Storyteller
of the Ngorongoro Highlands
By Jeremy O’Kasick |
As the African sun sets, a group of travelers gathers outside a cave-like dwelling dug into the hillside. The fading light reveals hints of the dark interior: a complex framework of hardwood logs bound together by rich red mud. A shadowy figure appears in the entryway, as if emerging from the belly of the earth itself.
Brandishing a six-foot spear and a rawhide shield above his head, he bellows, "Let me tell you Americans something!"
"Congratulations on electing the 44th president of your great country!" the man exclaims. The master storyteller surveys his audience, satisfied that the dramatic intro has sufficiently captivated them.
"Now let me tell you a story...."
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Preserving
heritage
from the ground up
The man these travelers have come to meet is Daniel Tewa,
a member of the Iraqw (pronounced EE-rahk) tribe, a historian,
a storyteller, and a longtime friend of Thomson Safaris.
Opposite the handcrafted mud-and-hardwood structure sits
his modest modern house, where he and his wife Elizabeth
have lived for 37 years. |
A small
but sturdy man with a Charlie Chaplin mustache, Tewa is dressed
in his favored attire: a starched white shirt and spotless
ironed slacks, an outfit made all the more remarkable by the
dusty setting and the obvious ease with which he grasps the
spear and warrior's shield.
Tewa has
the kind of charisma and enthusiasm that instantly endears
him to people, and the staggering breadth of his knowledge
allows him to lead an engaging conversation on almost any
topic. (One traveler from Toronto, Canada recently commented,
"That guy knew almost more about Canadian politics than I
do!") One of Tewa's favorite subjects, however, is that of
his heritage and culture.
"We Iraqw
have a strong identity," he says. "We have a long history
and tradition that we pass on to our children."
Weaving
the traditions of family life
Tewa's wife, Elizabeth, has taught her daughters how to tailor
and bead traditional Iraqw skirts, a skill she learned from
her mother. Demonstrating her craft, she sits beside him,
hunched over the vibrant, pink-dyed cowskin garment in her
lap. Over the course of a week or more, she sews thousands
of tiny, multi-colored beads into various intricate patterns,
a skill that requires not only boundless patience but familiarity
with the hundreds of patterns and icons used in traditional
Iraqw design.
"Some women still wear these skirts for weddings and festivals,"
Tewa explains.
Rich in
symbolism and intricate designs, the skirts come with innumerable
deeper meanings. On wedding garments, for example, Tewa explains
that trees reflect extended family connections; a sun is an
ancient symbol for the Iraqw traditional god; another abstract
shape represents a mother's womb.
"You see
those zigzagging lines?" Tewa says and points to a blue-and-white
pattern that runs across the skirt. "Those are the ups and
downs of marriage, my friend."
So many
of the artifacts that surround Tewa's home have their story
to tell about the Iraqw. The mud dwelling in his backyard
is a traditional Iraqw home, accurate in every detail, which
Tewa built to preserve his heritage and to show travelers
who are interested in learning more about the history of his
people.
Telling
of Iraqw history and legends
"The Iraqw fought many wars with the Maasai," he says. "They
raided many of our cattle. That's why we had to build homes
like this in the ground to defend ourselves."
Tewa
explains that, from a distance, the earthen homes look
like small hills, the surrounding landscape camouflaging
the true nature of the dwellings hidden inside. During
wartime, families along with their cattle could reside
in such fortifications - some of which were connected
to vast networks of escape tunnels and underground chambers
- for weeks without seeing the light of day. |
Daniel and Elizabeth with a wedding
skirt |
"We came
to these lands long before the Maasai," he says. "Today, though,
we all live in peace. It has been a long journey for the Iraqw."
Daniel
explains that the Iraqw migrated to Tanzania from Ethiopia
perhaps as far back as 2,000 years ago. They are one of a
few Cushitic cultures of the region with a language unlike
any other in the country. Originally cattle herders, the Iraqw
eventually became master farmers along the Great Rift Valley,
adapting an advanced terraced- and rotation- crop system.
Daniel and other notable historians speculate that the Iraqw
are responsible for building a complex settlement and fortification
called Engaruka, near Lake Natron, which dates back to the
early 1400s. Some believe that the settlement had become a
powerful kingdom in its day, but, having been mysteriously
abandoned in the 1700s, it now lies in ruins.
"Our greatest
chief was named Haymu Tipe," Tewa says, beginning another
story. In fact, a curious and tragic legend surrounds Tipe,
who ruled during a time of unrest.
Tewa notes
that Tipe was feared as a great sorcerer. However, some of
Tipe's own warriors committed mutiny, captured his only son
and heir, and held him for ransom in a dense forest.
Daniel with a Thomson Safaris guest
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According
to Tewa, these rebel warriors then demanded to wage
a war against Tipe, or else they would kill his son.
Was it part of some greater conspiracy? Or was it a
misguided sense of honor that motivated them? It's a
riddle no one ever solved.
In
the end, the chief obliged by engaging warriors from
the neighboring Barbaig tribe to fight his own men.
His son was released but not without a cost - Tipe,
his family, and his entire chiefdom ended up being forced
into exile. |
As Tewa
goes on, he recounts a more recent struggle from the early
1900s, when colonial powers named one of the towns where the
Iraqw lived "Mbulu" and started referring to the tribe as
the "Mbulu". Not only was it a misspelling of Imboru but,
as an unfortunate coincidence, "mbulu" in Swahili means "simpleton."
It wasn't until decades later that new generations of Iraqw
started demanding to be called by their proper name instead
of one that had derogatory overtones.
"The generations
of today have done a lot to regain a respect for our culture
and people," Tewa notes.
Valuing
education today
Back at his home, Tewa begins to wrap up his discussion by
talking about current Iraqw values and hopes for the tribe's
future. More than 500,000 Iraqw live in Tanzania today, primarily
in the valleys south of Lake Manyara National Park and in
the Ngorongoro Highlands, which stretch around the Ngorongoro
Conservation Area.
Many continue
as farmers and cattle herders, however, the Iraqw have also
become prominent figures in higher education, business, and
national politics. For example, both a former prime minister
of the ruling party and a leading opposition member of parliament
happen to be of Iraqw heritage.
"One thing
that the Iraqw really value is that we all have rights," he
says. "People of all tribes have rights. Children have rights.
Cows, even the earth has rights."
Besides
Tewa, many Iraqw have also started to work in tourism. The
majority of staff members at Gibb's Farm, a historic lodge
and coffee estate in Karatu, are Iraqw. Especially notable
and dear to us is Willie Hombo, the very first Thomson Safaris
guide (indeed, the very first Thomson employee!), who is a
true pioneer and gifted naturalist.
"It's
true that today we also value education more than ever," says
Tewa.
His personal
story is testament to that fact. Few travelers would believe
that Tewa only has the equivalent of a middle school education.
Working as a laborer, farmer, and lodge staff member, he and
his wife went on to educate all twelve of their children;
several of whom have already received college degrees and
some of whom have become teachers.
Of course,
Daniel Tewa has become an educator in his own right, passing
on the wisdom and tales of the Iraqw to travelers, preserving
his heritage, and leading his community.
"Education
is the only way ahead for us now," he says. |
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