THE HADZABE

Near Lake Eyasi in Tanzania there is an ancient tribe of about one thousand surviving members, the last hunter gatherers in the country. Ninety percent of their traditional lands have been encroached upon by neighboring pastoral tribes. There have been attempts by missionaries and the government to assimilate them, all of which have failed. It would be misleading to characterize them as "primitive" except in the respect that 90% of human history we have all been hunter gatherers. However, this is not a backwards society, but a thriving culture that wishes to continue to live in their traditional manner. They view "modern" society as detached, distracted and overstimulated; thereby "lost" from their roots and soul.









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HADZABE HUNTERS

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 Hadzabe men spend a majority of their time hunting, or making their bows and arrows. Due to the shrinking size of their hunting grounds they often have to travel away from the group to reach the game. Their favorite prey is baboons which they shoot in the trees during a new moon. They also use blinds near watering holes. Many of the men wear impala skins, another favored large game. They will, however, shoot game large and small including birds and bush babies. They are extremely skilled and accurate with bows and arrows.  They spend a lot of time fashioning arrows, straightening them with their teeth, and adding feathers and metal arrowheads they get from the neighboring Datoga tribe. Their bows are from the same branches, but thicker and shaped after being heated and bent in the crook of a tree. They can have a pull of 100 pounds. Arrowheads are made from old nails from the Datoga tribe, and are given to the Hadzabe in exchange for meat or honey, or through visit
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HADZABE RELATIONSHIPS & POSSESIONS

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This is N'Oye with the camp's one axe. It is shared among thirty people. We bought them another one. But the significance of this is that the axe is used to chop wood, dig out honey bee hives, collect branches for digging sticks, bows and arrows; and many other things. The same principal of sharing applies to the few knives I saw, as well as pots and pans, clothing,  jewelry; and all goods except perhaps the men's bows and arrows. The Hadzabe have very few possessions, which is practical in light of how nomadic they are (moving an average of six times a year). But there is no need to hoard or steal, and they place their value upon their relationships. They are rarely alone, except when it is necessary for hunting, and typically do everything together. Everyone is included. Let N'Oye explain: Listen for the click in their language (and his name)
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