Anthropology: the Bambuti of the Iturji Jungle: the Social Organization, Beliefs & Values, and Social Change
- Submitted by: CoryLM1984
- Views: 553
- Category: Science
- Date Submitted: 10/11/2012 10:37 AM
- Pages: 9
- Report this Essay
The Bambuti of the Iturji Jungle: The Social Organization, Beliefs & Values, and Social Change
Cory L. Manthei
ANT101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
April 24, 2012
The Bambuti of the Iturji Jungle: The Social Organization, Beliefs &, Values, and Social Change
The beautiful lush Ituri rainforest of the Congo located in central Africa is home to the indigenous pygmy group Mbuti or also known as the Bambuti. They are one of the oldest foraging groups still practicing most of their old traditions. The social organization of the group shows how structured this ancient culture has stood the test of time. Their sacred beliefs of multiple gods and deities, the ceremonies of thanks, and rites of passage from child to adult shows how these people coexists with the environment while embracing their love of the land. Sadly, as time moves forward the Mbuti culture have faced harsh times of war which has lead to the death of their people and the corruption of their natural way of life. With the knowledge and understanding of this culture, people are better able to assist the Mbuti bands, so as to enable their growth as a culture.
The development of any culture is dependent upon the type of social organizations that it carries. The Mbuti bands are a foraging culture, which means these indigenous people are hunters and gatherers in the Ituri jungles. Then, from there the Mbuti are an egalitarian society and this is described as a society where everyone is considered an equal. There are generally no leaders in these bands, but on some occasions there may be a leader for a hunt. Although the Mbuti do use a patrilineal system, or a male based system, this is used for the naming of families and not for any type of authority over the band. A band of the Mbuti will consist of anywhere from fifteen to sixty members and they all work together to help the band thrive. The men of the band will hunt for mostly large game, but will tend to gathering fruits, nuts, and...
Cory L. Manthei
ANT101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
April 24, 2012
The Bambuti of the Iturji Jungle: The Social Organization, Beliefs &, Values, and Social Change
The beautiful lush Ituri rainforest of the Congo located in central Africa is home to the indigenous pygmy group Mbuti or also known as the Bambuti. They are one of the oldest foraging groups still practicing most of their old traditions. The social organization of the group shows how structured this ancient culture has stood the test of time. Their sacred beliefs of multiple gods and deities, the ceremonies of thanks, and rites of passage from child to adult shows how these people coexists with the environment while embracing their love of the land. Sadly, as time moves forward the Mbuti culture have faced harsh times of war which has lead to the death of their people and the corruption of their natural way of life. With the knowledge and understanding of this culture, people are better able to assist the Mbuti bands, so as to enable their growth as a culture.
The development of any culture is dependent upon the type of social organizations that it carries. The Mbuti bands are a foraging culture, which means these indigenous people are hunters and gatherers in the Ituri jungles. Then, from there the Mbuti are an egalitarian society and this is described as a society where everyone is considered an equal. There are generally no leaders in these bands, but on some occasions there may be a leader for a hunt. Although the Mbuti do use a patrilineal system, or a male based system, this is used for the naming of families and not for any type of authority over the band. A band of the Mbuti will consist of anywhere from fifteen to sixty members and they all work together to help the band thrive. The men of the band will hunt for mostly large game, but will tend to gathering fruits, nuts, and...