The Mbuti Pygmies Society Of Africa

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The Mbuti Pygmies Society of Africa The Mbuti pygmies live amongst the beauty of the tropical rain forest located in northeastern Congo, in Central Africa. There is about 27,000 sq. miles in the tropical rain forest of Ituri. The average temperature in the warmer months seldom rises above 95 degrees, and in the cooler months the average norm is about 64 degrees. Rainfall in Ituri is plentiful with the average rainfall being around eighty inches. The Ituri rain forest is home to many different species of plants and animals. Some of these animals include elephants, monkeys, squirrels and birds of color. The combination of warm temperatures, rain, rich soil, it provides an excellent place for plants to flourish. The canopies of trees provide a good source of wood which include mahogany, and ebony. Among the well known plants are the coffee plants and oil palms. (Peters, 2011) The Ituri rain forest provides an abundance of plants, animals, and insects for the Mbuti pygmies to hunt and gather for their survival. With this pictorial setting in mind my research paper will focus on the aspects of the Mbuti pygmies, gender relations, social organization, beliefs and social changes. Mbuti’s are known as Bambuti pygmies, they are considered the smallest people in the world standing only four to four and half feet tall. The Attire of the Mbuti pygmies consist of an loin cloth which is made from the inner bark of a tree. The loin cloth is decorated in and artistic fashion b making dye from red bark, and wild fruits. To hold the loin cloth together they weave small pieces of elephant tusk and bark. Dyes made from vegetables mixed with charcoal are used to paint their upper body; young women will file their teeth to refine their smile, scaring their body also is appealing to the young women. (Watson, 1985) The Mbuti’s pygmies have lived in the rainforest for thousands of

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