Discover incredible tribal traditions in East African Culture
On the magnificent continent of Africa live an astounding 1.5 billion people in 54 unique countries. People from all walks of life and East African culture, people from exceptional ancient tribes with their customs and traditions. Deeply rooted indigenous knowledge systems have been passed down through time in Africa, through generations and historical eras. Discover the incredible cultural world of the East African people and traditions and ceremonies of the tribes. It’s time to retell the stories of these people who epitomize this magnetic and popular tourist destination. Responsible ecotourism is a three-legged ‘potjie pot’ of sustainable management, cultural empowerment and environmental conservation.
East Africa extends along the Indian Ocean, encompassing Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Indigenous people in these lands share common threads while proudly embracing their own sense of identity in the mutual and complex history of colonialism, the slave and spice trade, Islamic infiltration, civil wars and now, environmental change. Languages, dress codes, lifestyles, spiritual beliefs, family structures, foods, and customs differ from region to region, but East African people all share a common connection and passion for their land.
The Loss of African Traditions in East Africa
Africa is constantly transforming as part of an expanding global village. Development, technology and urbanization are increasingly replacing the inherent cultural values of the past. Indigenous people have always been deeply connected to the earth and the elements, but modernization is slowly eroding ancient tribal beliefs, Africa culture, customs and traditions. The loss of traditions in East Africa is a growing concern among Africans because many governments seem focused on economic and political gain instead of cultural and environmental conservation.
For many, it is tragic that East African culture, tribal traditions and social history are not perceived to be financially beneficial to political coffers. These inherent human values are overshadowed by the distorted consumerist vision of leaders who set their sights on financial power. Subtle East African culture and heritage, spiritual beliefs and deeply entrenched indigenous values are taking strain.
The Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) defines intangible cultural heritage as “the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage.” It’s a deep-rooted system that is passed from generation to generation and gives different cultures a sense of identity and continuity.
Globalization threatens East African people and cultures as mobile phones and the internet bring Western movies, social media channels and the consumerist culture into a mostly undeveloped region. Brands, music, films, publications, language and values change incessantly as young people fall prey to the magnetism of media, and technology and keeping up with the rest of the world. While it’s inevitable that East Africa joins the global village, these communities can still turn the tide, kick back and show the rest of the world how their customs, traditions and indigenous knowledge systems are vital tools for environmental, spiritual, social and economic survival.
Six completely different tribes and the cultures in East African people
The Maasai Tribe of Kenya
The Maasai are probably the best-known tribe in East Africa thanks to their tall athletic stature, their bright clothing, beads and their traditional jumping dance called the udumu. These pastoral tribalists live in Kenya and Tanzania adjacent to the famous Masai Mara and Serengeti national parks in the African Great Lakes region. The Maasai speak the Maa language, Swahili and English and historically lived on the milk and blood of their beloved cattle. Now they grow crops to supplement their livestock farming, and some have moved to the cities to find their fortunes. The men usually carry traditional spears as part of their Africa culture and many of them work in safari lodges and cultural villages attracting global tourists to contribute to ecotourism goals in East Africa.
Masai Mara Kenya safari accommodation
The Samburu Tribe of Kenya
The Samburu live in north-central Kenya as semi-nomadic pastoralists who herd cattle, sheep, goats and camels. They call themselves Lokop or Loikop, meaning “owners of the land”. They also speak the Maa language, but they have evolved to be a separate culture from the Maasai. They live beside the famous Samburu National Reserve and also wear colorful clothing, beads and face paint, sharing similar dances, land ownership and nomadic pastoral lifestyles with the Maasai. Ecotourism brings tourists to their villages to contribute to their cultures and survival in challenging modern times.
Samburu National Reserve safari accommodation
The Makonde Tribe of Tanzania and Mozambique
The Makonde hail from southeast Tanzania, northern Mozambique, and Kenya and are renowned for their wood carvings. Originating on the Mueda Plateau in Mozambique, the Ruvuma River split the tribe into the Tanzanian group called the Makonde and the Mozambicans called the Maconde. Their traditional carvings were created from soft trees and depicted sacred figures and masks – until the Portuguese colonialists discovered their East African culture and arts. These explorers and missionaries wanted sculptures of political and religious personas, so the sculptors sourced harder ebony wood, and their art evolved to be more European. The Makonda hunt and use slash-and-burn agriculture – each village has a headman and a council of elders, and men can have more than one wife.
The Serengeti safari accommodation
The Baganda East African People of Uganda
The Baganda tribe lives in the Kampala region and speaks Luganda. The largest tribe in Uganda, they are sometimes described as “The King’s Men” because of the importance of the king in their society. Many Baganda people dispersed to South Africa and overseas to build organized communities in Canada, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Many of them are Roman Catholics and their family structure is very male-oriented and paternalistic. The father is revered and obeyed as head of the family. Children learn that a man will be more successful if he is emotionless, respectable, self-restraining, and self-assured.
Gorilla trekking accommodation in Uganda
The Hadzabe People of Tanzania
The Hadza, or Hadzabe are a protected hunter-gatherer Tanzanian indigenous ethnic group from Arusha Region. They live around Lake Eyasi basin in the central Rift Valley and in the nearby Serengeti Plateau but only about 400 Hadza still utilize their natural traditional foraging techniques. The increasing impact of tourism and incoming pastoralists is threatening their traditional way of life. True Bushmen with a deep connection to nature and biodiversity, these tribal East African people use hunter-gatherer techniques to survive, living in temporary tent-like huts and following food in season.
Tanzanian accommodation in Arusha
The Yao People of Malawi, East African Tribes
The Yao people live at the southern end of Lake Malawi, mainly a Muslim-faith group whose homelands encompass Malawi, northern Mozambique, and two regions in Tanzania. The Yao have a strong cultural identity, most of them being subsistence farmers and fishermen. When Arabs arrived in Africa hundreds of years ago, they traded ivory and grains from the Yao for clothes and weapons. They also traded slaves and soon became one of the richest and most influential East African tribes. Rich in Africa culture, tradition and music, the Yao are primarily Muslim and when they cooperated with the Arabs, they gained firearms which gave them an advantage in their many wars against neighboring East African people.
Lake Malawi island accommodation
Socially Responsible Tourism in East Africa
Everyone is talking about social responsibility in the hospitality industry and socially responsible tourism in the tourism industry. Responsible travel is about being a concerned citizen and taking into account the impacts of your movements when you travel – on the environment, the communities, the natural resources and the economics. In other words, in East Africa, where does your money go when you travel and are you making a personal difference to other people and living things by being there?
Socially responsible travel focuses on the communities in another place and the buzzwords are cultural appreciation – appreciating the incredible cultural world of the traditions and ceremonies of the East African tribes. Sustainable tourism is the way forward, preserving nature and East African culture while benefiting local communities. Let’s tread lightly and make our journeys matter.