The Haya people reside in the northwestern region of Tanzania, particularly in the Kagera Region near Lake Victoria.
They are known for their agricultural practices, including the cultivation of crops such as bananas, coffee, and beans.
With a rich cultural heritage and a distinct language, the Haya people have a long history dating back centuries.
Here’s a brief overview of the Haya people.
The Haya Family Structure
Traditionally, the Haya derive their lineage from the father’s line and identify themselves to a particular clan.
The man is the head of the family, and he is responsible for managing family issues and a shrine dedicated to his ancestors.
A family consists of abakwatane (near relatives) often, with a common patrilineal line. The homestead was known as a Kibanja, basically, a banana plantation where a house is.
The Haya Clans
The Haya people are culturally organized in a series of more than 130 patrilineal clans. Each clan has a totem that discerned them.
They were divided into eight small chiefdoms, headed by a ruler called Mukama.
They included Rushubi, Bugabo, Bugufi, Ihangiro, Karagwe, Kihanja, Kiziba, Kyamutwara, and Rushubi. The Mukama appointed
subordinate chiefs and other officials from the clans.
Read Also:
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The Haya Totems
Each Haya clan has a totem that is typically an animal. Traditionally, they were not allowed to eat or harm any animal that represented the totems.
They believed killing or eating the animal would cause affliction to them and their families.
Dialects
The Haya people speak the Haya language (Oluhaya), a language linguistically, historically, and culturally related to people in Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi.
Age Sets
Boys of 10 and 12 years were required to undergo special training to identify in an age set.
The system, Omuteko, requires one to report to the king’s capital for schooling and training.
The village headman (Mukungu) carried out the selection under the orders of the King. They were taught their duties to the kingdom.
The Haya Naming System
Naming amongst the Haya people was an important rite. Males and females were given names according to their value in the community.
The male newborns were named according to different categories. The categories included names referring to the child as a family’s and society’s helper, savior, fighter, winner, and rich and famous person.
Female names were connected with attraction, love, calm, and parents' disappointment for having given birth to a baby girl.
The Haya Marriage/Courtship
There are different forms of marriage among the Haya people. For one, the Bushwere follows the prescribed traditional forms of courtship, betrothment, and wedding. A man and woman are allowed to court for some time.
During the betrothment, the two families exchange gifts such as beer and bananas.
The following celebrations then take place;
Ekitera nyigi ( signified the opening of the door for the groom's family)
Kwanjur’ omwojo ( identifying the groom)
Kusimbur’ emihunda ( to notify the public that the girl is already engaged)
Kwatur’ akanwa ( announcement of the in-laws' desires)
Kutem’eirembo ( revealing the go-between to the girl’s clan)
Kukwat’amaguru ( holding the legs of the men and the breasts of women as a gesture of appreciation)
Kujuga ( bringing the suggested gifts to the girl’s family)
After the betrothal ceremony, the wedding takes place. The girl was given a send-off party, and the marriage sealed by smearing a special kind of oil.
Other forms of marriage include; elopement (Kulea), smearing of oil on a girl (kuteez’omusik’amajuta), abduction (kushutura), and secret marriage (kunagis’ebigere).
Polygamy
A Haya man is allowed to have more than one wife. However, he has to consult the first wife.
He also has to give the first wife a present when he marries a second one. The man is required to build each wife her own house.
The first wife lives in the main house while the others live on their own.
Gender Roles in Marriage
Haya men were the leaders of families. They provide for the family and offer them security.
They were also responsible for decision-making and heavy work in the household.
Women were caregivers.
They were also expected to give birth and take care of the children until they were grown. Moreover, house chores were also their responsibility.
Single Mothers, Widows, and Widowers
When a mother dies, the Father raises the children or leaves them with his parents or widow’s parents.
Widows were inherited and single mothers were considered a misfit in the community.
Divorce
Divorce among the Haya was considered only when a woman failed to have children. She was divorced and replaced by another wife.
They believed that divorce was not supposed to happen if the bride's wealth was paid, and children were born.
Inheritance
Inheritance amongst the Haya was patrilineal. Farmland was inherited through kinship together with other properties. Women lost their rights to own land when they got married.
Death
Death is considered a rite of passage. The period of mourning is characterized by people bringing cooked food for the deceased relatives.
A feast is prepared when the deceased was old. They celebrated the life lived. They believed in life after death.
They also buried their dead in the family compound (Kibanja). The burial grounds known as Kituulo/ enyanga remain sacred after the burial.
The place is considered the burial ground after the first ancestor is buried. All male and female members of the family are supposed to be buried there.
Ancestors are appeased by rituals and sacrifices of animals like goats and chickens varying according to ethnicity.
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