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Documentary_African Indigenous Tribes.mp4DOCUMENTARY ON AFRICAN INDIGENEOUS TRIBES
Team North America (SMSMB)
THE ZULU TRIBE
Zulu people are a Nguni tribal group local to Southern Africa. They are the largest tribal group a in South Africa, with approximately 10–12 million people, residing majorly in the KwaZulu-Natal province.
They originated from Nguni clans who participated in the Bantu migrations over blooms. As the communities united, the governance of Shaka brought triumph to the Zulu people due to his improved military strategies and coordination.
- Pradyuman Sapra (SMSMB)
https://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_zulu.html
THE KARO TRIBE
South Ethiopia's Karo Tribe is a remote tribe that makes their home along the Omo River. With less than 2000 members, they may be the smallest ethnically identifiable tribe in Africa at the moment. Due to the abundance of ethnic customs, ceremonies, and rituals, UNESCO designated the Omo Valley as a World Heritage Site.
- Arpita Jain (SMSMB)
https://www.exploring-africa.com/en/ethiopia/kara-or-karo/kara-or-karo
THE YORUBA TRIBE
The Yoruba are a West African ethnic group that mostly lives in parts of Benin, Togo, and Nigeria. Yorubaland is frequently used to refer to all of these nations' regions where Yoruba people make up the majority of the population.
The Yoruba have a wide range of political and social structures, but they all share many fundamental characteristics. Patrilineal descent is the foundation of inheritance and succession. Additionally, the Yoruba have a variety of voluntary organizations.
- Prisha Jain (SMSMB)
https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-toNigeria/Yoruba.html
THE SAN TRIBE
The San ‘bush-dweller’ people, also known as the Bushmen are an indigenous tribe of Africa. They are related to another ancient tribe, the Khoikhoi. Their territories cover Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and South Africa.
The San are often called the 'world's first people' due to their 30,000+ year history. In the modern world they are indistinguishable from the Khoikhoi or Bantu-speaking acquaintances. Nevertheless, this culture did exist, and perhaps still exists among some groups.
- Jania Marwah (SMSMB)
https://travelnoire.com/worlds-oldest-tribes-south-africa
THE KINGDOM OF AKSUM
Banner image citation: “The Kingdom of Aksum.” Nationalgeographic.org, 2022, education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/kingdom-aksum/. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.
The kingdom of Aksum rose to power in Africa in the 1st century AD. By the 6th century, the civilization was shrinking, and its power was gone by the 8th century AD. Aksum had a population of 20,000 people, which was large for the time! Their area of Africa was hilly, and their kingdom was located 2,000 meters above sea level. They are known for building very high towers, and many of them can still be seen today! What made the Kingdom of Aksum so powerful was that it was located in a place where there were many trade routes.
Information citation: “The Kingdom of Aksum.” Nationalgeographic.org, 2022, education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/kingdom-aksum/. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.
Video citation: History with Cy. “The Empire of Aksum (Axum).” Www.youtube.com, 27 Mar. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2JOI6i042w. Accessed 6 Mar. 2023.
Things you need to know:
The kingdom of Aksum enlarged its territory through warfare.
The kingdom of Aksum became Christianized in the fourth century.
The written languages were Ge'ez, Sabaean, and Greek.
The political power changed to a new group of elites called the Agau people.
Aksum was very high up in northern Ethiopia, in a region called Tigray.
The kingdom of Aksum had a good climate and rainfall patterns, which were good for agriculture.
The Kingdom of Aksum was located on the east coast of Africa, just south of the Nile River where the ancient Kush lived. For a short time, these two civilizations overlapped and could trade with each other.
Image citation: Westera, Rick. “Historical Atlas of Northern Africa (circa 100): Empire of Aksum.” Omniatlas, 2023, omniatlas.com/maps/northern-africa/1000221/. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.
THE ANCIENT KUSH
Banner image citation: “Ancient Kush (2nd Millennium B.C. – 4th Century A.D.) •.” Blackpast.org, 22 Nov. 2009, www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/ancient-kush-2nd-millennium-b-c-4th-century-d/.
The Ancient Kush were an indigenous culture located along the Nile River in what is now considered northern Sudan. Although they were neighbors, ancient Egyptian artifacts and work received much more honor than works from the ancient Kushite empire did. From 1500 to 1100 BCE, Egypt controlled Kush. Egyptians introduced the Kush to their cultural practices at this time. Then, around 750 BCE, Egypt fell into civil war. The Kushites saw an opportunity and struck! They went on to conquer many capitals inside of Egypt. Kushite rule eventually came to an end around 656 BC.
Citation: Mark, Joshua J. “The Kingdom of Kush.” World History Encyclopedia, 26 Feb. 2018, www.worldhistory.org/Kush/#:~:text=Kush%20was%20a%20kingdom%20in,of%20Kush%20rose%20much%20later.
Image citation: ane Waldron Grutz. “The Hidden Treasures of Nubia.” Aramcoworld.com, AramcoWorld Magazine, 7 May 2020, www.aramcoworld.com/Articles/April-2020/The-Hidden-Treasures-of-Nubia. Accessed 19 Jan. 2023.
Video citation: TED-Ed. “What Happened to the Lost Kingdom of Kush? - Geoff Emberling.” YouTube, 7 Oct. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylS_Uff2oMM. Accessed 20 Jan. 2023.
The Kushites rose to power a little bit after 750 BCE. They conquered the city of Khemenu and the Egyptian capital at Memphis. Then, they expanded their territory all the way to the Nile Delta, where the water from the river spreads and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. The Kushites established trade networks along the Nile and built many pyramids and temples (some of which are still there today). They greatly influenced the Egyptians with their trade routes and temples and even took control over the Nile. The Kushites get much less attention than their Egyptian neighbors. Their cultural artifacts needs to be preserved so that we can learn even more about their culture and uncover their lost history.
THE MAASAI
Banner image citation: “Micato Safaris-Luxury African Safaris-New York.” Micato Safaris, 17 Dec. 2019, www.micato.com/5-fascinating-facts-about-the-maasai-people/. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.
The Maasai are located in Africa, in parts of Kenya and Tanzania.
Image citation: “Maasai People, Kenya.” Maasai-Association.org, 2023, www.maasai-association.org/maasai.html. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.
The culture of the Maasai is very unique for several reasons. They use cows as a form of currency. Most Maasai speak two different languages: Swahili and their own regional language. It is possible for a Maasai man to have more than one wife. In fact, it’s actually a status symbol! The more wives a Maasai man has, the better off the family is because then they have more cattle.
Video citation: HomeTeam History. “A History of the Maasai People.” YouTube, 9 June 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg0Xn1lT6Ck&t=190s. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.
The Maasai culture may seem very different from ours, but there are some ways we overlap. They have one overall god, just as many of us do. And they were disrupted by the British, who tried to take control of their society and erase their culture.
Image citation: Luscombe, Stephen. “The British Empire.” Britishempire.co.uk, 2023, www.britishempire.co.uk/article/movingthemaasai.htm. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.
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