For thousands of years, the Ayoreo tribes have lived in the forests of South America, leading the same hunter-gatherer lifestyle as the very first humans on earth. It was not until a few decades ago that they came face to face with the 21 st century through a chance encounter. They were so similar, yet so separate, separated by history and time. This chance encounter opened Pandora's box for both worlds. These tribes, like so many others around the world, tell the story of our being. 70,000 XNUMX years ago somewhere in Africa, the very first "Modern Men / Homo Sapiens" started on a survival journey to the north coast of Africa. Many tribes took the same journey. Among them was a woman who happened to be our mother, since we are all related to her. Researchers have traced a genetic mutation among all of us who are not from sub-Saharan Africa to this woman. She was part of the only tribe that came to modern Arabia about 65,000 XNUMX years ago. So whether you are from Australia, Europe, America, Asia or Japan, she happens to be our universal African mother. It talks a lot about our self-perceived ideas of racial purity and superiority, right?
As of today, this world is packed with around 7.8 billion homo-sapiens who have constantly worked to shape this world into an ever-growing sci-fi tech zone. We are talking about stealth technology, flying cars, etc. But in the same world, there is a significant population of men who continue to live the same life our earliest ancestors lived. Often referred to as "indigenous and tribal peoples", they comprise around 4.7% of the world's population of 370 million, spread over 70 countries. There is no universal definition of indigenous and tribal peoples, but the International Labor Organization adopts a subjective and objective criterion for identifying them. The Indigenous and Tribal Convention, 1989, also known as ILO Convention No. 169, summarizes as follows:
| Subjective criteria | Objective criteria | |
| Indigenous | Self-identification as belonging to an indigenous people | Descent from populations, who inhabited the country or geographical region at the time of conquest, colonization or establishment of current state borders. They retain some or all of their own social, economic, cultural and political institutions, regardless of their legal status. |
| Tribes | Self-identification as belonging to a tribal people | Their social, cultural and economic conditions distinguish them from other parts of the national community. Their status is governed in whole or in part by their own customs or traditions or by special laws or regulations. |
Often recognized by various names, such as Adivasi, Aboriginal, Natives, Janjati or Hill Tribes, many of these tribes have managed to live in absolute seclusion and isolation during evolution. They do not form part of or know about nation states, the economy and the global world. If they are contacted by people from the outside world, they either fight or flee further into the depths of the forest. For example, the Sentinelese tribe from the Andamans is one of the world's most isolated tribes and continues to resist all contact with outsiders, attacking anyone who comes near. At the same time, there are so many other tribes that have established contact with the outside world and are open to change. They, in turn, have given us wonderful insights into their lives, history, evolution and cultures. Some of them follow extremely distinctive cultures that are exciting, thrilling and sometimes scary.
Unique tribes around the world
Here is a glimpse into the world of some of these tribes and their unique customs.
- Sentinelese - One of the few remaining uncontacted tribes in the world, they continue to resist the outside world. These Andamanian tribesmen live on a private island, the Sentinel, as large as Manhattan, and are considered sovereign people who have the right to attack, capture, or even kill invaders. Their extreme isolation makes them very vulnerable to diseases to which they have no immunity. Although it is often claimed that they continue to live in the Stone Age, this is clearly not true. Over the tens of thousands of years, they have adapted to changing times and have begun to use washed metal that they gained access to after shipwrecks and other such incidents. As observed from afar, sentinelese society is visibly healthy and prosperous, in stark contrast to the great Andamanian tribe, which the British sought to bring to "civilization".
- Surma people - The Surma people live in the upper Omo valley in Ethiopia and consist of the Suri tribe and the Mursi tribe. These strains are especially known for their body modification. They have some very strange but proud cultural traditions. When a boy comes of age, or when a man wants to take a bride, he must prove his merit by performing a form of martial arts called Sagine. It is a ceremonial duel involving stick fighting. At the same time, when a girl comes of age, she has her lower teeth knocked out with a stone. Then her lower lip is cut with a razor and stretched with a wooden plate. The wooden board is often replaced with a larger one until the desired shape is reached. Check out this video to get a better look at this weird custom.
- Samburu tribes - Based in the Great Rift Valley in northern Kenya, the nomads are constantly on the move every 5-6. week in search of water, newer pastures or in the event of the death of a tribe member. They often drink cube blood as their first meal of the day. However, they do not kill the cow for it. Instead, they get it by punching holes in the animal's vein with an arrow. They are a polyamorous society, and from a very young age women start using pearl necklaces with the number of pearls indicating the number of lovers they have had. Liberating, right? Another most liberating and beautiful fact about this tribe is that Sambura Women has crushed the 500-year-old patriarchy by establishing a village that is only for women. Check out the video below to find out more.
- Himba tribes Located in northern Namibia, Himba is an ancient tribe of shepherds. Polygamy, ie men who have several partners, is the norm among them. They also practice early arranged marriages. Young Himba girls are married to male partners chosen by fathers. Among the Himba people, it is common as a rite of passage to circumcise boys before puberty. In marriage, a Himba boy is considered a man, unlike a Himba girl who is not considered a full-fledged woman until she has children. Each member of the tribe belongs to two different clans, one from the mother's side and the other from the father's side. They wear very little clothing, but they are very attentive to details such as hairstyles, jewelry and makeup. Women put on make-up every day. Himba people, especially women, are remarkably known for covering themselves with otjize paste, a cosmetic blend of butterfat and ocher pigment, to cleanse the skin over long periods due to lack of water and protect itself from the extremely hot and dry climate.
- Rabari tribes - Members of this tribe have settled in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat in India, and have characteristic Persian features. They are said to have migrated from the Iranian plateau over a thousand years ago. Historically known to be cattle herders and camel herders, they are known to have now adopted a semi-nomadic lifestyle as opposed to the previously completely nomadic life. They have an interesting legend around their creation where the goddess Parvati cast a camel out of Lord Shiva's sweat while he meditated. But as the camel continued to run away, she created the first Rhubarb to take care of it. Keeping animals is therefore seen as a sacred profession by Rabari, who sees himself as the guardians of the herds instead of the owners. Interestingly, the social structure of Rabari is matriarchal, with women running most of their business and managing their villages, while men are in charge of the herds. They marry only within the community and are open to outsiders.
- Huli Wigmen Based in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, the Huli people are the largest ethnic group in the highlands and are best known for their custom of wearing decorative woven wigs, which are used as elaborate headdresses and decorated with bundles of multicolored feathers. These wigs are specially made by Huli Wigmen, who goes to wig schools and lives together in isolation from the rest of society. According to them, hair can only grow into a wig with the teacher's sorcery.
- Padaungs / Karen-folk (langhalsfolk) - Lives in the border mountains between Burma and Thailand, this tribal group is related to Tibetans. The Karen women are known for their distinctive beauty standards that are measured by the length of one's neck. The longer the neck, the prettier the woman. For the same reason, women in this tribe have metal rings / coils around their necks since they are 5 years old and continue to increase in number. of these rings around the neck to lengthen it. There is a popular legend about the need for long necks where they believe they have come down from the female dragon that mingled with the male human. Therefore, to connect to the memory of the dragon mother, the women wore these necklaces. Check out this video to appreciate their long-necked beauty.
- Chukchi people - They are indigenous peoples living on the Chukchi Peninsula and the coast of the Chukchi Sea in Russia. They live in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, where they largely maintain their traditional way of life. They survive through reindeer herding and hunting, and local women look after the houses, sew and embroider. The Chukchi people have been called the ultimate survivors, because they have managed to survive the Soviet Union's relentless attempts to extinguish them, with the culture intact. In Chukchi religion, every object, whether living or inanimate, is assigned a spirit. This spirit can be either harmful or benevolent.
- Maori tribes - This culturally rich tribe from New Zealand is known for its art, dance, legends, communities and tattoos. Haka military dance is one of the most famous Maori traditions. These strange dances are accompanied by singing, handshakes, trampling and banging with the palms of the thighs. Tattoos play a significant role in their lives as they also depict one’s social status. A high social status has always been reflected in drawings on the body, and tribesmen without tattoos have been considered worthless. During the tattoo the Maori are not allowed to eat or have sex until their wounds have healed. To avoid hunger, food and liquid from a wooden funnel are transferred into the mouth to prevent contact with the skin. They are said to have come to New Zealand more than 1,000 years ago from their mythical Polynesian homeland of Hawaii. They are polytheists and believe in the concept of spirits and supernatural forms of God who always help when the tribe is in need.
- Maasai - Kenya, Tanzania - One of the oldest and largest warrior cultures in history, they migrated and then took possession of the Rift Valley, after a series of battles against the other local tribes. To date, they have relied on the cycles of rainfall and drought for their cattle, which are still their central industry. They also like to eat their cattle by pouring blood and milk together to form a blood cream. Pretty culinary fancy !! Dressed in bright red Shuka clothes and colorful pearl jewelery, the warriors proudly adorn themselves with what to Western eyes looks like women's outfits. Another interesting thing about this tribe is that they consider spitting as a form of blessing and respect.
- San Tribe - The San people in Namibia, Botswana and Angola have one of the most beautiful customs we can all possibly learn from. They dance away the disease and the gloom. Yes, you read that right. One of their most integrated tribal traditions is the trance dance (also known as the healing dance). The whole community gathers around the fire, led by healers and elders, and continues in its trance for several hours. The healers dance around the fire, singing and hyperventilating until they produce a potent trance-like state where they gain access to the spirit world. They are often able to walk over the fire. According to them, this is not only to cure physical ailments, but also to dispel what they call "star sickness", a force that causes jealousy, anger and quarrels. Surely magical! You can get a glimpse of this beautiful ceremony here ..
There are so many beautiful tribes around the world, and just as beautiful are their customs and traditions. While some customs may seem glaring and extreme according to modern standards, others are definitely very grounded and connected to the spirit. A glimpse into their lives says a lot about the evolutionary process we all went through before we reached the stage we are now. These tribal values and customs are the source to connect us to our roots and introduce us to our spiritual realms that have long been forgotten in the everyday bouldering in this hectic modern world. Remember that they do not judge you and neither should you.
"Cultures are many, Man is one."
If we want to make this world a safer place for differences to coexist, we must learn to abandon our ethnocentrism.