Introduction
In Central Africa, there are four main foraging groups that live in the Congo-Zaire River Basin. The Baka and Aka live in the western Congo-Zaire River basin, and the Mbuti and the Efé live in the eastern region in the Ituri Forest.
These groups are often grouped together as the "Pygmies" of central Africa. Use of this word is declining as it is seen as a derogatory remark about short stature. They are also sometimes referred to collectively as "the Mbuti", or the plural form, "BaMbuti." However, it is inaccurate to aggregate all of these groups together as one unified culture, when each group has a distinct culture, history, and language.
The four groups discussed within these pages present a small picture of the great diversity in culture which exists in Central Africa. There are many other Pygmy forager groups in other countries in Africa, such as Cameroon and Rwanda. The links above will take you to separate pages which describe the four selected groups in detail.
Ethnographies of Central African Foragers
The Forest People By Colin M. Turnbull
Efe Pygmies : Archers of the African Rain Forest by William Wheeler
Mbuti Pygmies: Change and Adaptation by Colin M. Turnbull
Africanizing Anthropology: Fieldwork, Networks, and the Making of Cultural Knowledge in Central Africa by Lyn Schumaker