| Location: |
Southwestern Congo
(Zaire), Angola, Zambia |
| Population: |
1.16 million |
| Language: |
Wuchokwe (Bantu) |
| Neighboring Peoples: |
Luba, Lunda,
Lwena, Ovimbundu, Songo |
| Types of Art: |
The Chokwe are well known for art objects produced to celebrate and
validate the royal court. These objects include ornately carved stools and
chairs used as thrones. Most of the sculptures are portraits, which
represent the royal lineage. Staffs, scepters, and spears are among other
implements sculpted to celebrate the court. |
| History: |
Chokwe origin can perhaps be traced to the Mbundu and Mbuti Pygmies.
Between 1600 and 1850 they were under considerable influence from the
Lunda states and were centrally located in Angola. In the second half of
the 19th century though, considerable development of the trade routes
between the Chokwe homelands and the Angolan coast led to increased trade
of ivory and rubber. Wealth acquired from this allowed the Chokwe kingdom
to expand, eventually overtaking the Lunda states that had held sway over
them for so long. Their success was short-lived, however. The effects of
overexpansion, disease, and colonialism resulted in the fragmentation of
Chokwe power. |
| Economy: |
The Chokwe grow manioc, cassava, yams, and peanuts. Tobacco and hemp
are also grown for snuff, and maize is grown for beer. Domesticated
livestock is also keep, and includes sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens.
Protein is added through hunting. There is an exclusive association of big
game hunters known as Yanga, but everyone contributes to the capture of
small game animals. The farming and processing of agricultural products is
done almost exclusively by women among the Chokwe. Slash and burn
techniques and crop rotation are practiced to conserve the land
naturally. |
| Political Systems: |
The Chokwe do not recognize a paramount leader, but instead offer
allegiance to local chiefs who inherit their positions from the maternal
uncle. The chiefs (mwana nganga) consult with a committee of elders and
ritual specialists before making decisions. Villages are divided into
manageable sections which are governed by family headmen. All members of
Chokwe society are divided into two categories: those who are descended
from the founding matrilineal lines and those who are descended from
former enslaved populations. |
| Religion: |
The Chokwe recognize Kalunga, the god of creation and supreme power,
and a series of nature and ancestral spirits (mahamba). These spirits may
belong to the individual, family, or the community, and neglecting them is
sure to result in personal or collective misfortune. Evil spirits may also
be activated by sorcerers (wanga) to cause illness, and this must be
counteracted to regain health. In order to accomplish this individuals
normally consult with a diviner (nganga), who attempts to uncover the
source of the patient's problem. The most common form of divination among
the Chokwe is basket divination, which consists of the tossing of up to
sixty individual objects in a basket. The configuration of the objects is
then "read" by the diviner to determine the cause of illness.
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