Tribal Cousins

The constant comings and goings of the variety of people at WayiWayi Studio have provided me with fascinating examples of the many languages, characteristics and customs of some of the many different tribes of the Zambian people. I have learned to recognize a number of tribal characteristics because of my association with employees who come from the community to work here daily to assist in chores, help with the teaching and work on the residence facility.

The Tonga are a common tribe in this area. They have occupied the southern part of Zambia for over 1,000 years. Tonga is the Shona tribe's word for independent , and I have found the Tonga whom I have met to embody that spirit. Then there are the Bimba of the North, the Tumbuka of the East, The Lamba of the Copperbelt, the Toka Leya of the South and the Lozi of the West. And, of course, there are sub tribes... but basically Zambians are made up of a lot of tribes...each with its own customs, language and rituals.                                                                  

At least 72 different tribal languages are spoken here. Each tribal language includes words and phrases common to most tribes. Most have roots in Bantu, and all share use of at least some English. The average Zambian is multimultilingual. Unfortunately, I have very little knack for picking up languages. Even though the workers guide me faithfully on simple phrases, I write them down on scraps of paper and fish them out of my pockets in order to say “Good Morning, or Thank You” properly to someone in their own tribal language. The effort is much appreciated.

Lawrence is from one northern tribe, Agness from another. And though it is not unusual for tribal members to intermarry, clearly there are distinct divisions between tribes. Everyone seems to keep track of their history and knows their roots. Agness has been gold for me, helping me gain insight into the personal back stories of the people whom I meet, and Lawrence has a love and knowledge of history. With their help I have pieced together a broader understanding of what I am experiencing in my multi-culture environment.

One question that I have posed to them is why they think the Zambian people seem so happy? Surely there is history of tribal warfare in the not-so-distant past. What they shared was a surprise and inspiration to me. Zambians are not traditionally a warlike people, and throughout their history there has been an absence of tribal animosity. The tribes basically coexist in the spirit of cooperation and sharing of resources.

The creation of Rhodesia (the former British Colony that was comprised of what is now Zambia and Zimbabwe) took the form of a cooperative business deal between the local chiefs and Cecil Rhodes. Zambian tribes did not suffer the bloodshed and warfare that was the fate of other southern African tribes, such as the Zulu to the East. Zambians certainly suffered losses to their cultural identity with occupation, but amazingly, they also found ways to cooperate and “get along” with the British.

Yonde really likes to goof around...so does Russell

As you see, Kondwane is much more serious.

One endearing custom that exemplifies this spirit of cooperation is one the Zambians call Tribal Cousins. In any group there will typically be people from various tribes. The differences between them actually become assets.  For example, the injection of humor into an otherwise serious situation, while in terrible taste inter-tribally, is perfectly acceptable and even expected for someone outside the tribe.

A funeral, typically a solemn event, will have representatives of other tribes present who will do the cooking and the chores to free up the grievers, but they also have permission to lighten the mood. Jokes, funny stories and playful teasing are welcome. Even in casual street gatherings, members outside one’s tribe have permission to poke fun, lambast or make light of one's concerns while one’s tribe would not do so.

Having the distinction of being totally outside anyone's tribe, I soon learned that my injections of humor were universally welcome. After I discovered that the custom of Tribal Cousins was the imbedded reason behind this phenomenon, I concluded that I was probably not as clever or witty as I might have imagined. Fortunately, the Zambian penchant for laughter does not rate humor so critically.  I have enjoyed easy, laughter-filled conversations with most of the people I have met here. In this society, people give each other the space to have fun and be happy, and we are all the richer for it.

Martin enjoys a lighter moment in the shade