PEWS Faculty Affiliate and Anthropology Professor Kathleen Grogan, Anthropology Professor Dan Murphy, and PEWS Postdoc Kate Nicole Hoffman have recently returned from a month-long trip to Bwindi, Uganda. Their aim was to work with the Batwa, one of the oldest indigenous tribes in Central Africa, on a project to preserve Batwa stories for future generations.
Although the Batwa hunted and gathered in the mountainous tropical rainforests of Central Africa for tens of thousands of years, roughly 30 years ago they were forced to leave their ancestral home as the region established new National Parks. Today, the Batwa face extensive economic, cultural, educational, and medical discrimination in Uganda and other parts of Central Africa.
The UC team partnered with the Action for Batwa Empowerment Group (ABEG), a non-political, non-profit, community-based organization run by the Batwa and headed by Sylvia Kokunda. ABEG’s mission is to empower the Batwa community through advocacy, education, skills development, healthcare, commercial agriculture, tourism, exposure, and research to holistically transform their lives and culture for a prosperous future.
ABEG was interested in working with UC to help preserve Batwa stories currently at risk of being lost, including stories about the Batwa’s time in the forest, the transition from the forest into an agricultural society, going to school for the first time, the various challenges faced by the Batwa today, and even hopes and dreams for the future. Participants were encouraged to share any story that they wanted preserved for future generations of Batwa. The team brought recording equipment to document individual stories, group discussions, and even songs and dances. On this trip alone, the team recorded over 100 stories, and have trained ABEG employees to use the equipment so that they can continue recording stories on their own. These recordings will be stored and shared back with all Batwa at ABEG’s new cultural center.
In the next phase of the project, ABEG will continue recording stories, and the UC team will develop additional ways to preserve and share stories with the Batwa community, including in the form of art pieces, children’s books, and interactive exhibits for the cultural center. These possible methods of story preservation and communication will be brought back to the Batwa community next year for feedback and engagement.
This summer, Batwa crafts and stories will be featured in an exhibit at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center, opening July 17th and running through August. The exhibit will showcase baskets, jewelry, carvings, and other crafts made by the Batwa, as well as pictures, videos, and stories from the craftmakers who made them. Stay tuned for more information!
