The Pygmies are basically a nomadic people. None of them knows that their oral traditions are part of the recently acknowledged ‘intangible heritage of humanity.’ Pygmies do not exactly live as their ancestors. Today, they wear t-shirts and even plastic shoes. They have long traded their crossbows to gun craft. They have learned the use of some kitchen utensils, soap, and even cigarettes. In some Pygmy camps, a bad radio ‘sizzles’ from morning to evening.

But most of the Pygmy culture remains, and it still revolves around the forest. They still use the bark of trees to cure such illnesses as heartburn, for instance. When bitten by a snake, the victim will not take long to find a leaf that heals the bite wound. There are also treatments for deadly scorpion stings.

They make tobacco pipes out of bamboo, and mats from certain species of trees. Cords of bark maintain the overall structure of their homes. Building the hut is a woman’s job.

Agriculture has never been attractive to them. They are content with tubers such as taro and yams that they find at the bottom of dug holes. Banana shoots and cassava are a food staple. In their makeshift camps, what they want most is to discover more and better means of medication. Pygmies are also predators of the forest. They do not hesitate to sacrifice trees for clearings.

In Central Africa, Pygmies are victims of deep racism. Because of their small size, they are still considered sub-human, even if they vote in presidential elections.

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Via The Africa Guide