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Ancient African Kingdoms Africa had empires that ruled vast territories for centuries. Nile and Kush in Northeast Mali and Songhai in the West Otherwise, African culture is DIVERSE – TRIBES!
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Unit 3: Sub-Saharan AfricaToday’s Topic: African Tribalism & Animism
In your notes . . .
Ancient African Kingdoms • Africa had empires that ruled vast
territories for centuries.• Nile and Kush in Northeast• Mali and Songhai in the West
• Otherwise, African culture is DIVERSE – TRIBES!
African Tribalism • Stateless Society: Outside of north and western Africa, there are fewer organized kingdoms.• Tribal culture changes dramatically
from village to village – DIVERSITY.•Most tribes rely on waterways
such as the Nile, Congo, or Niger for survival.
The Bantu Migration • Bantu originally came from
Equatorial Africa.• Over thousands of years, Bantu
people migrated south from West Africa.• Today, most Sub-Saharan black
Africans have some connection to the Bantu people: language, religion, customs, etc.
Family & Lineage • Most tribes are structured around the extended family• parents, children, grandparents . . .
• Lived in small villages• Families were combined into larger
communities known as lineage groups/clans• Your lineage says a lot about your place in society.
• Extended family has struggled as many rural Africans have begun moving to cities – urbanization.• Tribes are either patrilineal or matrilineal
(trace heritage through father or mother’s family).• In many tribes, women make the important
decisions.
Community & Education • The group is more important than the individual.
• Age Sets: Based on one’s age, a tribesperson has different responsibilities.• Men: hunt, protect, farm• Women: raise children, prepare food, clean
• Different villages had different methods of raising and educating children:• Congo – boys and girls were raised by mom until age
6. Learned language, family history, songs, etc.• After that they were separated, girls to the “house
of women” and boys to the “house of men”• Traditions are handed down orally from
generation to generation.• Griots of West Africa serve as storytellers using
poetry, dance, and rhythm to pass on history.
Griots of West Africa
Religion in Tribal Africa • North Africa: Islam dominates
• Sub-Saharan Africa is more diverse.• For the majority of its history, Africa has
been dominated by Animism & Ancestor Worship.• Animism: the belief that all things have some
kind of spirituality• Ancestor Worship: having deep respect for
wisdom of dead ancestors• Islam has spread beyond the Sahara.• Christianity was introduced to many parts of
Africa by Europeans (1500s – 1900s).• Today, many Africans combine Christianity with
tribal beliefs.
Problems Facing Modern Tribes • National unity is difficult when many
Africans show more loyalty to a tribe than the nation.• Communication problems centered on
language.• Tribal warfare, much of which is
connected to European Imperialism.• Tribal control of government and
government positions: Nepotism• Urbanization is challenging traditional
tribal practices and breaking up lineage groups/clans.