The Hadzabe Tribe of Tanzania

Image of the Hadzabe hunters

The Hadzabe people, an indigenous ethnic group in East Africa, have a unique and ancient history that sets them apart.

They are one of the last remaining hunter-gatherer societies in the world, primarily in the Lake Eyasi region of Tanzania.

The Hadzabe have maintained their traditional way of life, relying on hunting, gathering, and foraging for sustenance.

Family Structure

The Hadzabe are organized into temporary groups called 'camps', of usually 20–30 people, formed during berry season.

The camps consisted of several unrelated nuclear families.

There was no tribal or other governing hierarchy among the traditional Hadzabe, and decisions were made by agreeing through discussion.

Clans

There were no clans or unilineal kin groups of any kind. The descent was traced bilaterally with overlapping kin ties so that any Hadza can usually make out some kin connection to any other.

Dialects

Their language is called Hadza, a unique language that involves clicks they make with their tongues to bring out click sounds.

Naming System

Naming among the Hadza people was of great importance. A newborn was given a spirit name that was considered suitable if the child did not cry.

Two names were given to a neonate, both from the family of the father and mother.

Both names evoked separate spirits that rendered the child doubly spirited. The names given to the child were used differently according to family members.

Paternal family members called the child by the paternal name, while the maternal family called the child by the maternal name.

Kinship

The Hadza draw descent bilaterally through paternal and maternal lines. More so, the Hadza can trace some kin ties to all other Hadza people.

Marriage/Courtship

Traditionally, the Hadza kids played house at the age of six to seven and began having sex in their teen years.

Courtship was in secret, and if the couple liked each other enough, they began living together. They did not require parents' approval; however, their approval was a blessing.

The Hadza have a very archaic approach to marriage. There are no wedding ceremonies, but a couple that sleeps next to each other at the same fire for a few nights eventually refer to themselves as married.

Females had the power to ensure that marriage goes through. Their choice was the main factor, and the men had to heed their decisions.

Polygamy

Traditionally, they are predominantly monogamous, though there is no societal enforcement of monogamy.

Divorce

Divorce is common. Therefore, serial monogamy is the best way to characterize the mating system. A man might kill his wife if he catches her having an affair. Many marriages end when the husband is away for so long (usually pursuing another woman) that his wife begins an open relationship with another man, saying that her husband has left her. Most extramarital sex occurs between a married man and a single woman.

Gender Roles in Marriage

Gender roles amongst the Hadzabe are distinct. The men hunted while the women and children gathered berries and edible tubers.

Single Mothers

There’s also little or no stigma associated with out-of-wedlock births. Generally, there are few cases of domestic abuse. However, a man may sometimes hit his wife and be forgiven if there is a good cause (unfaithfulness or laziness).

Death

Like many African traditional communities, the Hadza leave corpses out for wild animals to eat. If the deceased is an older person, they bury them inside their huts and later set them ablaze. The camp would then move to another place. There is no belief in an afterlife.

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