Tristan Head: Revolutionary Traditions

Gregg Hayward lived in Zambia the central, landlocked part of Africa from 2005 until early 2007 but left because of a sickness he contracted. Our conversation started because upon reading Henderson the Rain King I immediately thought of him and similar experiences he must have had during his time in the small village, Mwanasasa which was about 15 miles West of Mansa. Gregg stressed the importance of tradition in the village but also the impact America and Western civilization has had on the people. His description of the people in the village was, “An MTV crazed teenager, met peasant farmer, with hardcore Christian beliefs” and this was because Zambia is believed (by the tribes) to have originally been 100 tribes who were forced to integrate by the Christian missionaries during the 1840’s; the tribes who practiced polygamy and had witch doctors then became radicalized because their lose of religion. The tribes now fight as Native Americans do between a struggling past to create a new future.

Gregg, as Henderson went to Africa with solutions to problems tribes did not even know they had. He had to restructure his plan on how to help solve Africa’s problems; he did this by asking questions and learning the answers through the tribe. The times when we ask questions and are able to learn from our students, we (as teachers) are able to teach the best. The tribes were more Westernized than he had ever dreamed of and this became evident as he set-up meetings with peasant farmers. When he went to visit the peasant farmers they would be wearing a three-piece suit and have a cell phone hanging from their neck to show (s)he was worth Gregg’s time because they were prosperous enough to afford these material goods. A cell phone is a sign of status and even if a person can not afford to have minutes on the phone they will still wear one. The differences between cultures became more evident as Gregg learned the traditions of the native Mwanasasaneese.
Banachimbusa (Bana is a reference to women and chimbusa for respected elder) has to do with the coming of age for a girl. When a girl feels she has reached her “coming of age” period, which can happen at any age, she goes to a respected woman of the community and together they go into the wilderness for three days. Over the three day period, the girl explains to the elder everything she would be responsible for whether it is how to cook the traditional dish of ubwali or how to care for children. The elder is viewed as the keeper of tradition who is supposed to teach the girl the traditional practices a wife is expected to fulfill not only for her husband but the tribe as well. Women are looked to as prominent members of the community because their role as child bearer, horticulturist, and cook. After three days there is a large ceremony that takes place involving the entire village much like the ceremony that takes place when Henderson becomes Sungo-Rain King. Although the Mwanasasaneese do not wear traditional dress when celebrating. Gregg told me, “Instead of using grasses to make a dress, they may use plastic bags to form a dress around their waste to represent the changing of times.” He then described the ceremony to a Bat Mitzvah with traditional dancing and various religious celebrations. Gregg described the dance as something that was, “sexually provocative and would probably be rated a PG-13 or light R by the movie guild. It is supposed to be the girls coming out party and ensures that the village men know she is now available for marriage.”
Marriage is one of the most traditional aspects for Zambians and is taken wholeheartedly, even today after some traditions have become lenient. When a man becomes interested in marrying a woman he needs to take the decision serious, he must contemplate if she will be a good wife, cook, would be faithful, and if she meets the mans standards he will seek an “in-between.” This “in-between” is a good friend who goes to the family of the woman and offers to pay the family, for instance: three goats and be willing to farm five hectares a year, for five years. The father will then decide to accept the offer or renegotiate; if he rejects the offer, the interested man can attempt to show his positive qualities but more often then not, this fails. If the father accepts the three goat and five year farming of five hectares, the couple will get married and the new husband will live within the family for five years. This is believed to strengthen the foundations of the newly weds relationship by giving birth to a relationship between the husband and the wife’s family because they will be dependent on her family for the years to come. Family is an important aspect for Zambians because as Gregg stated, “There were only five people over 60 years old; 15 over 45; 25 over 20; and 150 from zero years of age to 20.” Many of the children from zero to 20 will die from HIV or tuberculosis so it is important children learn their basic necessities at a young age because their parents and siblings may not be around long enough to teach them. These necessities are polar opposites from Americans and Gregg explained this to me by telling me about a five year old he knew during his time in Zambia. The young boy was able to name every tree or plant in the forest but could not add, write his name, or anything American schools deem necessary for a child to know.
Tradition is something Zambians hold close to their heart but they have been forced to up-date practices because of the HIV and AIDS epidemics. When a Zambian man dies his wife must be sexually cleansed. In the past, this was done by the husband’s brother who would sleep with the widow and while this seems grotesque to us today, it is seen by Zambians as a core-strength of the family. It ensured the widow was brought into the family and given security: financially or emotionally. When I asked if this was similar to the father walking his daughter down the aisle in a Catholic marriage ceremony, Gregg responded, “Yes, but obviously to a different degree. It is similar because they are literally giving the widow away again and this could not be done any other way.” They have recently changed this ritual by having the woman wear a bracelet with a single white bead, signifying her husband’s death and her purity. The widow wears this bracelet until it becomes tethered and falls off. This is seen as her rebirth, and she is made available for marriage or a relationship again.
Zambians are hand-to-mouth peasant farmers and dependent on each season to bring them crops which they eat throughout the season as they harvest until the next crop is available. When a peasant farmer dies there is a spiritual gathering between the entire community the night they die. Everyone in the village camps outside the deceased's house, women go inside to wail and cry-out for anywhere between 24 to 48 hours. Gregg described this as, “one of the most breathtaking sounds I have ever heard. The women put so much energy into this act they will actually pass out from being so tired.” They do this while men and children are outside cooking and preparing for the end of the wailing session. Gregg emphasized that if you were biking by a wailing ceremony you must stop and pay your respects to the deceased. Even if you did not know them you would go up to the men, ask about the farmer who died, and if you were able to, you would leave some money for the family, thanking them as you left. Gregg said, “They view this as an intense emotional experience where they release all their feelings so they are able to move on. It brings the community together to mourn and celebrate the passing of a peasant farmer.” This also allows the village to mourn quickly and return to the fields to ensure they will have food in the coming months. They do not waste anytime because while honoring the death of a friend is important the harvest season is short and uncertain. If they were to prolong the ceremony as Americans do by having a wake and then a funeral a week later they would not be doing the individual honor and would be risking their nourishment in the near future.

It is through the attempts of small villages like Mwanasasa to instill traditions in the youth that they continue to live prosperous lives but it is because of the youth they exclude traditions that cause the tribe harm. Gregg told me about billboards in Lusaka that had a picture of a baby with the caption, “Will NOT cure HIV” and how hard he worked to spread the word that condoms would help stop the spread of AIDS something Christian Missionaries told tribal members was not true. The tribes work hard to keep their traditional beliefs but realize some must go and this is done through the up-dating of past traditions, such as the deceased husband’s brother sleeping with the widow now being performed by the simple action of wearing a bracelet. This is different but still helps the widow stay connected to the family and have a safe place to go when she needs food or help raising a child. Gregg like Henderson teaches us how the American ideals are not always perfect but they allow us through knowledge to help cultures revolve. When Americans are able to relate to traditions and and not remove the beliefs from the tribe that we as a country improve as well as assisting in the improvement of the country in need. Traditions are never ending in change constantly creating a new beginning showing the never ending cycles encountered throughout life.

All photos courtesy of Gregg Hayward: