Who are the Baka Pygmies? The Baka people, known in the Congo as Bayaka (Bebayaka, Bebayaga, Bibaya), are an ethnic group inhabiting the southeastern rain forests of Cameroon, northern Republic of Congo, northern Gabon, and southwestern Central African Republic. They are sometimes called a subgroup of the Twa, but the two peoples are not closely related. Likewise, the name "Baka" is sometimes mistakenly applied to other peoples of the area who, like the Baka and Twa, have been historically called pygmies, a term that is no longer considered respectful. The Baka people are hunter-gatherers, formerly called Pygmies, located in the Central African rain forest. Having heights of no more than 1.52 meters (5 feet) as well as a semi-nomadic lifestyles, the Baka are often discriminated against and marginalized from society. The tropical rain forest in Gabon, Central Africa where some of the Baka reside They reside in south-eastern Cameroon, northern Gabon and in the northern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Congo, the Baka people are otherwise known as the Bayaka. Some Baka are also found in the Southwestern African Republic. Although, the Baka people are located throughout the Central African rain forest, they are mainly concentrated in Cameroon as the Baka community of Cameroon represents roughly 30 000 individuals. The Baka are a semi-nomadic people, like other hunter-gatherers such as the Bagyeli and the Twa. However, they are slowly becoming a more sedentary people due to the intensive deforestation of the Central African Rainforest. Pressures from their taller and more dominant neighbors, the Bantu, have also slowed the Baka people's mobility. The Baka have successfully maintained their language, also called Baka. Unlike their neighbors' languages (Koozime, Bakoum and Bangandou) which have Bantu roots, Baka comes from a different language famiy, Ubangian. The Baka people are the principal hunter-gatherers of the tropical rainforest of Central West Africa. Groups establish temporary camps of huts constructed of bowed branches covered in large leaves (though today more and more homes are constructed following Bantu methods). The Baka hunt and gather their own food. The men hunt and trap in the surrounding forest, using poisoned arrows and spears to great effect. The men also welcome the help of dogs when going on hunting excursions. Fishing is very important in Baka culture as young boys are taught to use fishing rods at a young age. The men fish using chemicals obtained from crushed plant material. Using fast-moving river water, they disperse the chemical downstream. This non-toxic chemical deprives fish of oxygen, making them float to the surface and easily collected by Baka men. Another method of fishing, performed only by women, is dam fishing, in which water is removed from a dammed area and fish are taken from the exposed ground. Young-girls often accompany the women when they go fish-bailing in nearby streams. Their job is to help the women by watching over the infants while they fish. Women cultivate plants, such as plantains, cassavas and bananas, and practice beekeeping. The group remains in one area until it is hunted out. It then abandons the camp and settles down in a different portion of the forest. The group is communal and makes decisions by consensus. During the dry season, it is common for the Baka to move and set camp within the forest in order to facilitate fishing and overall nutritional gathering. The Baka are the most active during these dry seasons. Men hunt from dawn until dusk and the women gather two types of fruits: the "mabie" and the "pekie", which are used for the provision of juice and nuts. The Baka people continue to monitor bee activity in order to obtain honey or "poki". The Baka people are skilled in using various plants in which they may wash out chemicals. They often mash these plants into a pulp to treat illness and infertility. Children's health is of a particular concern as they are particularly susceptible to diseases that can often result in death. Their skills in this traditional medicine are such that even non-Baka often seek out their healers for treatment. After hunting successfully, the Baka worship Jengi with songs of thanksgiving and dancing in a ritual called Luma.

• published: 20 Nov 2014
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