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Overview
The Baka are a group of Central African foragers living in the western Congo-Zaire river valley, and also Cameroon. The Baka live in single-family homes called mongulus, which are made of branches. Mongulus are almost always built by women (Campagnoli 2005).
Image at Right: A typical Baka Mongulu
Image Below: Baka performing various daily activities in a large mongulu
Subsistence Activities
Hunting
The Baka place a great importance in hunting. A skilled hunter is a revered member of the Baka community, especially one skilled in the art of Elephant hunting. Elephant hunting usually marks a young man's initiation into the group. The Baka hunt using spears, poisoned arrows, and traps, but do not employ nets. Animals hunted by the Baka with poison arrows include monkeys, ungulates, and pangolins. The Baka use spears to hunt crocodile; this activity is usually facilitated by the use of traps at waterways.
Unfortunately today prey is becoming more and more difficult to find in the forest where the Cameroonian Baka traditionally hunt. This scarcity is leading to less protein being incorporated into the Baka diet. This has affected the children the most, and can cause serious nutritional problems (Campagnoli 2005).
Gathering
Foods gathered by the Baka include yams, fruits, and mushrooms from the surrounding forest, and in certain seasons, caterpillars and termites. Gathered food is divided equally among families. Most of the food is eaten immediately, as it cannot be stored.
Baka women process certain gathered foods. Manioc is placed in the sun to dry and then later ground into flour. Plantains are crushed likewise after being roasted over coals (Campagnoli 2005).
Fishing
Fishing is an important subsistence activity for the Baka, and is practiced primarily by women. It is particularly important during the dry season when water levels are low and fish can easily be seen and caught in the mud. Women will organize fishing groups by assembling groups of 20 girls and/or women to head towards streams and waterways. The women build a dam of tree trunks, branches, and other debris in order to drain part of the stream. The women then gather the fish from the riverbed. This method also results in finding shrimp and crabs.
The Baka also practice a method of fishing in which they dissolve toxic substances into the water. The toxicity of the water causes fish to come to the surface for "fresh air," which leaves them vulnerable to hunters with machetes (Campagnoli 2005).
Cultivation
The Baka practice very limited cultivation, and probably began to do so in the 1950s. They cultivate mainly plantains, and their gardens are unplanned and haphazard. The nomadic Baka lifestyle requires that cultivated plants require little care and preservation, and plantains are ideal. Cultivation was adopted as an alternative to trading with their village trading partners, as relationships with these people have deteriorated and made it more difficult to acquire food (Kitanishi 2003:1).
Initiation Rites
Initiation is an extremely secretive time in Baka culture. Not much about initiation rites are known. The initiation of young boys into adulthood begins with the boys traveling to a hidden place in the forest. Here the boys are undressed, washed, shaved, and rubbed in palm oil. The boys then spend a great amount of time in a small hut. After spending time in this hut, the boys perform both private and public rituals. One of the known rituals is a special dance. After these rituals are performed, the Spirit of the Forest kills the boys, and brings them back as men (Campagnoli 2005).
Dancing
Many important Baka rituals are practiced through dance and singing, collectively called be in the Baka language. Most of these dances are performed by skilled dancers (usually men) in a formal, dramatic fashion. These dancers often serve as a medium for the spirits to dance through (Bundo 2001:85) Dancing is part of healing rituals where healers and spirits display their power through dance to the entire group. Dancing is also a part of initiations, funerals, and for recreation purposes (Campagnoli 2005). Informal dances in which women and children participate are also common, but adult men generally snub their noses at such dances (Bundo 2001:86).
Music
Along with dancing, music ranks high as one of the most important aspects of Baka culture. Music is present in daily life and accompanies events such as: initiation, healing, games, hunting, and entertainment. Individual improvisation is encouraged when it comes to music. The music is vocal and polyphonic.
Instruments are most commonly obtained from Bantu neighbors. Harps, drums, rattles, and harp-zithers are the most used instruments. Women make and use a musical bow, which is the most popular instrument in Baka music (Campagnoli 2005).
References Cited
Bundo, Daisuke.
2001 Social Relationships embodied in singing and dancing performances among the Baka. African Study Monographs 26: 85-101.
Campagnoli, Mauro.
2005 Baka Pygmies. 3 Nov. 2007 <http://www.maurocampagnoli.com>.
Kitanishi, Koichi.
2003 Cultivation by the Baka Hunter Gatherers in the tropical rain forest of Central Africa. African Study Monographs 28: 143-157.
