KING FOREST
Revealed Information About the Batwa or Forest People of Africa in Uganda:
No matter what part of the world we come from, we all have some image in our minds of Batwa or Forest People or Pygmies in Africa. The fascination that most of us have is pursued through films, books and myths. The Pygmies themselves have their own names and lives which do not match the images the rest of the world creates for them.
Importantly, across Central Africa, these peoples we call Pygmies often call themselves by local names, which can be translated as ‘Forest People.’ The most famous literature about them is ‘The Forest People,’ by Colin Turnbull, who lived amongst the Mbuti people of Ituri Forest in DRC.
However, forest people are found from the coast of the Atlantic, in Gabon and Cameroon, all the way to the eastern edges of Uganda. Turnbull describes how, when asked ‘who are you?’ they would simply reply, ‘people of the forest’. Turnbull’s account seeks to demonstrate how this link to the forest is found throughout their entire spiritual, cultural and social world: he writes that the forest is, for them, the womb from which they were born and the only place where they truly belong.
The Batwa Forest People currently live in Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and the DRC. They all share a history of hunting and gathering. Today, Batwa are involved in agriculture, pottery and fishing, as well as traditional hunting and gathering in a few remaining locations.The Batwa forest people I will focus on number approximately 3000 and live in the Kigezi region of southwest Uganda. Like other groups of Batwa, they have, in the last century, suffered massive social and cultural changes – mostly as a result of incoming farmers and pastoralists and later through conservation initiatives. Despite the many problems they face, the Batwa have much to show us about the world we live in.
The word Pygmy is believed to have come from the Greek word which described the distance between the wrist and the elbow. It was used to describe the height of Forest People when they were first encountered. Many people wonder how tall a Pygmy really is. The height varies and there is no strict definition of how tall a Forest Person should be; there can be differentiation in size within a community and also between communities.
The important point to understand is that, for these people, their height is not what defines them. You are not Mutwa because you are shorter than your neighbours but because you come from the forest and call it your home.
Recent genetic studies suggest that Forest Peoples are one of the oldest groups of people inhabiting the earth. Their societies date nearly 60,000 years, compared to 14,000 years for most of the peoples of the world. The first contact the Batwa forest people had with other peoples in Uganda came around 2,000 years ago, when Tutsi pastoralists and Hutu agriculturalists migrated north from what is now Rwanda.Initially, trade relations between these people existed: the Batwa provided valuable materials from the forest, like honey and meat, in exchange for farming goods. When the Tutsi kings first came into the Kigezi region, they acknowledged that the Batwa were the owners of the land and paid tributes to them, even requiring their approval before kings were crowned. Famed for their music and dancing, the Batwa also found place in the royal courts as entertainers and were regarded with great esteem.
As human pressure on the forests and deforestation increased, the Batwa were forced to look outside of the forests in order to survive. Lacking specialist skills, they mainly worked as labourers for land owners. In 1991, the Batwa forest people were formally evicted from the remaining forested areas of Bwindi and Mgahinga and lost their last rights to access their land. Since their evictions 15 years ago, the Batwa have been unable to compete on equal terms with other ethnic groups outside the forest and today they remain one of the most marginalized sections of society, both in Kigezi and Uganda.
Batwa forest people struggle to get education, health care and the crucial land they need to grow food for their families and provide security for the future. Never having legal titles to the forests they inhabited, the Batwa received little or no compensation and it wasn’t until some ten years after their evictions that NGOs (non governmental organizations) began the process of buying plots of land for them.The birth ceremonies varied from clan to clan and others from village to village.
About the Author
About the Author
Twinomugisha Charles is a Retired Tour and Travel Guide in Millennium Tours and Travel Company in Uganda and now works with E-Office Management a company that deals in Computers and Computer Accessories. More of his articles about Batwa People can be found at Batwa Forest People and their a Culture in Uganda and at Uganda and its People’s Culture
KING FOREST Q & A
bobby king & the sabres from the 60s resident band at glenlyn in forest hill. any information on them.?
If you don’t have the best answer until now, why don’t´ you try on http://www.google.com ?
good luck.
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