Bayaka

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The Bayaka is an umbrella term for a group of Central African foraging peoples including the Ubangian language-speaking Baka, and the Bantu language-speaking Aka and Mbendjele and smaller groups including the Mikaya, Luma, Gyeli, and Bongo. These groups generally use variations of the word "Bayaka" to refer to the area's foraging peoples, and they group together the more recent agricultural settlers as the "bilo". The territories of each Bayaka people is marked by rivers.

Culture

A variety of rituals and practices continually reinforce social and gender egalitarianism among the Bayaka.

Aka men are known as the best fathers in the world.

Decisions

Decisions are made by consensus at horizontal assemblies called mosambo. This assembly meets twice a day and and also serves as a place to share news, opinions, and advice. The tone is generally lighthearted, and humor is often used. Even after a decision is made, there is no coercive power to make people obey it. People who disagree with a major decision typically just leave and join a different camp.

Economy

The Mbendjele contribute according to ability and share according to need. The elderly and differently-abled who contribute less are not excluded from getting their fair share. A Mbenjele saying encapsulates their communist approach: "Since we have easy hands we just give it." The Bayaka societies are examples of what James Woodburn called "immediate return" societies.

Women generally gather yams, edible leaves, insects, mushrooms, vegetables, fruit, small fish, and crustaceans. Men generally hunt, fish, and gather honey. The sharing of meat is governed by a set of rules of elika. The hunter gets the heart, other men get the liver and kidneys, a dog who participated gets the lungs, and the rest of the meat must be shared with everyone present.

Some Bayaka specialize in spirit guardianship, song composition, healing, and public speaking. These specialist roles bring no special privilege. Though only a man can have the specialist role of elephant hunter, the other specialist roles are open to women as well as men.

At present, most mbendjele live as full-time foragers for about two-thirds of the year and spend the year's remainder laboring and trading near the villages.

Crime

When someone behaves wrongly, one or two elderly women will mockingly renact the event in a practice called moadjo. The performance ends when the wrongdoer finally joins the rest of the audience and laughs.