environment. Below their jungle canopy, the Mbuti men are hunters and their women are food gatherers and care takers of the children of the tribe. Swiftly, they navigate the dense forest in search for food, either by naturally growing fruits or netting animals for meat. The have continued to thrive without much change for many decades, and as long as the Mbuti’s forest is not destroyed by the world’s greed for money, they will more than likely remain there for decades to come (Duffy, 1996).
The rainforest the Mbuti know as their home is the Ituri forest. It is in the northeast Congo region of Africa. This region, formerly known as Zaire, covers about 70,000 square kilometers of land. Below the canopy of trees, in the filtered sunlight, and punctuated with the sounds of birds and animals, the Mbuti live in relative comfort. The rainforest gives them a consistent temperature with plenty of rainfall and moist air that keep the soil below rich and fertile for growth (Suroviak, 1996). This allows the tribe to partake in traditional forest hunts and gathering of garden vegetables for most of the year. Trading their take from the hunt with outlying villagers for crafts and other foods is part of the limited contact with...