Tanzania Cultural Tour- From Masai Tribes to Hadza Bushmen
Written By
African Scenic Safaris
08/10/2022
Safaris
Last updated on June 26th, 2023 at 06:49 am
Tanzania Cultural Tour take you to discover attractions of the country’s diverse heritage and give you opportunities to meet some of Africa’s most iconic indigenous tribes
Tanzania is a country with 120 tribes. They have their traditional dances, music, rituals, social practices, and traditional religious beliefs. The lifestyle, the history of the people, their art, architecture, religion, and other things help to shape their way of life.
Here in this article, you will come to know details about Tanzania’s famous indigenous tribes.
Tanzania’s Tour is not just about wildlife and beaches, it is also filled with the most iconic cultures of Africa. The traditions of ancient people and their way of living are one of the best things to experience while visiting Tanzania. Let’s know more about the Cultures of Tanzania.
Maasai Tribe and Their Bomas:
The Maasai are known especially for their nomadic way of life. During Travel in Tanzania, apart from the amazing wildlife viewing, tourists also engage in cultural tours. It involves interactions with the most popular tribe the Maasai and getting to know about their culture and way of life.
Maasai people can be found during safaris around Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. You can also see them in the neighboring areas of the national park. In the Ngorongoro conservation area, the Maasai people can be seen as they graze their livestock in the savannah plains.
Other places where the Maasai and other cultures can be encountered are Mto wa mbu, Babati, Hanang, and Engaruka, among others.
A visit to the Maasai village gives an authentic Maasai experience of their way of living. Like during Safaris in Tanzania, tourists can see cattle being auctioned in Longido Maasai village.
Unique dressing of Maasai:
The most fascinating aspect of Maasai culture is their clothing and jewelry.
The Maasai people wear the clothing called Shuka is traditional clothing that is mainly red and blue in color.
They also wear a kind of jewelry in different colors made by the Maasai women and each color has a consequence in their culture.
The clothing style and colors change according to age, sex, and social position.
The Maasai are so unique in their dressing sense that one can easily recognize them from their outfit.
Livestock of the Maasai:
The Maasai have been depending on their livestock for all their basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter.
They keep cows, goats, and sheep and feed on the blood, meat and milk got from their livestock.
In the community of the Maasai, cattle are considered an important source of wealth.
The Maasai traditionally makes utensils and drinking vessels from cattle rib bones and horns.
The future of one of Africa’s proudest and most independent indigenous societies is thus seriously endangered. That’s why many Maasai have taken up other ways of their living, such as farming or working in the tourist trade.
The Social Culture of Maasai:
Among the Maasai, the families are extended and the houses they live in are enclosed in thorn fences. This is mainly to protect the livestock and the Maasai people from harm.
The Maasai men and women have to follow different roles in their society and these roles are divided depending on age groups.
Maasai men are responsible for protecting their families, making thorn fences to protect their livestock.
The younger males among the Maasai take care of the livestock and also take them out to graze on the green plains.
The roles of the Maasai women are building their traditional house, preparing food, and collecting firewood.
The Maasai women also make their iconic jewelry. They also make other crafts that tourists can buy during their safaris around the Northern Part of Tanzania.
The land is communally owned by the Maasai community. The Maasai are a semi-nomadic tribe. Although cattle are the main source of food, they also engage in agriculture for their living.
Ancient Hunter-Gatherers-The Hadzabe:
The Hadza people are an ancient group of Central Tanzania living around Lake Eyasi in the central Rift Valley and the neighboring Serengeti Plateau.
The Hadzabe Still leads the same hunter-gatherer lifestyle that has sustained their people for generations. Local-made poisons and ingenious camouflage are used to hunt.
Tourists not only visit with these traditional people but also witness a thrilling sunrise hunt. It will get to know how these people have survived in the Tanzanian wilderness for thousands of years.
The social life of Hadze:
Hadzabe or simply the Hadza, a tribe that majorly depends on hunting and gathering for their livelihood. They are one of the most ancient tribes found in Tanzania.
With an estimated population of around 1300 individuals, the Hadzabe are one of the last tribes to continue their history and culture.
Existing far from the crowds and globalization, they still follow their ancient way of living.
There are no differences in status among the Hadza. They follow equality and all members have the same status.
Since the Hadzabe has no leader, all important decisions are made through discussions.
As there is no leader to resolve the conflicts, the solutions often cause one group to shift to other places for camping.
The Hadza people are not much socialized and they do not have domesticated animals like the Maasai tribe.
The unique language of Hadza:
Like all ancient tribes, the Hadza people have also a special language called ‘Hadzane’.
Hadza is a language that is also known as click language.
This unique language is believed to relate to the Bushmen in the Kalahari Desert.
Due to the less amount of speakers, it is considered a vulnerable language.
They have recently seen that most Hadza people speak fluent Swahili as their second language.
It is believed that the Hadza speech community will remain stable and also continue their traditional style of living.
Hunting and Gathering:
The life of the Hadza people is full of thrill and traditional things. For example, they live their life by hunting animals.
The Hadza hunt by using homemade bows and arrows.
Hunting is done early in the morning and it is easy to hunt during the dry season.
The more exciting thing is that their life amidst the wilderness has made them develop a mutual relationship with some bird species.
Especially the one bird named “honey guide” signalizes the Hadza men by a whistle call.
The Hadza women and children gather fruits, roots, berries, and some mushrooms for food.
These are the lifestyle of the Hadza people which are adopted by them for thousands of years.
Visit and Experience The Ancient Tribes of Tanzania!
Cultural Tours in Tanzania offer wonderful opportunities to meet Africa’s most interesting indigenous tribes like Maasai and Hadza. The cultural tours are often an additional activity but still, a lifetime memory one will earn. For any further queries, stay in touch with African Scenic Safaris. Our experts are there to help you with your concern.
