The Hadzabe Tribe near Lake Eyasi

We went to Lake Eyasi for a couple of nights and toured the grounds on the shores of Lake Eyasi and we went to visit some of the tribes nearby. One of those tribes is the indigenous ethnic group called the Hadzabe Tribe. They are one of the last hunter-gatherer tribes left in the world. There are only thought to be about 1500 left in Tanzania with only 1/3 of them living traditionally. They are the people that have only an oral language (not a written one) that consists of clicking and popping noises. One thing I had never thought of before was how difficult it is to do a census on the nomadic tribes in Africa. I talked to our driver about it and he just said it was hard. They allow tourists to come and hunt with the men and gather with the women, as it also earns them money. The man in the photos with the beaded headband is this tribe’s chief. The men and women have separate roles and were separated when we first came to visit. They do not keep track of time or even the age of their children. There are no birthdays or anything like that. They do not even keep track of how old a child is. They let them develop naturally in their tribe and go with their gender groups when they feel ready. The kids wore no shoes and there were times when they got pickers or burrs in the soles of their feet. There were no tears. They simply picked up a reed or a stick and brushed them off. The soles of their feet were incredibly tough. I mentioned several times that the people in Tanzania are so incredibly friendly. The Hadzabe people were the exception. They really didn’t want much to do with us, especially the women. We were given permission to take photos and share them. They love their kids…love to sing and dance….and the kids are really happy. I loved the little girl swinging on the tree boughs. She had pure joy on her face.