Mbuti of the Ituri Rain Forest

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Mbuti of the Ituri Rain Forest Mbuti of the Ituri Forest The Mbuti are hunters-gatherers of the Ituri Rain Forest. They are an egalitarian society of foragers in the tropical rain forests of Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire). The Mbuti are known for hunting with nets and over half of their carbohydrate food intake is obtain by a villager exchange system. This paper will explore and detail the Economic Organization, Kinship and Belief and Values of the Mbuti. The Mbuti or BaMbuti are hunter-gathers that live primarily in the rain forests of Africa. The Ituri jungle is located in the Northeast portion of the country formerly known as Zaire and has returned back to its previous name, the Congo. The Mbuti are true foragers that view the forest as almost a deity. This forest deity provides all of their sustenance. They depend on the environment of the rain forest for almost all their livelihood. Foragers are known as the “original affluent society”. They are content with the small amount of material possessions that they do have. They are not constantly trying to obtain more. The jungle provides sufficient food and shelter enabling them to have good amounts of leisure time. The Mbuti live under an immediate return system as a foraging society. This is due to the fact that food spoils quickly and must be eaten soon after obtaining it. They cannot store food or grow food in the rain forest. Like most foraging groups the Mbuti are mobile. The Mbuti move around mainly to allow an area to regenerate its resources. They make simple huts made with branches and leaves. This allows them to travel lightly and build in a day when they reach somewhere new. They don’t carry or have many of possessions because it is impractical when you live in one locale. When they move to a new location they just make new huts. The old huts

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