Kenya/Tanzania: The Digo people - The traditional dancers entertain in most Diani Beach Hotels, including Kaskazi. In Kenya, a predominant tribe occupy each County or District. The DIGO people are the main Bantu speaking people in the South Coast & Giriama in the North Coast - The Digo are an East African tribe, concentrated on the southern coastal strip of Kenya between Mombasa and the border of Tanzania. It is rather surprising to find that in a country that is overwhelmingly Christian, the Digo are nearly all Muslim. The Digo are a Bantu tribe and are actually grouped together with eight other tribes. Together these tribes make up the Mijikenda, or “nine towns.” Tradition tells us that the nine Mijikenda tribes originated farther north, but were driven south as a result of war. What are their lives like? For many years the Digo have been involved in trade with Muslim Arabs. As a result, they have enjoyed a higher standard of living than most of their neighboring tribes. In addition to trading, farming and fishing are two other sources of income for the Digo. Their principal crop is “manioc,” a small shrub with thick roots that are eaten like potatoes. They also grow sesame, corn, rice, and beans. “Palm wine” is a popular drink produced from the palm tree. When a young Digo man marries, he must pay the normal bride-price of four heads of cattle, two goats or sheep, and palm wine. He is then incorporated into the bride’s family. Eventually, as he demonstrates leadership qualities, he will be accepted into the body of tribal elders. What are their beliefs? Islam is more widely accepted among the Digo than among any of the other Mijikenda tribes. Nevertheless, ties with traditional practices (such as animism and ancestor worship) still have more influence on the Digo community than does Islam. (Animism is the belief that non-human objects have spirits. Ancestor worship is the practice of praying to deceased ancestors for help and guidance.) One example of spiritism is their use of blood sacrifices. Such sacrifices are very significant to the Digo, especially in the exorcism of evil spirits. Witchdoctors are also consulted regularly. from africanperspectivesblog / April 24, 2011
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 14:21:04 +0000
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