CULTURAL IMMERSION
Expand Your vision of the World
Experience the charm of Tanzania’s people first-hand. There are many sites scattered throughout the country where you can spend from a day to a week, or more, with one of the more than 120 distinct ethnic groups making up the population. These are in places of great natural beauty, enabling you to combine your cultural experience with short or long walking safaris in the surrounding area. Whether you choose a short day-trip or prefer to immerse yourself in the culture of village life, you are guaranteed memories you will treasure forever.
Your visit directly helps to support these villages in their desire to become more self-sufficient and to preserve their indigenous cultures, and aids in environmental conservation efforts.
Cultural Tourism Program Sites include Babati and Hanang, Engaruka, Ilkiding’a, Gezaulole, Kisangara, Longido, Machame, Mamba and Marangu, Mbeya, Mkuru, Mto wa Mbu, Mulala, Ng’Iresi, Northern Pare Mts., Pangani, Southern Pare Mts., Western Usambaras, meet Sonjo and experience their daily life style.
SONJO
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1 DAY TO 1 WEEK PROGRAM
introduction History
The Sonjo call themselves Batemi. The Sonjo are a traditional people who live in the midst of a Maasai region in the northwest corner of Tanzania. Like the Maasai, the Sonjo continue to hold on to traditional beliefs, customs, and lifestyle. They still build their round one-room houses of sticks with thatch roofs. The people continue to wear "shukas," colored cloth worn in a toga style, much like the Maasai. The term Sonjo is a term given to the people by the Maasai. Group members prefer to call themselves Batemi people. They speak 'Sonjo' a Bantu language referred to as Kitemi or Batemi.
They maintain a warrior class consisting of young men who have gone through the rites of passage. In the past the Sonjo people have been known for their conflict with the Maasai, though at present there appears to be peace. Some villages, nevertheless, still boast an impressive gate which previously connected a protective wall around the inner village to protect them from the Maasai.
Where Are they Located?
The Sonjo people live in area 30 – 40 miles west of Lake Natron, in Northern eastern Tanzania.
MAASAI
Maasai is one of the most mysterious yet indigenous tribes of Africa. Little is known about their origin but their cultural importance in the continent of Africa is immense. They have settled down in the savannah and visitors from around the globe choose Maasai Cultural Tour packages to get a first-hand experience of the glorious culture of Maasai.
MAKONDE
The name Makonde art refers to East African modern paintings created by craftspeople or artists belonging to the Makonde people of Northern Mozambique and Southern Tanzania, separated by the Ruvuma river. Art historians, dealers and collectors have created this genre of African art, that can be subdivided into African traditional artifacts or modern artistic works. This can be traced back to 1925 when the first Makonde art was held on the South Coast of Tanzania.
THE HUDZABE, TINDIGA AND DATOGA
There are three Bushman tribes in Tanzania: Hudzabe, Datoga and Tindiga, which are among the few remaining hunter – gathering groups on the planet. The Hudzabe and Datoga are found around Lake Eyasi in the Central Rift Valley and neighboring Ngorongoro Conservation area while the Tindiga are found at Dongobeshi.
The Hadzabe way of life has changed very little. For thousands of years these people have been full-time hunter-gatherers and this makes them the last of their kind in Africa. This tribe is not closely linked to any other by language or genetic heritage.
Living off the land on a full-time basis is extremely difficult in this day and age. Attempts by various authorities to introduce an alternative way of life have mostly failed and the Hadza continue in the manner of their ancestors, despite land encroachment and mounting pressure from surrounding communities.
The Hadzabe rely on free ranging game for hunting and the gathering of wild foods such as berries, honey and tubers. They source water from a few water holes and other natural means. The tribe consists of a number of bands that move around from place to place according to seasonal changes and the availability of food and water.
A camp can be set up and shelters built in just a few hours, likewise individuals can pack up their belongings and carry them on their backs when they need to move. Movement can also be dictated by disagreements in the camp, illness or death. There is no dominance in the camp of one adult over another, everyone has the same status.
The lands around salty Lake Eyasi in the Serengeti eco-system are where you will find the Hadza people. This area is located near Olduvai Gorge and Laetoli, which are both deeply significant archaeological sites in the Central Rift Valley for the study of early man and his origins.
Pre-historic evidence indicates that hunter-gatherer communities have lived in this area for at least 50,000 years. It is likely these early people are the ancestors of the Hadzabe.
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