Итури орманының Ефе тайпасы

Pygmy people of the Ituri Rainforest

The Efé are a group of part time hunter gatherer people living in the Ituri Rainforest of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In the depths of the forest they do not wear much clothing, using only leaf huts as shelter for their bodies in the intense heat. The Efé are Pygmies, and one of the shortest peoples in the world. The men grow to an average height of 142 cm (4 ft. 8 in. ), and women tend to be about 5 cm (2 in.) shorter. Dr. Jean Pierre Hallet was very involved with the Efé, from raising awareness to the plight of the tribe, to the introduction of new foods and methods previously unknown (such as a legume called the "winged bean" of New Guinea). He also introduced new methods of farming to the Efé, who likely had been a hunter gatherer society for many thousands of years.

The Efé (and other Western pygmy groups) show genetic evidence of an early genetic divergence from neighboring groups. The Semliki harpoon, 90,000 years old, is one of the oldest known human tools and was found in the current range of the Efé pygmies. This suggests an initial aquatic civilisation based on fishing. Jean Pierre Hallet promoted the establishment of a sanctuary for the Efé along the Semliki River near Virunga National Park, and also lobbied heavily for the rights of the semi nomadic pygmies to continue living in the protected Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Ituri Forest.

The Efe are one of three groups of pygmies, collectively named BaMbuti, of the Ituri forest of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The other groups are the Sua, and the Aka. Of these, the Efé occupy the most land, from the north to the southeast of the forest. One of the main ways in which these groups are distinguished is by the neighbouring non pygmy tribes with whom they cooperate. The Efé, who differ from other pygmy groups in that they hunt with bows and arrows instead of nets, are associated with the Lese people. The Efé language is related to that of the Lese, and is Central Sudanic in origin. (The pygmy groups in the region generally speak the language of the tribes with whom they associate.)

There is some debate over how long the Efé have lived in their present state, with accounts of their having been in the Ituri forest for 20,000 years. Bailey states that the Ituri area has been inhabited since 40,700 BC, but that the region was most likely savannah and temperate forest (as opposed to rainforest) until somewhere between 2900 and 720 BC. Some suggestions as to the evolutionary benefit of the pygmy short stature was the ability to navigate the dense jungle, with its low hanging branches, more easily. Small stature also confers a small advantage for body heat dissipation in equatorial (hot, humid) regions. (While there are pygmy peoples in colder climates as well, this may have occurred by migration.) Arab slave raids, especially from the 1850s until the 1890s, served to destabilise the region. Trade routes were opened up, and a common dialect called Kingwana (a Congo variant of Kiswahili, also known as Copperbelt Swahili) was introduced. New crops, firearms, and hut designs were also introduced during that time. The Efé assumed roles as watchmen for the Lese against the slavers. The structure of these roadside villages and the resultant behaviour of the Efé differed significantly from their forest villages. When Congo became independent from Belgium on June 30, 1960, the Ituri region began to fall into decay. The dictatorship of Mobutu that soon followed independence followed a practice of neglect for the region, allowing the roads to fall into disrepair. " We have no roads, we have no insurrection" was one of his favourite sayings.

Hunting is a primary way in which Efé men contribute to the food supply of the tribe, which they were observed doing 21.1% of the time during 12 hour observation days. The Efé ideal is to marry by sister exchange, but this happens for only 40 per cent of men. There is no bridewealth and very little bride service. The Efé are not allowed to marry anyone related to their grandfathers, and they trace their heritage patrilineally. Generally, residence is patrilocal and the composition of camps roughly follows that of a patriclan. However, these partnerships can be dissolved when an Efé man returns borrowed items to his Lese partner. Efé are viewed by Lese men and women alike as being female. Another interesting aspect of Efé religion is that it is also shared with the Lese. Many of pygmy legends deal with their larger partners, and the associated tribes have myths dealing with the pygmies.