The Bushmen of Tanzania

TINDIGA “The Bushmen of Tanzania”

De-skinning the hunt

Taking the meat home

The berbercue being prepared

The Tindiga Children

They are eccentric people in obscure place. They are a Hunter-gatherer community. They are mostly found around Lake Eyasi but are widely scattered in small groups in Karatu, Mbulu and Iramba districts. They stone age family of men and women to whom the evolution of the present cultures and civilization owe them much.

The official name of the Bushmen of Lake Eyasi is Hadzabe but most Tanzanians call them Tindiga meaning out of place.

They have been squeezed over the years to the sordid corners of the East Africa just as their cousins THE SAN BUSHMEN of NAMIBIA and BOTSWANA, who have been squeezed in the Kalahari Desert. Many years ago they used to roam the entire continent freely. They have no place to hunt, no place to gather wild fruits. No place to roam. It is a very pathetic story.

They live in family groups, they move from place to place depending on the availability of wild fruits, food plants and movement of game. Men leave for hunting in the morning and return in the evening. They do not cultivate nor keep livestock the only animals they  have are hunting dogs.

They use Bows and arrows as their hunting tools. Arrows without iron heads are for hunting monkeys and mongooses and arrows with iron heads are for hunting big game such as antelopes and buffaloes. Monkey skin is the best attire for hunting men.

When there is food scarcity they pray to a hidden god who is approached in the middle of moonless night.

Continuing encroachment of other communities is the threat to the future of hadzabe. They have remained no more than few hundreds loyal to stone age way of life.

The indeginious people all over the world must be protected and let them live the life of their choice.

OUTSIDE SOURCE

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