Meet the Tanzania Tribes and Know More About Them
Tanzania located in the Great Lakes Region of East Africa is the 13th largest country in Africa and the biggest in East Africa, the country is bordered to the north by Kenya and Uganda, to the east by Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia to the South.
Tanzania is famed for its amazing attractions and is referred to as the Safari Capital of Africa, the country is home with array of wildlife protected in various National Parks including Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area among others.
The country also has a rich cultural heritage and over 120 distinct Tanzania tribes and ethnic groups.
Are you interested in learning more about the unique and indigenous tribes of Tanzania, here is more information to help you know about the Tanzania tribes.
Tanzania has more indigenous tribes, the most fascinating tribes you should meet during your Tanzania tour are the Hadzabe tribe. The Datoga Tribe, the Sonjo Tribe, the Chagga and the Maasai people.
- THE HADZABE TRIBE
The Hadzabe Tribe resides in North – Central Tanzania dwelling near Lake Eyasi in the Central Rift Valley and in the neighboring plateaus of Serengeti National Park, the growing tourism and the pastoralist encroachment has posed a severe threat to the continuation of the traditional way of life of the Hadzabe tribe.
HISTORY
According to the oral history, the past of the Hadzabe tribe is divided into four epochs with each epoch inhabited by a different culture.
The archaeological and genetic history of the Hadza’s revels that they are not closely related to any other tribe, although their language was once classified with the Khoisan languages because it has clicks. There is relatively no evidence that they are related.
The Hadzabe tribe became part of the German East Africa, soon they came under British control at the end of the first world war.
Several attempts were also made by the Birtish and the Tanzania government to make the Hadzabe settle and adopt farming, but all their attempts failed as the Hadzabe people only settled to take advantage of the food provided. They left and went back to foraging when the supply of food runs out.
WHAT THEY ARE KNOWN FOR?
The Hadzabe are one of the descendants of Tanzania’s aboriginal hunter – gathering population and they have a division of labor that is split between foraging and hunting, usually the Hadzabe men usually forage individually and women are known to forage with at least one adult male accompanying in the group,
The Hadzabe women usually carry digging sticks, large skin pouches for carrying items such as knives, shoes, clothing and various other items in the pouch around their neck, with a grass basket for carrying berries while foraging.
The diet of the Hadzabe people consists of mainly honey, fruits, tuber and meat. The availability of meat to their diet normally increases during the dry season when men often hunt in pairs hoping to shoot animals with their bows and poisoned arrows, they are skilled hunters and are known for their selective hunting skills, foraging and their vast knowledge of plants, fruits, tubers and wild animals.
NATURAL HABITAT
The Hadzabes reside around Lake Eyasi which is located just south of the Serengeti National Park, their lands are dominated mostly by baobab fruit trees and other bush trees that provide for their livelihood.
CULTURE
The Hadzabe’s are semi-nomadic hunter gatherers that are culturally and linguistically members of the Khoi (Person) and San (Foragers) group. They have close affinities with the Sandiwe people who posses cultural connections with the Khoekhe hunter – gatherers communities of Southern Africa.
The Hadzabe;s women are adorned with “Hangweda” made of local pieces of skin, while the men are polygamists with a patriarchal social system.
THE DATOGA TRIBE
Also known as the Mang’ati in Swahili, Datoga People are known as an agro-pastoral nomadic Nilotic speaking tribe residing in Manyara and Singida region of North-Central Tanzania near Mt. Hanang, Lake Basotu and Lake Eyasi.
With over 10 subtribes, the best subtribe is the pastoral Barabaig who also reside mainly in the northern volcanic highlands encompassed by Mt. Hanang which is a sacred Mountain to the Barabaig.
HISTORY
The migratory history of the Datoga has been somewhat reconstructed through the study of comparative linguistics and oral tradition of the Datoga and its neighbors, they are said to be from South Sudan or Western Ethiopia highlands.
As their ancestors gradually migrated southward, this resulted in settlements in the highland areas of Tanzania and Kenya by speakers of Nilotic languages, herding and farming in the rich highlands by about AD 1500.
WHAT THEY ARE KNOWN FOR?
Datoga tribe consider themselves as the oldest tribe in Tanzania other than the famous tribes like Maasai and the Bushmen, they are characteristically known for being proud people and their fierce warriors known for their stealth ability.
The Datoga tribe are skillful tribes, also known for their blacksmith skills, beads works, brass bracelets and necklaces, while also supplying arrowheads to the Hadzabe tribe. They are also known to herd goats, donkeys, sheep and raise chickens and cattle which are their most important domestic animals.
HABITAT
The Datoga tribe resides in the Singida and Manyara region of North – Central Tanzania close to the Mount. Hanang, Lake Eyasi and Lake Basotu.
CULTURE
The Datoga have colorful outfits which blend in with their environment with a reddish-brown color soil outfit, reddish patched leather dresses, beadworks, bracelets and necklaces.
The Datoga are also identified for their features that distinguishes them from other tribes at their decorative tattooing around their eyes in circular patterns.
THE SONJO TRIBE
The Sonjo People are Bantu People and their primary way of life is based solely on herding and agriculture, they are known for their use of traditional irrigation systems when farming.
HISTORY
The Sonjo people are said to have live in northern Tanzania for centuries secluded within the Maasai territory, they are believed to have migrated to East Africa about 400 years ago from Central Africa.
WHAT THEY ARE KNOWN FOR?
The Sonjo Tribe is known for their agricultural way of life which was believed to be a reason to why they migrated over thousands of years in search of fertile and well-watered land to cultivate their crops.
HABITAT
The Sonjo Tribe resides in Northern Tanzania in the Ngorongoro district about 30 – 40 miles west of Lakes Natron.
CULTURE
Music plays a major role in the Sonjo Culture, the entire way of life of the Sonjo is shaped by music and is widely practiced art in the entire community. It is used for several ritual purposes, rainmaking ceremonies, healing ceremonies, marriages and other festive or civil events.
THE MAASAI TRIBE
The Maasai people are an indigenous group of semi-nomadic people that settled in northern Tanzania and Kenya, the Maasai tribe is well known internationally and are among the most popular ethnic groups due to their distinct traditions, clothing and their close residence to the many national parks in East Africa.
HISTORY
According to the oral history, the Maasai originated North of Lake Turkana (north-west of Kenya) in the lower Nile Valley. In the 15th Century, the Maasai began migrating south and arrived along a land stretching across Tanzania and Kenya border covering the Great Rift Valley and adjacent lands from Dodoma and Mount Marsabit.
WHAT THEY ARE KNOWN FOR?
The Maasai tribe is known for their brightly colored outfits and traditional lifestyle concentrated on cattle rearing which make up their primary source of food, in the Maasai culture the wealth of a man is measured in terms of children and cattle. But it is considered poor if he has many cattle but not children.
Though they use spears and shields, they were most feared for their ability to expertly throw the Orinka (club) from up to 70 paces (100 meters approximately).
HABITAT
The Maasai tribe resides in North of Lake Turkana (Northwest Kenya) in the lower Nile Valley and Northern Tanzania.
CULTURE
The Maasai are firmly patriarchal in nature and most of their disputes and matters are sometimes resolved or determined by retired elders and elder Maasai men.
They are monolithic in nature and believe in their god called Enkai or Engai, music has played a great role in the lifestyle of the Maasai and the Maasai Music comprises traditionally of rhythms rendered by a chorus of harmonies sung by vocalists while the olaranyani -the song leader who sings the melody.
THE CHAGGA TRIBE
The Chagga People also known as Wachagga, Jagga, Dschagga, Waschagga are a Bantu speaking indigenous and the third largest ethnic group in Tanzania tribes.
HISTORY
The Chagga tribe were divided into small autonomous chiefdoms traditionally belonging to different clans ruled by Mangis (chiefs), the system of chiefdom was practiced until it was abolished throughout the country after Tanzania’s independence in 1961.
WHAT THEY ARE KNOWN FOR?
The Chagga tribe are known for their sense of enterprise, politics and strong work ethics, they engage in small scale businesses while the young workers are clerks, teachers and administrators.
HABITAT
The Chagga tribe resides on the southern slopes of Mount. Kilimanjaro – the tallest mountain in Africa.
CULTURE
In the Chagga Culture, greeting is very important. Their marriage ceremonies were usually a long process traditionally. Beginning with betrothed proceedings that continue long after the couple is married.
Today, Christian couples are married in churches with great importance place on giving birth to a son to continue the lineage, at the age of 12, a rite called Kisusa is carried out for every child performed to curb unruliness and after a month, a purification ceremony is celebrated and a goat is sacrificed.
