Chagga



PRONUNCIATION: CHAH-guh

ALTERNATE NAMES: Chaga, Waschagga, Jagga, or Dschagga

LOCATION: Kilimanjaro region in northern Tanzania

POPULATION: 832,420

LANGUAGE: Kichagga; Swahili

RELIGION: Christianity; Islam

1 • INTRODUCTION

On the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, live the Chagga people. They are also called Chaga, Waschagga, Jagga, or Dschagga.

Traditionally, the Chagga belonged to different clans (groups of people of common descent) ruled by mangis (chiefs). The area was divided into independent chiefdoms. The chiefs sometimes warred with each other. Other times, they formed alliances to try to increase their power. After Tanzania won its independence in 1961, the system of chiefdoms was abolished throughout the country.

2 • LOCATION

Mount Kilimanjaro has two peaks, Kibo and Mawenzi. Vegetation on the mountain is varied. The lowest plains form the bushland, where maize (corn), thatch grass, and fodder (miscellaneous plants to feed farm animals) are grown. Next lies the coffee and banana belt. Each Chagga family has its own homestead in the middle of a banana grove. This is known as a kihamba (the plural of this word is vihamba ).

The Chagga population rose steadily from 128,000 in the 1920s to over 800,000 in the 1990s. Overpopulation has forced some Chagga people to move to the lowlands and to urban areas.

3 • LANGUAGE

The main language spoken by the Chagga people is Kichagga. It has various dialects spoken by Chagga in different regions. Despite these differences in dialect, the Chagga people can understand each another.

Almost all Chagga people also speak KiSwahili, the national language in Tanzania. KiSwahili is the language of instruction in primary schools and is used in the work-place. English is the language of instruction in secondary schools and institutions of higher learning.

4 • FOLKLORE

Chagga legends center on Ruwa and his power and assistance. Ruwa is the Chagga name for their god, as well as the Chagga word for "sun." Ruwa is not looked upon as the creator of humankind, but rather as a liberator and provider of sustenance. He is known for his mercy and tolerance when sought by his people. Some Chagga myths concerning Ruwa resemble biblical stories of the Old Testament.

In the past, chiefdoms had chiefs who rose to power through war and trading. Some famous past chiefs include Orombo from Kishigonyi, Sina of Kibosho, and Marealle of Marangu.

5 • RELIGION

Christianity was introduced to the Chagga people in the middle of the nineteenth century. By the end of the nineteenth century, both Protestants and Catholics had established missions in the region. With the adoption of Western religions, traditional Chagga beliefs and practices have been reduced or adapted to the new Christian beliefs.

Islam was introduced to the Chagga people by early Swahili caravan traders. Islam brought a sense of fellowship not only with the Chagga of different regions, but also with Muslims of other ethnic groups.

6 • MAJOR HOLIDAYS

The Chagga people celebrate both secular (nonreligious) and religious holidays. The main government holidays are New Year's Day (January 1), Union Day (April 26), Workers' Day (May 1), Peasants' Day (August 8), and Independence Day (December 9). Offices and shops close on these holidays. Government rallies, held around the country, include military parades and speeches.

The major religious holidays of both Christianity and Islam are celebrated. The major Christian holidays are Easter weekend and Christmas. The major Muslim holidays are Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Eid al-Fitr is a three-day celebration that comes after a month of fasting called Ramadan. Eid al-Adha commemorates the willingness of Abraham to obey God's command and sacrifice his son Isaac. After religious ceremonies are over, families gather for celebration and merrymaking.

7 • RITES OF PASSAGE

A Chagga proverb that translates directly as "He who leaves a child lives eternally" illustrates the Chagga belief that people live through their descendents. Children are taught to do small chores around the homestead as soon as they can walk. Girls' duties include grinding corn and cleaning out cattle stalls. The boys' main duty is to herd cattle. A rite called Kisusa is carried out when a child is about twelve years old. This rite is performed to curb unruliness in a child. An elder woman and already initiated youths sing songs about good morals and talk to the initiate about good behavior. This is followed by sacrifice of a goat and, one month later, by a purification ceremony.

In the past, both young men and young women were circumcised. Female circumcision is now discouraged.

Traditionally, before male youth were allowed to marry, the Ngasi (male initiation) ceremony, took place. A young man went to live in the forest. He received instruction in manhood, went hunting, and endured various ordeals. The Shija (female initiation) ceremony was performed after the young women were circumcised. All initiated young women were instructed in Chagga rituals, sexuality, procreation, and menstruation. Initiation ceremonies were abolished by the Germans, who controlled Tanzania from 1885 to 1946.

8 • RELATIONSHIPS

Greetings are important in Chagga culture. There are different greetings depending upon the time of day. Younger people are required to show respect to the older generations. It is believed that the more senior a person is, the closer his or her contact with ancestors.

Specific behavioral norms are maintained between various persons in Chagga society. These are based on a show of respect, non-hostility, or distance. A newlywed woman covers her head and squats in the presence of her father-in-law, thereby showing respect to and distance from him. The father-in-law is similarly required to avoid the daughter-in-law. A wife is required to always face her husband on approach lest she be accused of cursing him.

Public show of affection through bodily contact between the sexes is considered highly inappropriate. Traditionally, men and women were socially segregated.

9 • LIVING CONDITIONS

The traditional Chagga house was cone-shaped, with a roof thatched with dried grass. Another type of dwelling, also commonly built, was a house with a roof thatched with banana leaves. Because these houses tended to be large, they were built with the assistance of other villagers.

By the end of the nineteenth century, Swahili houses were introduced, initially constructed by chiefs. These houses were rectangular, with walls made of wattle (interwoven sticks) and mud, and thatched roofs. Today, these houses are more commonly built with cement walls and corrugated metal roofs.

10 • FAMILY LIFE

Traditionally, the Chagga marriage ceremony was a long process, starting with betrothal proceedings and continuing long after the couple was married. Bridal payments were made over the wife's lifetime. Today, Christian couples are married in churches. There is much drinking and feasting throughout the marriage negotiations and celebrations.

The groom builds the house where he will live with his wife after marriage. After the birth of the first child, the husband moves into a tenge (hut), and the mother lives with her children. Chagga couples have an average of six children. Great importance is placed on having a son to continue the lineage.

11 • CLOTHING

Traditionally, Chagga clothing was made of cowhide. With contact with the outside world, the Chagga started to wear imported bead ornaments and cloth wraparound garments. These colorful pieces of cloth are called kangas and kitenges . They may be worn over a dress, or may be used to carry babies on the back or hip.

School-aged boys wear shorts, but adults (both male and female) and young women generally do not wear shorts in public except during sports. Mitumba (secondhand clothing from overseas) is sold at the marketplace and is in great demand by low-income people.

12 • FOOD

The staple food of the Chagga people is bananas. Bananas are also used to make beer, their main beverage. The Chagga plant a variety of food crops, including bananas, millet, maize (corn), beans, and cassava. They also keep cattle, goats, and sheep. Due to limited land holdings and grazing areas, most Chagga people today are forced to purchase meat from butcher shops.

Pregnant women eat a diet of milk, sweet potatoes, fat, yams, and butter; these are considered female foods. Bananas and beer are considered male and are not to be eaten by pregnant women.

13 • EDUCATION

The initial classroom education available to the Chagga was in the Christian missions. Boys often outnumbered girls in the education facilities because education was not considered as important for girls. After Tanzania's independence, all Chagga people were encouraged to attend at least primary level education. By 1971 primary education was provided free by the government. All children seven years of age and older were required to attend primary level education for at least seven years. Those who passed a qualifying examination went on to secondary education. Private secondary schools, trade schools, and business schools are also available.

14 • CULTURAL HERITAGE

Traditional Chagga instruments include wooden flutes, bells, and drums. Dancing and singing are part of almost every celebration. With exposure to other ethnic groups and Western culture, the Chagga have shown a liking for various types of music. These include Swahili songs produced by various Tanzanian bands, and West and Central African music and dance forms. Reggae, pop, and rap are popular with the youth.

The Chagga have rich oral traditions and have managed to record most of their history. They have many legends and songs. Proverbs are used to guide youth and convey wisdom.

15 • EMPLOYMENT

Traditionally, Chagga work has been centered on the farm and is divided by gender. Men's work includes feeding goats, building and maintaining canals, preparing fields, slaughtering animals, and building houses. Women's work includes firewood and water collection, fodder cutting, cooking, and cleaning the homestead and stalls. Women are also in charge of trading in the marketplace.

Many Chagga young people work as clerks, teachers, and administrators, and many engage in small-scale business activities. Women in rural areas are also generating income through activities such as crafts and tailoring. The Chagga are known for their sense of enterprise and strong work ethic.

16 • SPORTS

Chagga children first encounter sporting events at school. Primary school children are encouraged to participate in interschool competitions that often lead to interregional and national championships. Favorite sports at school are soccer, netball (similar to basketball), and athletics (track and field). At secondary schools, Chagga youth may be exposed to sports such as basketball, table tennis, and volleyball.

Following the national soccer league is a pastime greatly enjoyed by the Chagga. On the weekends, proper and makeshift soccer fields alike are crowded with both spectators and players.

17 • RECREATION

For many years there were no television stations in Tanzania. Radio broadcasts were a major source of entertainment. Many households have transistor radios, and a favorite pastime is listening to radio plays and sports programs. On occasions of major broadcasts and matches, the Chagga often gather around a radio in a public meeting place, usually with a local brew in hand.

In the past, only the wealthy Chagga could afford television sets. Now many Chagga people own televisions and VCRs. This has led to the opening of many video lending libraries in the town of Moshi.

18 • CRAFTS AND HOBBIES

Traditionally, the Chagga made their own utensils, mainly from wood. These items included small bowls, huge beer tubs, spoons, and ladles. Iron items included bells, ornaments, hoes, and spears. The Chagga also made their own weapons and animal traps. Chagga musical instruments include wooden flutes, bells, and drums. Basket weaving was also common. This art is now dying out as more items are bought at local stores.

19 • SOCIAL PROBLEMS

Tanzania has undergone a period of economic hardship, limiting the government's ability to provide adequate social services. Public schools and health facilities are run down. As a result, many private schools and health facilities have opened in the Kilimanjaro region.

Lack of adequate farm land is forcing Chagga youth to seek work away from the kihamba (family homestead). This has led to a breakdown in social values and an increase in sexual promiscuity. An increasing number of children are born out of wedlock. The occurrence of sexually transmitted diseases, especially AIDS, has risen. AIDS awareness programs have been initiated to help deal with the problem. Loss of Chagga culture is another consequence of outside contact.

The political scene has changed in Tanzania from a single party in 1965 to multi-party politics in 1992. This has encouraged more Chagga to be politically active. There is an increasing cohesion of the Chagga people along party lines and a renewed sense of cultural identity.

20 • BIBLIOGRAPHY

Heale, Jay. Tanzania. Tarrytown, N.Y.: Marshall Cavendish Corp., 1998.

Houston, Dick. Safari Adventure. New York: Cobblehill Books, 1991.

Kaula, Edna Mason. The Land and People of Tanzania. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1972.

Margolies, Barbara A. Rehema's Journey. New York: Scholastic, 1990.

McCulla, Patricia E. Tanzania. New York: Chelsea House, 1989.

Reader, John. Kilimanjaro . New York: Universal Books, 1982.

Weber, Valerie, and Tom Pelnar, eds. Tanzania. Milwaukee: G. Stevens Children's Books, 1989.

WEBSITES

Africa Online. Tanzania. [Online] Available http://www.africaonline.co.tz/AfricaOnline/aboutz/page4.html , 1997.

Interknowledge Corp. Tanzania. [Online] Available , 1998.

Internet Africa Ltd. Tanzania. [Online] Available , 1998.

Southern African Development Community. [Online] Available http://www.sadc-usa.net/members/tanzania/ , 1998.

World Travel Guide. Tanzania. [Online] Available http://www.wtgonline.com/country/tz/gen.html , 1998.



User Contributions:

1
bj
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS ARTICLE, IT REALLY HELPED ME ALOT, THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS!
2
Jolenna
excellent infornmation about the topic of the chagga people.
3
Grace Sodzi
This article was great! It really helped me with my corsework! Just what i needed after a stressful lecture!
4
Kris Omar
You have provided an excellent article and a great source for educating others about the Chagga people. Thank you!
5
Thomas
Good introduction of my trible chagga.i like it.where do i get map of the location of the chagga,am chagga but i woul never born there.
Thanks very much.
6
Ella
I bow DOWN to whoever put this up. I needed it SOOOO much!!! My projects due tomorrow and this has helped A LOT! haha sorry, just a bit excited :)
7
Titus Maurice Masao
Just a small correction in your nice and very valid article about the Wachagga:- the germans rule in Tanganyika ended after the first world war i.e. 1918, it did not go up to 1946 as indicated in your article. Secondly, chief Horombo (not Orombo) was from Rombo (may be Kishigonyi is not well known).
Nice article about the Chagga. I think I love their culture and their way of life. Actually theirs' is similar with ours.
i love chagga culture i am now in a relationship with my girlfriend and she loves me so much i am a kenyan and shes from tanzania but she is lovely and she is the example and the mirror of my chagga convictions
So wonderful, such a nice article, was looking for it for so long i'm so glad that i have found it,i had an assignment on Chagga culture,it has helped me a lot,thanks a lot, though i guess you still need to add more information especially about the NGASI and the SHIJA,
all in all it's a good work.
11
usher
aaahhh!!!i like the culture of the chaga.this is my origin but i live in different country "There appears to be a positive correlation between an atmosphere of 'human playfulness' (otherwise known as humour) in the workplace and the improvement of 'innovative activity and creativity'." i will be back to my people and country.
12
F. Malisa
Thank you, for good work, some of other information I didn't know before, I'm also chagga, I belong to this tribe. Be blessed.
13
ELIAICHI
It is really impressing to find that you committed yourself to share some information with the rest of the community. Kindly if you could write more on the democratic features during the precolonial era. There is alot we can learn from our past and see how we can intergrate some aspects in todays lives so that everything is not lost. Thankyou.
14
Emmanuel Kimario Beda
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PUT THIS ARTICLE IN PUBLIC IT HAS HELPED ME MUCH IN MY ACADEMIC PRESENTATION AT TANGAZA COLLAGE IN NAIROBI KENYA.
15
Junior
it is the best article ever about this best TRIBE in Tanzania
16
modest minja
THANKS A LOT FOR WHAT YOU DID AM A CHAGGA I HVE FRIENDS WHO ARE NOT CHAGGA I SHOW THEM HOW WE ARE THROUGH THIS ARTICLE THE ARE ALL SUPRISING WITH HOW CHAGGA ARE WELL KNOWN AND HAVE THEIR OWN HISTORY GOD BLESS YOU
17
Victor Mbombo
Nice little information. I'm member of this tribe, and on seeing this article I remember a book I once saw in my father's home Library in 1996-1997 with title "THE HISTORY OF WACHAGGA". In reading this post in mail I remember to make a follow-up of the book which I believe I will meet it in a good health because my father is very carefull in keeping things. Just imagine in his home, there is a tea-thermos bought in 1970's and it is still functioning todate.This book contains a detailed content about WACHAGA so on getting it I will give U more detailed information on making the book available online or so.
18
Happygod Paul
Its a nice artical for us who are taking linguistics as our career.Thanks for your help
19
Omega Edwards, M.D.
In addition to this nice article. In-regards to music, I have recently interviewed several Wachagga who are over the age of fifty. They do not think that the Wachagga are a "musical tribe". Perhaps they were prior to German/Christian influence, however they would suggest that most Chagga would not call themselves musical. With pride, my interviewees stated that the Wachagga like to "appreciate" music and dance. They like music to be played at a volume that does not distort the quality of the sound. They prefer slow dances that are "gentlemanly" as opposed to spontaneous gyrations. I also noted a hint of sadness at the seeming loss of their traditional music to outside influence. This sadness appeared to be short lived as the many other strengths of the tribe immediately restored a sense of pride.
20
Mangizila Evance Mrema
Thanks for everyones,this article gonna let people to know about wachagga tribe...
21
Pramod Joshi
I enjoyed reading this article on Wachaga of Kilimanjaro. I'm from Moshi and have great interest in Kilimanjaro region. Would you know the names of villages on the southern and western slops of Kilimanjaro? If you do then please let me know, mthis will help me with my project. Thanking you and hoping to hear from you.
22
Jessica
Thank you for this it helped me loads with my school work
23
janiya Brooks
thank you for this it helped me do my work at school so im telling you thank you
24
Hosiana f. Siao
I feel so proud to be chagga.
Wachagga tuko vizuri.
Nisha den!
25
TorchicTime
Thank you so much this really helped me for my Chagga tribe project.
26
Burhan Urassa
Thanks for the best article, since it sheds light on the nature and brief tribe ground to the native speakers but also non Chagga speakers. But one crucial comment: we need to look again and make some adjustments on some part of this article, example mutual intelligibility of speakers in the language.
27
Søren Eyser Thulstrup
Thank you for an enlightening article. I will be going to Tanzania for Christmas this year, and a beautiful representative for this tribe will be welcoming me / Søren :-)

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