Multifaceted Africa, on a vast territory in 61 countries, with a population of more than a billion people, surrounded by cities of civilized countries, in the secluded corners of this continent more than 5 million people of almost completely wild African tribes still live.
Members of these tribes do not recognize the achievements of the civilized world and are content with the modest benefits that they received from their ancestors. Poor huts, modest food and a minimum of clothing suit them, and they are not going to change this way of life.
Children of the tribe...
Cooking...
There are about 3 thousand different tribes and nationalities in Africa, but it is difficult to name their exact number, since most often they are either densely mixed together, or, on the contrary, radically separated. The population of some tribes is only a few thousand or even hundreds of people, and often inhabit only 1-2 villages. Because of this, on the territory of the African continent there are adverbs and dialects that sometimes only representatives of a particular tribe can understand. And the variety of rituals, cultural systems, dances, customs and sacrifices is enormous and amazing. In addition, the appearance of the people of some tribes is simply amazing.
However, since they all live on the same continent, all African tribes still have something in common. Some cultural elements are characteristic of all nationalities living in this territory. One of the main defining features of African tribes is their focus on the past, that is, the cult of the culture and life of their ancestors.
The majority of African peoples deny everything new and modern and withdraw into themselves. Most of all, they are attached to constancy and immutability, including in everything that concerns Everyday life, traditions and customs that originate from our great-grandfathers.
It’s hard to imagine, but among them there are practically no people who are not engaged in subsistence farming or cattle breeding. Hunting, fishing or gathering are completely normal activities for them. Just like many centuries ago, African tribes fight among themselves, marriages most often take place within one tribe, intertribal marriages are very rare among them. Of course, more than one generation leads such a life; every new child from birth will have to live the same fate.
Tribes differ from each other by their own unique system of life, customs and rituals, beliefs and prohibitions. Most tribes invent their own fashion, often stunningly colorful, the originality of which is often simply amazing.
Among the most famous and numerous tribes today are the Masai, Bantu, Zulus, Samburu and Bushmen.
Maasai
One of the most famous African tribes. They live in Kenya and Tanzania. The number of representatives reaches 100 thousand people. They are most often found on the side of a mountain, which features prominently in Maasai mythology. Perhaps the size of this mountain influenced the worldview of the tribe members - they consider themselves the favorites of the gods, the highest people, and are sincerely confident that there are no more beautiful people in Africa than them.
This opinion of oneself gave rise to a contemptuous, often even derogatory attitude towards other tribes, which became the cause of frequent wars between tribes. In addition, it is the Maasai custom to steal animals from other tribes, which also does not improve their reputation.
The Maasai dwelling is built from branches coated with dung. This is done mainly by women, who also, if necessary, take on the duties of pack animals. The main share of nutrition is milk or animal blood, less often meat. Distinctive feature The beauty of this tribe is considered to be the elongated earlobes. Currently, the tribe has been almost completely exterminated or dispersed; only in remote corners of the country, in Tanzania, are some Maasai nomads still preserved.
Bantu
The Bantu tribe lives in Central, Southern and Eastern Africa. In truth, the Bantu are not even a tribe, but an entire nation, which includes many peoples, for example, Rwanda, Shono, Konga and others. They all have similar languages and customs, which is why they were united into one large tribe. Most Bantu people speak two or more languages, the most commonly spoken of which is Swahili. The number of members of the Bantu people reaches 200 million. According to research scientists, it was the Bantu, along with the Bushmen and Hottentots, who became the progenitors of the South African colored race.
Bantus have a peculiar appearance. They have very dark skin and an amazing hair structure - each hair is curled in a spiral. Wide and winged noses, a low bridge of the nose and high stature - often above 180 cm - are also distinctive features of people from the Bantu tribe. Unlike the Maasai, the Bantu do not shy away from civilization and willingly invite tourists on educational walks around their villages.
Like any African tribe, a large part of Bantu life is occupied by religion, namely, traditional African animist beliefs, as well as Islam and Christianity. The Bantu home resembles a Maasai house - the same round shape, with a frame made of branches coated with clay. True, in some areas Bantu houses are rectangular, painted, with gable, lean-to or flat roofs. Members of the tribe are mainly engaged in agriculture. Distinctive feature Bantu refers to an enlarged lower lip into which small discs are inserted.
Zulu
The Zulu people, once the largest ethnic group, now number only 10 million. The Zulus use their own language, Zulu, which comes from the Bantu family and is the most widely spoken in South Africa. In addition, English, Portuguese, Sesotho and other African languages are in circulation among members of the people.
The Zulu tribe suffered a difficult period during the apartheid era in South Africa, when, being the most numerous people, was defined as a second-class population.
As for the beliefs of the tribe, most of the Zulus remained faithful to national beliefs, but there are also Christians among them. Zulu religion is based on the belief in a creator god who is supreme and separate from everyday routine. Representatives of the tribe believe that they can contact the spirits through fortune tellers. All negative manifestations in the world, including illness or death, are considered as the machinations of evil spirits or the result of evil witchcraft. In the Zulu religion, the main place is occupied by cleanliness, frequent bathing is a custom among representatives of the people.
Samburu
The Samburu tribe lives in the northern regions of Kenya, on the border of the foothills and the northern desert. About five hundred years ago, the Samburu people settled in this territory and quickly populated the plain. This tribe is independent and confident in its elitism much more than the Maasai. The life of the tribe depends on livestock, but, unlike the Maasai, the Samburu themselves raise livestock and move with them from place to place. Customs and ceremonies occupy a significant place in the life of the tribe and are distinguished by the splendor of colors and forms.
Samburu huts are made of clay and hides; the outside of the home is surrounded by a thorny fence to protect it from wild animals. Representatives of the tribe take their houses with them, reassembling them at each site.
Among the Samburu, it is customary to divide labor between men and women, this also applies to children. Women's responsibilities include gathering, milking cows and fetching water, as well as collecting firewood, cooking and looking after children. Of course, the female half of the tribe is in charge general order and stability. Samburu men are responsible for herding livestock, which is their main means of subsistence.
The most important detail in the life of the people is childbirth; sterile women are subjected to severe persecution and bullying. It is normal for the tribe to worship the spirits of ancestors, as well as witchcraft. The Samburu believe in charms, spells and rituals, using them to increase fertility and protection.
Bushmen
The most famous, since ancient times, among Europeans African tribe- these are the Bushmen. The name of the tribe consists of the English “bush” - “bush” and “man” - “man”, however, calling members of the tribe this way is dangerous - it is considered offensive. It would be more correct to call them “san,” which means “stranger” in the Hottentot language. Externally, the Bushmen are somewhat different from other African tribes; they have lighter skin and thinner lips. In addition, they are the only ones who eat ant larvae. Their dishes are considered a specialty national cuisine of this people. The way of society of the Bushmen also differs from that generally accepted among wild tribes. Instead of chiefs and sorcerers, the ranks choose elders from among the most experienced and respected members of the tribe. The elders lead the lives of the people without taking any advantage at the expense of others. It should be noted that the Bushmen also believe in the afterlife, like other African tribes, but they do not have the cult of ancestors adopted by other tribes.
Among other things, the Sans have a rare talent for stories, songs and dances. Musical instrument they can make almost all of them. For example, there are bows strung with animal hair or bracelets made from dried insect cocoons with pebbles inside, which are used to beat the rhythm during dance. Almost everyone who has the opportunity to observe the musical experiments of the Bushmen tries to record them in order to pass them on to future generations. This is all the more relevant since the current century dictates its own rules and many Bushmen have to deviate from centuries-old traditions and work as workers on farms in order to provide for their family and tribe.
This is a very small number of tribes living in Africa. There are so many of them that it would take several volumes to describe them all, but each of them boasts a unique value system and way of life, not to mention rituals, customs and costumes.
Video: Wild tribes of Africa:...
They don't know what a car, electricity, a hamburger or the United Nations are. They get their food by hunting and fishing, believe that the gods send rain, and do not know how to write or read. They may die from catching a cold or flu. They are a godsend for anthropologists and evolutionists, but they are becoming extinct. They are wild tribes that have preserved the way of life of their ancestors and avoid contact with the modern world.
Sometimes the meeting occurs by chance, and sometimes scientists specifically look for them. For example, on Thursday, May 29, in the Amazon jungle near the Brazilian-Peruvian border, several huts were discovered surrounded by people with bows who tried to fire at the expedition plane. In this case, specialists from the Peruvian Center for Indian Tribal Affairs carefully flew around the jungle in search of savage settlements.
Although in Lately Scientists rarely describe new tribes: most of them have already been discovered, and there are almost no unexplored places on Earth where they could exist.
Wild tribes live in the territory South America, Africa, Australia and Asia. According to rough estimates, there are about a hundred tribes on Earth that do not or rarely come into contact with outside world. Many of them prefer to avoid interaction with civilization by any means, so it is quite difficult to keep an accurate record of the number of such tribes. On the other hand, tribes that willingly communicate with modern people gradually disappear or lose their identity. Their representatives gradually adopt our way of life or even go away to live “in the big world.”
Another obstacle preventing the full study of tribes is their immune system. "Modern Savages" for a long time developed in isolation from the rest of the world. The most common diseases for most people, such as a runny nose or flu, can be fatal for them. The body of savages does not have antibodies against many common infections. When the flu virus strikes a person from Paris or Mexico City, his immune system immediately recognizes the “attacker”, since it has already encountered him before. Even if a person has never had the flu, immune cells “trained” against this virus enter his body from his mother. The savage is practically defenseless against the virus. As long as his body can develop an adequate “response,” the virus may well kill him.
But recently, tribes have been forced to change their usual habitats. The development of new territories by modern man and the cutting down of forests where savages live force them to establish new settlements. If they find themselves close to the settlements of other tribes, conflicts may arise between their representatives. And again, cross-infection with diseases typical for each tribe cannot be ruled out. Not all tribes were able to survive when faced with civilization. But some manage to maintain their numbers at a constant level and not succumb to the temptations of the “big world”.
Be that as it may, anthropologists were able to study the lifestyle of some tribes. Knowledge about their social structure, language, tools, creativity and beliefs helps scientists better understand how human development took place. In fact, every such tribe is a model ancient world, representing possible options evolution of culture and thinking of people.
Piraha
In the Brazilian jungle, in the valley of the Meiki River, lives the Piraha tribe. There are about two hundred people in the tribe, they exist thanks to hunting and gathering and actively resist being introduced into “society”. The Piraha have unique language features. First, there are no words for shades of color. Secondly, the Pirahã language lacks the grammatical structures necessary for the formation of indirect speech. Thirdly, the Pirahã people do not know numerals and the words “more”, “several”, “all” and “every”.
One word, but pronounced with different intonation, serves to designate the numbers “one” and “two”. It can also mean “about one” or “not very many.” Due to the lack of words for numbers, the Pirahã cannot count and cannot solve simple mathematical problems. They are unable to estimate the number of objects if there are more than three. At the same time, the Pirahã show no signs of a decline in intelligence. According to linguists and psychologists, their thinking is artificially limited by the features of language.
The Pirahã have no creation myths, and a strict taboo forbids them to talk about things that are not part of their own experience. Despite this, the Pirahã are quite sociable and capable of organized actions in small groups.
Cinta larga
The Sinta Larga tribe also lives in Brazil. Once the number of the tribe exceeded five thousand people, but now it has decreased to one and a half thousand. The minimum social unit of the Sinta Larga is the family: a man, several of his wives and their children. They can move freely from one settlement to another, but more often they establish their own home. The Sinta Larga engage in hunting, fishing and farming. When the land where their home stands becomes less fertile or game leaves the forests, the Sinta Larga move from their place and look for a new site for their home.
Each Sinta Larga has several names. One thing - the “real name” - is kept secret by each member of the tribe; only the closest relatives know it. During their life, Sinta Largas receive several more names depending on their individual characteristics or important events that happened to them. Sinta Larga society is patriarchal and male polygamy is common.
The Sinta Larga have suffered greatly due to contact with the outside world. In the jungle where the tribe lives, there are many rubber trees. Rubber collectors systematically exterminated the Indians, claiming that they were interfering with their work. Later, diamond deposits were discovered in the territory where the tribe lived, and several thousand miners from all over the world rushed to develop the Sinta Larga land, which is illegal. The tribe members themselves also tried to mine diamonds. Conflicts often arose between savages and diamond lovers. In 2004, 29 miners were killed by Sinta Larga people. After that, the government allocated $810,000 to the tribe in exchange for a promise to close the mines, allow police cordons to be placed near them, and not engage in stone mining themselves.
Tribes of Nicobar and Andaman Islands
The Nicobar and Andaman Islands group is located 1,400 kilometers off the coast of India. Six primitive tribes lived in complete isolation on the remote islands: the Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa, Shompens, Sentinelese and Negrito. After the devastating 2004 tsunami, many feared the tribes had disappeared forever. However, it later turned out that most of them, to the great joy of anthropologists, were saved.
The tribes of the Nicobar and Andaman Islands are in the Stone Age in their development. Representatives of one of them - the Negritos - are considered the most ancient inhabitants of the planet who have survived to this day. Average height Negrito is about 150 centimeters, and Marco Polo wrote about them as “cannibals with dog faces.”
Korubo
Cannibalism is a fairly common practice among primitive tribes. And although most of them prefer to find other sources of food, some have maintained this tradition. For example, the Korubo, who live in the western part of the Amazon Valley. The Korubo are an extremely aggressive tribe. Hunting and raids on neighboring settlements are their main means of subsistence. Korubo's weapons are heavy clubs and poison darts. The Korubo do not practice religious rites, but they have a widespread practice of killing their own children. Korubo women have equal rights with men.
Cannibals from Papua New Guinea
The most famous cannibals are, perhaps, the tribes of Papua New Guinea and Borneo. The cannibals of Borneo are cruel and indiscriminate: they eat both their enemies and tourists or old people from their tribe. The last surge in cannibalism was noted in Borneo at the end of the last - beginning of this century. This happened when the Indonesian government tried to colonize some areas of the island.
In New Guinea, especially in its eastern part, cases of cannibalism are observed much less frequently. Of the primitive tribes living there, only three - the Yali, Vanuatu and Karafai - still practice cannibalism. The most cruel tribe is the Karafai, and the Yali and Vanuatu eat someone on rare ceremonial occasions or out of necessity. The Yali are also famous for their death festival, when the men and women of the tribe paint themselves as skeletons and try to please Death. Previously, to be sure, they killed a shaman, whose brain was eaten by the leader of the tribe.
Emergency ration
The dilemma of primitive tribes is that attempts to study them often lead to their destruction. Anthropologists and ordinary travelers find it difficult to refuse the prospect of going to stone Age. In addition, the habitat of modern people is constantly expanding. Primitive tribes managed to carry their way of life through many millennia, however, it seems that in the end the savages will join the list of those who could not stand the meeting with modern man.
The ethnic diversity on Earth is amazing in its abundance. People living in different parts of the planet are at the same time similar to each other, but at the same time very different in their way of life, customs, and language. In this article we will talk about some unusual tribes that you might be interested to know about.
Piraha Indians - a wild tribe inhabiting the Amazon jungle
The Pirahã Indian tribe lives among the Amazon rain forest, mainly along the banks of the Maici River, in the state of Amazonas, Brazil.
This South American people are famous for their language, Pirahã. In fact, Pirahã is one of the rarest languages among the 6,000 spoken languages around the world. The number of native speakers ranges from 250 to 380 people. The language is amazing because:
- does not have numbers, for them there are only two concepts “several” (from 1 to 4 pieces) and “many” (more than 5 pieces),
- verbs do not change either by numbers or by persons,
- there are no names for colors,
- consists of 8 consonants and 3 vowels! Isn't this amazing?
According to linguistic scholars, Piraha men understand rudimentary Portuguese and even speak very limited topics. True, not all male representatives can express their thoughts. Women have little understanding of Portuguese and do not use it for communication at all. However, the Pirahã language has several loanwords from other languages, mainly Portuguese, such as "cup" and "business".
Speaking of business, the Piraha Indians trade Brazil nuts and provide sexual services to buy supplies and tools, such as machetes, milk powder, sugar, and whiskey. Chastity is not a cultural value for them.
There are several more interesting moments associated with this nation:
- Pirahã have no compulsion. They don't tell other people what to do. There seems to be no social hierarchy at all, no formal leader.
- This Indian tribe has no idea of \u200b\u200bdeities and God. However, they believe in spirits, which sometimes take the form of jaguars, trees, or people.
— it feels like the Pirahã tribe are people who don’t sleep. They can take a nap of 15 minutes or at most two hours throughout the day and night. They rarely sleep through the night.
The Wadoma tribe is an African tribe of people with two toes.
The Vadoma tribe lives in the Zambezi River valley in northern Zimbabwe. They are known for the fact that some members of the tribe suffer from ectrodactyly, three middle toes are missing from their feet, and the outer two are turned inward. As a result, members of the tribe are called “two-fingered” and “ostrich-footed”. Their huge two-toed feet are the result of a single mutation on chromosome number seven. However, in the tribe such people are not considered inferior. The reason for the common occurrence of ectrodactyly in the Vadoma tribe is isolation and the prohibition of marriage outside the tribe.
Life and life of the Korowai tribe in Indonesia
The Korowai tribe, also called the Kolufo, live in the southeast of the autonomous Indonesian province of Papua and consist of approximately 3,000 people. Perhaps before 1970 they did not know about the existence of other people besides themselves.
Most Korowai clans live in their isolated territory in tree houses, which are located at an altitude of 35-40 meters. In this way, they protect themselves from floods, predators, and arson by rival clans who take people, especially women and children, into slavery. In 1980, some of the Korowai moved to settlements in open areas.
Korowai have excellent hunting and fishing skills, and are engaged in gardening and gathering. They practice slash-and-burn agriculture, when the forest is first burned and then crops are planted in this place.
As far as religion is concerned, the Korowai universe is filled with spirits. The most honorable place is given to the spirits of ancestors. In times of need, they sacrifice domestic pigs to them.
The exact number of African peoples is unknown, and ranges from five hundred to seven thousand. This is explained by the vagueness of the separation criteria, under which residents of two neighboring villages can consider themselves to be different nationalities without having any special differences. Scientists are inclined to the figure of 1-2 thousand to determine ethnic communities.
The bulk of the peoples of Africa include groups consisting of several thousand and sometimes hundreds of people, but at the same time they do not exceed 10% of the total population of this continent. As a rule, such small ethnic groups are the most savage tribes. The Mursi tribe, for example, belongs to this group.
Tribal Journeys Ep 05 The Mursi:
Living in southwestern Ethiopia, on the border with Kenya and Sudan, settled in Mago Park, the Mursi tribe is distinguished by unusually strict customs. They can rightfully be nominated for the title: the most aggressive ethnic group.
They are prone to frequent consumption of alcohol and uncontrolled use of weapons (everyone constantly carries Kalashnikov assault rifles or fighting sticks with them). In fights, they can often beat each other almost to death, trying to prove their dominance in the tribe.
Scientists attribute this tribe to a mutated Negroid race, with distinctive features in the form of short stature, wide bones and crooked legs, low and tightly compressed foreheads, flattened noses and inflated short necks.
In the more public Mursi who come into contact with civilization, it is not always possible to see all these characteristic attributes, but exotic look their lower lip is business card tribe.
The lower lip is cut in childhood, pieces of wood are inserted there, gradually increasing their diameter, and on the wedding day a “plate” of baked clay is inserted into it - debi (up to 30 centimeters!!). If a Mursi girl does not make such a hole in her lip, then they will give a very small ransom for her.
When the plate is pulled out, the lip hangs down in a long, round rope. Almost all Mursi have no front teeth, and their tongue is cracked and bleeding.
The second strange and terrifying decoration of Mursi women is the monista, which is made from human phalanges of fingers (nek). One person has only 28 of these bones in his hands. Each necklace costs its victims five or six tassels; for some lovers of “costume jewelry,” the monista wraps around the neck in several rows, glistening greasyly and emitting a sweetish, rotting smell of melted human fat, which is rubbed on every bone every day. The source for beads never runs low: the priestess of the tribe is ready to deprive the hands of a man who has broken the laws for almost every offense.
It is customary for this tribe to do scarification (scarring). Men can afford scarring only after the first murder of one of their enemies or ill-wishers.
Their religion, animism, deserves a longer and more shocking story.
Briefly: women are Priestesses of Death, so they give their husbands drugs and poisons every day. The High Priestess distributes antidotes, but sometimes salvation does not come to everyone. In such cases, a white cross is drawn on the widow's plate, and she becomes a very respected member of the tribe, who is not eaten after death, but is buried in the trunks of special ritual trees. Honor is due to such priestesses due to the fulfillment of the main mission - the will of the God of Death Yamda, which they were able to fulfill by destroying physical body, and releasing the highest spiritual Essence from his man.
The rest of the dead will be collectively eaten by the entire tribe. Soft tissues are boiled in a cauldron, bones are used for amulets and thrown in swamps to mark dangerous places.
What seems very wild for a European is commonplace and tradition for the Mursi.
Film: Shocking Africa. 18++ The exact name of the film is Nude Magic / Magia Nuda (Mondo Magic) 1975.
Film: In Search of Tribes of Hunters E02 Hunting in the Kalahari. San tribe.
The British photographer began by walking through Tibet for a year, creating a unique visual diary that received international recognition. He then photographed in the hot zones of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yugoslavia, and explored all corners of China with his wife. Since 1997, he began to travel a lot around the world on various commercial assignments, simultaneously collecting valuable material for the project “Before They Disappeared” - a photo narrative about the unique peoples inhabiting the continents of our planet.
Before he began photography, Jimmy Nelson came into contact with people of different tribes, drank their mystical drinks, observed a lot, tuned his antenna to their frequency, shared their vibrations with them, participated in their rituals and gained true trust. The result of his amazing work was an amazing, aesthetic document of a rapidly disappearing world with its unique spirit, primordial traditions and natural purity.
Hey, let’s plunge into the unprecedented... We’re all a bit of a tribe~
Maasai- tribe of East Africa. When the Maasai migrated from Sudan in the 15th century, they attacked tribes and captured livestock along the way. By the end of the journey, they occupied almost the entire territory of the Rift Valley. To be a Maasai is to be born into one of the most warlike cultures in the world.
Mongolian Kazakhs- descendants of Turkic, Mongolian and Indo-Iranian tribes and Huns who inhabited the territory between Siberia and the Black Sea. They are a semi-nomadic people and have roamed the mountains and valleys of western Mongolia with their herds since the 19th century. They believe in pre-Islamic cults of the sky, ancestors, fire and supernatural powers good and evil spirits. Eagle hunting - them traditional art, and every year the Eagle Festival is celebrated, to which participants and spectators come from all aimags of the country.
Himba- an ancient tribe of tall, slender shepherds of Namibia. Since the 16th century, they have lived in scattered settlements and lead a life that remains unchanged, surviving wars and droughts. The tribal structure helps them live in one of the most extreme territories on our planet.
Hooley- Papuan people living in the highlands. Traditionally they are animists, performing strict ritual offerings to please their ancestors. They live by hunting, carried out mainly by men, and by collecting and growing plants, carried out mainly by women. They have plenty of food, close-knit families and reverence for the wonders of nature. They also quarrel a lot with neighboring tribes, which is why their intimidating coloring and hairstyle are so important.
Asaro- clay people - wild tribe Papua New Guinea. They met for the first time with civilized Western world in the middle of the 20th century. They make frightening masks from clay and cover themselves with gray clay, wanting, according to legend, to resemble formidable spirits that scare away enemies.
Kalamas- another tribe of Papua New Guinea, living in the remote mountain village of Simbai, which has helped them maintain a strong and rich distinctive culture.
Chukchi- ancient Arctic people of the Chukotka Peninsula. Due to the inaccessibility of their territories, hospitality is highly valued among these people, and they believe that everything natural phenomena have their own spirits. Their original lifestyle is well preserved, but the invasion of modern civilization continues to loom. Chukchi of all ages love to sing, dance, listen to fairy tales and recite tongue twisters. Their primordial art is carving on the bones and tusks of walruses all sorts of scenes from everyday reality.
Maori- Polynesian people, indigenous people New Zealand. Thanks to centuries spent in isolation, they organized a separate community with characteristic art, its own language and unique mythology. Although they assimilated with European colonists in the 18th century, they retained many aspects of their original culture. Legend has it that 12 large canoes were brought to 12 different tribes from their mystical homeland of Hawaii in the 13th century. And to this day, true Maoris can tell which of these tribes they belong to.
Mustang, former Lo Kingdom, Nepal. On this territory of 2 thousand sq. km. There are only 7,000 inhabitants. The traditions of the inhabitants of this kingdom are closely related to early Buddhism. Almost every village has a monastery, demonstrating the most important influence of religion on the life of society. Polygamy still exists among brothers.
Samburu, people of northern Kenya. They move every 5-6 weeks to provide food for their livestock. They are an independent and egalitarian people. They build huts from mud and surround them with thorny fences to protect them from wild animals. Childbirth is very important for Samburu; childless women are ridiculed even by children. They believe in spells, rituals and spirits. Decisions in the tribe are made by men, but women can call a council and then announce its results to the men.
Tsaatani- reindeer herders living in northwestern Mongolia. On currently there are only 44 families. They do not eat deer meat, only milk and use their bones. With their tipis, they move 5 to 10 times a year through remote areas in conditions up to 50 degrees below zero in winter. To this day they practice shamanism.
Gaucho- pastoralists of Spanish-Indian origin living in the prairies of Argentina, Uruguay and parts of Brazil. They were a wandering tribe, similar in spirit to the American cowboys, but now much of the prairie is settled or given over to commercial ranching, leaving little room for their nomadic life. The word "gaucho" began to be used in the second half of the 19th century to designate lonely wanderers, sometimes in the company of a woman, invariably with a knife, throwing bolas and lasso. In duels, they tried not to kill the enemy, but to leave a scar on his face. Gauchos are excellent horsemen and their skills were used in the wars of independence.
Rabari are nomads who have roamed western India for almost 1,000 years, and apparently migrated from the Iranian plateau a thousand years ago. The most skillful embroidery is the most important indicative characteristic of their culture. Men usually leave in search of new pastures for livestock, and women remain in villages in modest two-room houses, the interior of which is also the highest art exquisite decoration. Their art is also tattoos; most of the body is covered with them.
Ni-Vanuatu- inhabitants of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu (the word means "this land forever") to the right of Australia. An important part of their culture is dance, the most famous is male dance snakes. Archaeological excavations claim that settlements on these islands began 500 BC, and the first settlers sailed from Papua New Guinea. Nowadays, all the inhabited islands have their own language (more than a hundred differ), their own traditions and customs. They practice, presumably, primitive forms of religion.
Ladakhi- inhabitants of the cold desert in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Their folklore is very rich and dates back to pre-Buddhist times. And they have been practicing Tibetan neighboring Buddhism for about 1000 years. Due to weather conditions they work 4 months a year, the other 8 months have minimal work and plentiful holidays. They are mainly farmers growing potatoes, pumpkins, beets, beans and wheat. And they make a variety of dishes for lamb and chicken. These are very united and ready to help people.
Mursi- an ethnic group of southwestern Ethiopia. These are originally nomadic people, but the organization national parks reduced their access to the territory and threatened their natural resources. As they travel, they build or move their huts from reeds, branches and sticks, and this is the responsibility of the women. Women are famous for the clay plates they insert into their lower lip (stretching it incredibly) at the age of 15. This custom was invented in order to scare away a possible enemy. But now the larger the plate, the more cattle a girl who has reached the age of marriage is worth.
An ethnic group of approximately 5.5 million people. Archaeologically, they are believed to be descendants of the original nomadic Qiang tribes. And the history of Tibet (“Roof of the World”) began 4000 years ago. Prayer flags, celestial funerals, ritual demonic dances, rubbing of sacred stones - all these characteristic Tibetan customs developed from the ancient shamanic religion of Bon. Buddhism mixed with Bon in the 8th century AD and is practiced everywhere, not only daily, but sometimes hourly. Costumes and decorations reflect not only habits, but also the history, beliefs, climate and character of the people. is based on the principle of perceiving the human body as a microcosmic system consisting of five basic elements. Treatment is carried out using a wide range of plants, minerals and other natural resources.
Warani(translated as “people”) are an Indian people living in eastern Ecuador. They consider themselves the bravest tribe in the Amazon. Until 1956 they had no contact with the outside world. According to legend, they consider themselves the descendants of the marriage of a jaguar and an eagle. They never hunt jaguars and never kill snakes (this is considered bad omen). Family life is very important in their culture, and they live in close, extended families in longhouses. They move to other places when they have used the area to the maximum to help the land recover.
Dasanechi- an indigenous people living in southwestern Ethiopia in the Omo River Valley. Interestingly, this tribe is not defined by ethnicity: anyone can be accepted into the tribe if they agree to spiritual cleansing (possibly circumcision). Women build semicircular hut structures without internal divisions from sticks, reeds and branches, and set aside the right side of the dwelling for their needs. Most of them have Muslim names, but animism is still widely practiced.
Banna- another Ethiopian tribe numbering about 45,000 people. They live in camps consisting of several related families. Due to the harsh conditions, they have to live a semi-nomadic life. During the dry season, men travel long distances in search of water and grass and to collect wild honey. They are excellent beekeepers and produce much more honey than they consume, so they sell honey in markets and use this money to buy tools that they cannot produce themselves.
Caro- Ethiopian neighbors of Banna. They number from 1,000 to 3,000 inhabitants of the eastern banks of the Omo River. They were famous for building magnificent dwellings, but since they lost their wealth, they began to build lighter conical huts. Each family has two houses: it- the main living quarters of the family, and gappa- a place where everyday activities are concentrated. Women are very loyal family life, on their feet from dawn to dusk, and the men are mainly engaged in protecting the village from wild animals, hunting crocodiles and other predators, or simply sitting under awnings and chewing tobacco.
Hamary- another inhabitants of the fertile Omo River valley in Ethiopia. The 2007 national census recorded approximately 50,000 people from this ethnic group, of whom about a thousand became city residents. Parents have significant control over the lives of their sons, who herd cattle for their family, and they also give permission for marriage. Men often wait until they are 30-35 to get married, while girls, on the contrary, become brides at the age of about 17. Upon marriage, the groom's family is obliged to pay the bride's family a large tribute, consisting of heads of cattle, goats and weapons; they do this in installments, sometimes throughout their lives.
Arbore- an Ethiopian tribe of about 4.5 thousand people. Women wear multiple multi-colored beads and cover their heads with black scarves. During ritual dances, they sing to cleanse themselves of negative energy. The Arbore believe in a Supreme Person, the creator and father of all people, they call him Waq. A family's wealth is calculated by the number of livestock it has.
Dani- Indonesian people living in the mountainous parts of Western New Guinea, in the Baliem Valley. They are skilled farmers and use a productive irrigation system. Archaeological excavations show that these lands have been cultivated for 9,000 years. They often have to fight with neighboring peoples and tribes, but they do not eat human flesh, unlike most other local tribes. Men go naked, and put a koteka, something like a case made mainly from a pumpkin, on their penis. Wikipedia says that the Dani language has no names for any colors other than black and white.
Yali- Papuan people living in the upper reaches of Papua. They call themselves “Kings of the Earth”, and officially they are considered pygmies, since men do not reach a height above 150 cm. And their koteks are particularly long and thin. Their territory has very limited natural access, mainly only by air. Their buildings are usually located on mountain ridges, preserving traditional necessity similar protection from other tribes. Yali are considered one of the most dangerous cannibals in western New Guinea. Men, women and children sleep in different huts.
Korowai- Papuan wild tribe, living in the southeastern part of the Indonesian province of Papua. We talked about them separately just now. They number about 3,000 people, didn't see white people until the 70s, and don't wear kotekas. But men hide their penis in the scrotum and tie a sheet tightly on top. They build tree dwellings and practice hunting and gathering. They have a strict separatism between men and women.
Drukpa(about 2,500 people) live in three small villages in the disputed territory between India and Pakistan. Historians identify them as the only descendants of the Aryans remaining in. They are completely different - culturally, socially and linguistically - from everyone else in Ladakh. They traditionally kiss in public and exchange sexual partners without any restrictions. Their main source of income is produce from well-kept vegetable gardens.
They live on the coast of the Arctic Ocean. They lead a nomadic life as reindeer herders, migrating 1,000 kilometers across the Yamal Peninsula annually, including 48 kilometers along the frozen waters of the Ob River. Since Stalin times, children have been sent to boarding schools, and oil and gas production has greatly changed their indigenous way of life since the early 70s. Families live in individual tents made of deer skins stretched over long wooden poles and carried with them during migration. According to legend, they have an unspoken cooperation agreement with deer. Clothes are still traditionally made by women: a double layer of 8 deer skins, and thigh-high deerskin shoes. They practice shamanism and belief in the spirits of local gods. They transport wooden idols on special sacred sleighs. They sacrifice a deer, eat half and give the other half to the gods, and also smear the blood of the deer on the sacred sleigh. They also believe that the stones unusual shapes- these are the remains of the gods who have been guiding them for more than a millennium.
Map of the location of the indicated tribes
So we have reached the end of this exciting world story. On the author's website you can find many additional photographs, including photographs of the author's friendly interactions with the natives. Thank you, Jimmy, for this unforgettable virtual journey, in fact, we even envy you, because you richly touched on the truths of the beginning of time...
