| Location: |
Tanzania, Mozambique |
| Population: |
n/a |
| Language: |
Makonde (Bantu) |
| Neighboring Peoples: |
Mwera, Makua, Mabia |
| Types of Art: |
The Makonde are known as master carvers throughout East Africa, and
their statuary can be found being sold in tourist markets and in museums
alike. |
| History: |
The Makonde of Tanzania and Mozambique are separarted by the Rovuma
River and are culturally distinct. Immigration from Mozambique to Tanzania
has resulted in a blurring of ethnic identities and a sharing of certain
ideas. Because of the relative isolation of their homeland, the first
contacts with Europeans did not occur until 1910, and then they were very
sporadic. The coastal location of the Makonde, however, indicates that
they were involved with Swahili slave traders for centuries. Recently,
enclaves of Makonde have developed on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam and
of Kambia in Kenya, although they seem to limit their interaction with
outsiders, preferring to identify with their own cultural
traditions. |
| Economy: |
In the traditional homelands of the Makonde the primary source of food
comes from slash and burn farming. Crops include maize, sorghum, and
cassava. This is often supplemented by hunting. Carving for the tourist
trade has become a major industry for Makonde artists along the coast and
near the cities. |
| Political Systems: |
Individual settlements recognize a headman who has inherited his
position matrilineally, based on his family's position of power within the
community. There is no ruler of all the Makonde peoples, as each village
maintains a certain degree of independence. |
| Religion: |
The Makonde have retained their traditional religion despite centuries
of influence by Islamic traders. Their practices center around the
celebration and remembrance of the ancestors. |
