LSC S1: CULTURE AND KEY ETHNIC GROUPS IN EAST AFRICA

LSC S1: CULTURE AND KEY ETHNIC GROUPS IN EAST AFRICA

Introduction
After studying this chapter, you will be able to understand culture as a concept , and people’s relations in East Africa. The study of migrations introduced you to causes and effects of migrations in East Africa. One of the effects was introduction or adaptation of new cultures as people moved and settled in different areas
in East Africa. You will appreciate the existence of different cultural values, the importance of cultural institutions and leaders, as well as the need to respect our cultural heritage and institutions. You will also appreciate the existence of different cultural practices like dressing, food, traditional ceremonies and dances, among others, which could have puzzled you before.

In our schools, we have various cultural, racial, and ethnic groups that we interact with. These enable us build bonds of trust, respect, and understanding across our cultures. When we learn about different ethnic groups, we understand the world around and beyond us. And we also appreciate our diversity and its contributions to our own development. There are a lot of things we share in common as East African people, with several characteristics in terms of diversity. The study should be able to make you one of the ambassadors of culture and its values to society.

4.1: What is culture? In groups;
a) List the cultural functions/events and their types you have attended in your
home area or school.
B)How have those functions improved your attitude towards different people’s
cultures?
c)How are the events/functions different from those of your tribe/clan?
D)What new things have you learnt from those functions/events?
e)Share your findings with the rest of the class members.

CULTURAL VALUES IN OUR FAMILIES
Cultural values are the core principles and ideals upon which an entire community exists. This is made up of several parts such as traditions and rituals. Values include beliefs and culture that an ethnic group of people hold clear to them to be passed on from generation to generation.
Cultural values are hereditary and form the core of the culture. The values hold supreme position among them. These values give shape to the culture and the society. These are very difficult to change because they remain embedded in social institutions and the social norms. These are the ideals of society.

In our societies, cultural values are the core principles and ideals upon which we exist. Our values are our views or conviction that we live with, live by and can even die for. Depending on the way we perceive things, we can praise and blame, declare actions right or wrong, or even declare the scene or objects before us as
either beautiful or ugly. Individually, we have some sense of values taught and nurtured into us by the society value system we have been brought into. Figure 4.1 below shows the principles that define culture;

The African culture is expressed in its arts and crafts, folklore and religion, clothing, cuisine, music and languages. Expressions of culture are abundant within East Africa, cultural diversity observed not only across different countries but also within individual countries. African tradition is expressed through many
different art forms, such as music, dance, art, sculpture and bead work. These traditions are deeply ingrained into African culture.
Uganda has got a very strong cultural heritage, with a number of regions with kingdoms that belongs to different tribes and their culture. These include Buganda, Tooro, Bunyoro, Busoga and Rwenzururu kingdoms. Uganda’s culture and traditions are expressed through local arts and crafts made from local materials such as papyrus reeds, clay and wood. These art and crafts include weaved
baskets, wood carvings, beaded jewellery as shown in figure 4.2.
In our societies, we celebrate different festivals on special days in the year and offer sacrifices to certain deities to attract their goodwill to our members of the family and society. The worship of different deities on different days is a religious value held in high esteem in some societies. Traditional economic values are marked by communal work where, for example, in farming, friends and relatives

come and assist in doing farmwork not because they will be paid but because they will need such assistance in the near future and they will be sure to find it.

Activity 4.2: Culture at family level In groups
1 .a)List four unacceptable and acceptable behaviors in your family.
b)What are some of the cultural values you practice at home?
2. Conduct a survey around your school and identify the cultural values
cherished by people in that area.
What importance do they attach to those values?
Share your findings with the class through your group leader.

Prominent Cultural Traditions in Uganda

The Baganda have a long history of king succession. This has been practised and followed over centuries, but most important is their loyalty to the king.

The bi-annual festival of male circumcision ceremony called the Imbalu is prominent in eastern region among the Bagisu, and has been practised for so many years.

The traditional rituals and beliefs around atonement, purification and reconciliation are a common cultural practice among the Acholi in northern Uganda.

Activity 4.3: Cultural practices in East Africa
a) Identify the cultural practices in the pictures above.
B)In groups, research and discuss the cultural practices in different regions of
Uganda.
D)What is the importance of these cultural practices?
Present your findings to the teacher for evaluation.

CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AND THEIR LEADERS IN UGANDA
Our culture throughout the years have been preserved and passed on to new generations by cultural institutions and their leaders. A cultural institution or cultural organisation is an organisation within a culture/subculture that works for the preservation or promotion of culture. The cultural institutions conserve, interpret and share cultural knowledge and promote activities that educate us on aspects of culture and history. In Uganda almost each tribe has a kingdom or chiefdom with a traditional leader. These kingdoms describe different tribes and their culture. The cultural institutions include kingdoms and chiefdoms of Buganda, Toro, Bunyoro, Busoga, Ankole,the Rwenzururu, Karagwe and chiefdoms such
as Kooki, Acholi, Lango, Teso and others.

Activity 4.4: Cultural groups in Uganda
a)i dentify any one cultural group in your area.
b)What activities does the group identified in (a) involve in that promote culture
in your area?
c)Explain the importance of this group identified in (a) above in promotion ofl
culture in your area.
D)Share your views to your class members.

Note: Culture can be traditional, religious or social.
Cultural leaders in Uganda

Activity 4.5: Cultural leaders in East Africa
a)In table 4.2 above, research and fill in the titles of cultural leaders above.
b)Duss why cultural institutions are important in our societies today.
C)In groups, describe the main cultural institutions in East Africa.
d)Draw a table to match the traditional institutions existing in East Africa with
their countries.
d)Present your views/ work to the rest of the class, and write down the agreed
views.

CULTURAL CENTRES IN EAST AFRICA
East Africa is rich in culture, and has a strong cultural heritage, with a number of
cultural centres in different areas. These are listed in Figure 4.6 below;

Activity 4.6: Existing cultural sites in
In groups;
a) Draw a sketch map of East Africa and on it mark existing cultural centre, shown in the table above.
b)Visit any cultural centres in your area and find out how they have contributed to the development of your area.
c)Share your findings with the rest of the class members.

TABLE 4.3: TRIBAL GROUPS IN EAST AFRICA

/\clivity 4.7: Ethnic groups in East Africa

• In groups;
  a) Using the information in table 4.3 above, draw graphs to show the population
  levels of ethnic groups in East Africa.
  b) Discuss the distribution of ethnic groups in East Africa using the graphs you
  have drawn.
  c) What are historical factors that determined ethnic movements of the people?
  d)Share your findings with the rest of the class.

TRIBAL GROUPS AND CULTURAL PRACTICES IN EAST AFRICA
In East Africa, there are different tribes based on different ethnic backgrounds or identities. We have already discussed this under migrations and settlement in East Africa. The cultural and traditional practices have been influenced by migration and settlement patterns of these tribal groups. The major tribal groups of East Africa with a strong and cultural practices are the Baganda in Uganda, the
Luhya, Kikuyu and Kalenjin in Kenya, and the Sukuma in Tanzania and Masai in both Kenya and Tanzania.

Baganda
The largest tribal group in Uganda is the Baganda. Culturally, they practise patrilineal descent. Several related lineages make up a clan. There are 52 recognised Baganda clans in Uganda. The Baganda believe in superhuman spirits in the form of mizimu (ghosts), misambwa and balubaale. The balubaale were believed to have been men whose exceptional attributes in life were carried over into death.

The mizimu were believed to be ghosts of dead people for it was believed that only the body could die and rot but the spirit would still exist as omuzimu (singular of mizimu). Such ghosts were believed to operate at the family level to haunt whoever the dead person had grudges with. If the mizimu entered natural objects, they were believed to become misambwa. At another level, the mizimu could
become tribal figures and also be known as balubaale.

The Baganda feared death very much. They did not believe in such paradigms as life after death. Whenever someone died, they would weep and wail round the corpse. Weeping was important because those who did not weep and wail could easily be suspected to be behind the deceased’s death.
Okwabya olumbe (last funeral rites) was a great ceremonial feast whereby all the clan elders would be invited and many people would attend. It involved a lot of eating, drinking, dancing and unrestrained sexual intercourse among the members present. On that same occasion, a heir would be installed if the deceased was the head of the family as illustrated in Figure 4.8 below. The children of the deceased
would be covered with backcloth and told to go to the plantation while weeping so that the ghost of the deceased comes out of the home. They were also required to shave off all their hair.

When a kabaka died, his jawbone was removed from his body before burial and a special shrine was built to house it. The Baganda believed that the spirit of the Kabaka would always remain where his jawbone was.

The Luhya
The Luhya live in the western part of Kenya and are divided into 18 small tribes. Traditionally, they believe in one god called ‘were’, who they worship through intermediaries. The spirits of dead relatives act as intermediaries and have considerable power to help or harm. Luhya people sacrifice goats, chickens or
cattle to calm the spirits.

Also, there are nearly 750 clans within the tribes. Each one of them has a totem; a bird, animal or plant they won’t touch or eat. If a Luhya clan member swears by his*her totem while telling a lie, the totem’s price is bad luck or death. Bullfights are another important aspect of the Luhya society. They take place
several times a year and begin with opposing villages feeding their bulls on traditional beer. Then, the rivals provoke their bulls into locking horns. When one of them retreats, the victorious village wins the honour of taking a victory lap.

The Kalenjin
The Kalenjin initiate their young folk into the tribe through a ceremony. According to tradition, the Kalenjin hold these ceremonies every seven years so that the initiatees become members of an age-set. The ceremony sees males getting circumcised and going into seclusion to learn adult skills. Afterwards, their role is to protect the tribe as warriors.
Burial among the Kalenjin has changed. In the past, the tribe would only bury people who had given birth to children and leave the rest in the bush for hyenas to claim.

The Chagga
The Chagga is the third largest tribe in Tanzania. They live on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, in the north of the Maasai Steppe and in a few villages near Moshi. They rely on medicinemen to look after their spiritual health. Unlike Christians, the Chagga believe they must purify the wounded person rather than the sinner so that the negative force does not stay with the victim. Their medicine men use ingredients such as skin, dung, rainwater from a hollow tree and snail shells for the cleansing. Their method is to paint the victims with a mixture of the ingredients twice daily over four days.

T ne Maasai
To the Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania, life is a series of tests through which they learn to endure pain. Tattooing and having their teeth removed by knife are early rites of passage, though circumcision and genital mutilation are the most important rituals in their young lives.
A father’s ultimate duty is to ensure his children undergo them. Circumcision is extremely painful and tests a boy’s courage. If he flinches during the act, he will shame himself and his family. The penalty is, at best, to be mocked by his peers and to pay a fine of one head of cattle. He will receive gifts of cattle and sheep for bravery. Excision, the ritual for girls, is even longer and more painful. Women who pass it say they are afraid of nothing.

The Maasai people of Kenya and northern Tanzania view spitting as a form of blessing and a sign of respect. They use spitting to greet or say goodbye to friends, clinch a bargain or to wish someone good luck. Two friends greeting each other will a spit in their palms before shaking hands. When a baby is born, family members will spit on the child to wish him or her a long life and good luck. Spitting is also customary on a daughter’s wedding day, where her father will spit on her forehead to wish her a blessed union.

Kikuyu
The Kikuyu are the largest tribe in Kenya. Their mythology begins with the supreme creator, Ngai, leaving heaven for the snowy summit of Mount Kenya, where he made Gikuyu father of the Kikuyu people. It is believed by the Kikuyu that during the creation of this planet as the earth had trembled, a mysterious dense cloud had stood covering the whole land, it was believed to be Mugai/Ngai, who is also
believed to be the divider of the universe and had descended into this planet. The peak of the mountain called Kirinyaga was believed to be the place where he had placed his mysterious seat. Ngai gave the lands around the mountain to Gikuyu, before sending him to a grove of fig trees. While there, Gikuyu met a woman named Mumbi. Mumbi bore nine daughters namely; Wanjiru, Wambui, Njeri, Wanjiku, Nyambura, Wairimu, Waithira, Wangari and Wangui. The nine daughters would become the mothers of the nine clans among the Kikuyu. Even today as the Kikuyu people think of their creator, they always look up to the snow- clad mountain where they believe their gods once lived.

4.8: Ethnic cultural practices in East Africa In groups:
a) Read about the cultural practices of ethnic groups in East Africa and identify their traditional and ultural practices.
b) How are the traditional and cultural practices different from your traditional culture?
c) What do you learn from the traditional practices of different ethnic groups in East Africa?
e) Present your findings to the rest of the class members. Note down the agreed views in your notebook.

RESPECT FOR CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Culture shapes our identity and influences our behaviors, and through cultural diversity, we are accepted, integrated and assimilated because of the values we cherish from different cultures. When we respect cultural diversity, we appreciate and learn from differences, celebrate and build on similarities. Culture plays an essential role in conflict resolution for it provides an environment through which
conflicts can be resolved. Culture has mechanisms through which offenders are brought to book, or conflicts resolved.
Culture, therefore, is the foundation of our well-being in society It is based on beliefs, values, knowledge and rituals held in trust by our cultural elders. Culture is the compass that helps us navigate the social system, and when one sticks to
the cultural rules, there is no risk of rejection or sanctions. Cultural diversity helps us understand ourselves and the world from a different perspective. By learning about different cultures, we increase our horizons for better relationships and communication at a personal level.

Activity 4.9: Conflicts and resolutions in East Africa
In groups;
a) Discuss instances when culture has been used to resolve conflicts in
families or clans.
b)Discuss some instance where you have admired a different culture and how
it has influenced you.
c)How can we promote peace and unity in a community where different
cultures are practised?
d)How can you resolve conflicts in your families without resorting to court?
e)Discuss how ethnic differences and clashes can be reduced in East Africa.
F)Share your views with the rest of the groups. Write them down in your
notebooks.

CULTURAL HANDICRAFTS IN EAST AFRICA
Culture can be expressed in different forms and one of them is through art and crafts. Handicrafts are useful functional and decorative objects made by hand. The crafts have cultural values and are a reflection of identity to an ethnic group or region. Handicrafts are made in form of baskets and mats, pottery and sculpture,ornaments, decorated items with a purpose.
Cultural handicrafts have become the source of livelihood for many people in East Africa. In some cases, they are used as ritual and ceremonial objects,and in other cases they are used as adornments to show status or tribal identification, or a sign of representation of things in life which defy explanation. See different handicrafts in Figure 4.15.

4.10: Importance of handicrafts in East Africa
In groups;
a) Identify the different handicrafts that are made in your local areas.
b)How has the handicrafts improved the conditions of those involved in making them?
c)Discuss the importance of handicrafts in East Africa.
d)Present your group views to the rest of class members, and write your agreed ideas in your notebooks.

CULTURAL TRADITIONAL TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE
MECHANISMS
Different cultures have different mechanisms through which they resolve the conflicts. The traditional system used by our ancestors was respected by every member of the society in resolving conflicts. Even today, where the current justice I system has been adopted, the traditional system has a role in resolving issues that cannot be resolved by the modern justice system. The traditional system envhasises reconciliation than condemnation of offenders and, therefore, helps to keep and hold society together.

It is based on oral traditions or the living customary law and circumstances of a particular case that require social norms. The decisions are made by members of the community and the judgment reached is assumed to be fair to the parties involved.
The traditional justice therefore, maintains social cohesion or community harmony. It relies on the village system, traditional and religious leaders because of the belief that they possess social and cultural legitimacy in the village setting. It is a system that continues to play a significant role in administering of justice to many and to those who cannot afford the cost of litigation and time in the modern justice
system.

The offenders are brought together and administered with a medicine for identifying guilt or reconciliation. A group of elders meet and take decisions on matters brought to their attention. The clan sits to resolve any outstanding issue or conflict happening in the society. Figure 4.16 shows some aditional courts in
East Africa.

The transitional justice is not just a special form of justice but justice that has existed and adapted by society. It has been used to resolve serious violations of human rights where the modern justice system is unable to provide an adequate response. Transitional justice describes the mechanisms and processes adopted in the after math of armed conflict or following dictatorial regimes. Such processes include mediation and reconciliation among others.
The transitional justice system helps to stop the recurrence of violent conflict and allow the society and individuals time to heal from the conflict. This system of justice has been used in resolving the conflict in northern Uganda caused by Lord’s Resistance Army to reconcile communities in the aftermath of the conflict. Examples include; (Mato Oput) among the Acholi and (Gacaca community courts)
in Rwanda to try genocide suspects.

Activity 4.11: Transitional justice mechanisms
In groups;
a) Visit the community near you and research the traditional methods of justice used in resolving conflicts.
b) Compare the traditional and modern methods of resolving community conflicts and find out the most effective method in stabilising the community.
c) Identify the strengths in the traditional justice system that can be applied in the modern system of resolving conflicts.
d) Write in your notebooks, and present to your class members in the next , lesson.

CULTURE AND GENDER IN FAMILY MATTERS
Gender roles have existed for as long as the families existed. Gender roles mean how we are expected to act, speak, dress, groom, and conduct ourselves. For example, girls and women are generally expected to dress in typically feminine ways and be polite, accommodating and nurturing. Every individual in a family
had a role to play for the welfare of the family. Families continue to exist because family members play different roles for its continuity.
The family roles are differentiated between male and female gender with established lifestyle, duties and functional areas for each. Men and women are naturally associated with certain social roles. Traditionally, a woman was associated with the role of the homemaker, while the man was seen as a provider and guarantor of security. Traditional family systems had enough time dedicatedfor the children as the mother was responsible for the entire process of childcare nd development while the father had to bring in the essential food supplies.Figure 4:17 shows the changes in gender roles today.

Change of roles according to gender has resulted in the change of values. There were specific roles traditionally preserved for men because they were considered stronger. The role of selling food or household chores traditionally were the preserve of women. These were considered to be requiring less energy and hustling.
The modern social structure, however, sees both men and women as equal partners with equal rights, status and responsibility. We are changing from the male-dominated society to a society where both male ‘and female participate equally in all family roles. The authoritarian father and submissive mother no
longer apply to the modern society. Both the parents are busy working for the

family and earning money to meet the demands of the whole family. Meanwhile
the children are left with caretakers or paid baby-sitters.
Activity 4.12: Gender relations In groups;
a) Study the photographs above in Figure 4.17 and identify different roles performed by men and women.
b)Which roles were traditionally meant for women and men?
c)Why have gender roles changed in modern times?
d)Organise a skit on the changing gender roles in our communities.