The following is a post written by a student, Aide Gonzalez. This
post highlights her work that she completed as part of her requirements
in Ant 411: Culture Areas of the World. Students have the opportunity
to explore material through their own research. Please show your
appreciation for her work through the comments.
by Aide Gonzalez
The reading this week and the video focused
on African hunter gathers on how they were able to survive during difficult
times. It focused on the help to African civilizations, and the
efforts to preserve their political and cultural identities in a continent besieged
by crisis. The reading focused more on hunter-gatherers in specific areas of
Africa. The video focused on Bruce Parry who spent time with the Akie people of
Tanzania. Akie people have their own language; they are known as one of the last people that
still practices hunter-gatherers.
My curiosity question is was hunting considered
just men’s work? On the video we watched in class, Bruce Parry built a close
relationship with the Akie. He was able to practice different things, such as
speak their language, hunt animals, collect and eat wild honey, and drink their
home-made beer. He was exposed to their life style and conflicts that the Akie
tribe faced; he was also able to practice their survival skills.
When I watched the video, Parry spent the
majority time with men and it made me curious about if hunting was just for men
or were women able to be part of it? I
did my research and found an article related to the hunter-gathers the name of
the article is “The Okiek of Kenya” This article provided the history of the
Okiek tribe, religion, and most important their way to survive in their
village.
This article answered my question. According to “The Okiek of Kenya” article,
“Making beehives, collecting honey, and hunting were all considered men's
work”. Men were responsible to provided food to the table. The Okiek traveled with dogs, they built
their own bows, arrows, spears to hunt, and they also set traps. As we watched
the video, hunting was not easy. The Akie people and Parry left early in the
morning to hunt, but they were unlucky and did not kill an animal. They stayed
up all night waiting to hunt something, but finally after days, they were able
to kill an animal. Hunting was not described as an easy job, and hunting would
usually take hours to up to days to hunt a big animal to feed a village. According
to the article Okiek tribe was roughly two dozen groups of hunters and
honey-gatherers, and the tribal members were located in the middle of Kenya
living in forested highlands.
The article also reported that women’s work
was to stay in the village and take care of other necessary things. According
to the article, “women's work included processing and cooking food, building
traditional houses, maintaining firewood and water supplies, most childcare,
and making leather bags, straps, and, at one time, clothing”. One thing that I
observed in the video was, man and women went together to look for water. This
was the only thing that the Akie tribe did together. Also, in the article
discussed that the Okiek tribe relied on a diet of meat and honey, supplemented
by traded grains.
In conclusion, this week’s
focus was hunter-gatherers, and I came up with a curiosity question. My
question focused on whether or not hunting was considered just men’s work? I
found an article, “The Okiek of Kenya,” which answered my question. According to the article men were the only ones to provide hunted
food. They were responsible to collect wild honey and hunt. They traveled in
groups and with dogs to hunt. The women’s job was to stay in the village to
process the meat, cook food, make leather clothing, building traditional houses
and take care of their children.
References
Kratz, Corinne A. (2013,
September) “The Okiek of Kenya”. Vol.46, 1-5.
25 comments:
I really enjoyed reading African Hunter-Gathers:Blog Post because it answered all of the questions I had while reading it. The questions I had are "Is Hunting Considered Just Men’s Work?and his week’s focus was hunter-gatherers". an article, “The Okiek of Kenya,” which answered my question. According to the article "men were the only ones to provide hunted food. They were responsible to collect wild honey and hunt. They traveled in groups and with dogs to hunt. The women’s job was to stay in the village to process the meat, cook food, make leather clothing, building traditional houses and take care of their children"
The article showed me that they played traditional roles that helped the family work as a team instead of as individuals who had to hunt while taking care of their children. This type of role placement showed role balance in African hunter gatherer civilization
After reading this blog I actually did enjoy reading it just because i did find out a few things . That the men in this culture were the ones who hunted and brought back the food it kind of reminds me of what is going on over here in America also basically the men are supposed to work and the women stay home cook , clean and take care of the kids you know like what we see in the movies . -Mykia Chaney
In my opinion hunting should be just a man thing in any culture that still practices this. Men are supposed to be the bread winners, they are supposed to provide for their family to be able to eat and survive hunting for them does exactly that.
-Apreshana Page
I enjoyed reading this article because I feel like a lot of people feel as if hunting is just for men. They feel as if woman can’t do the things that men do , which is so incorrect because women can do some things better than men! It’s like today’s society. They expect us women to stay home and just cook. We can go out and build things, hunt, etc. I did enjoy reading the article though it was interesting and some of the questions asked were some I needed to know as well. - Alexis Buford
This was an interesting blog. I recently had a similar conversation about men being the hunters/ bread winners over women when we all can do the exact same thing. This article helps me out more on my opinion because the way we all think today is a reflection of what we were taught by our elders and what they were taught by their elders. Basically a reflection of the past. This is why most men think they need to “wear the pants” in a household when all in all its a 50/50 thing. This is the type of information we all need to read up on to understand where we are now.
-Jasmine Busby
In America the females are suppose to stay home and clean and the men provide the food and such things for the household well that was the tradition that was passed down from generation and in Africa they do the same based off this article that why everyone agrees that men are stronger than women because of things such as this. -Ta'Ricka Foots
After watching the video and reading the above post by Aide, I really made a connection that the stereotypes of genders are worldwide. That men do the hunting and women do the cooking and cleaning, now these roles have changed since and are continuing to change. Both are capable of either task.
-Logan Shea
I find this reading to be very intriguing. The writer asked a curiosity question that relates today in the world. Men are seen as the providers for their families. It is frowned upon when the woman becomes the provider while the man is beneath her. The African Hunter Gatherers portray the idea of the woman still being the housewife, while the man goes out and provides.
-Braxten Goodwin
I feel like hunting wasn’t just men’s work, I feel like it took the whole community. Even women, had a part I feel like in the hunting process. Now, hunting is a huge deal. Especially in America. Hunting is popular among everyone now though even women. But in certain cultures it was looked at as a mans duty to hunt for food. But looking at this women did also help in some ways as well.
After reading this blog I actually did enjoy reading it just because i did find out a few things. The article showed me that they played traditional roles, whereas some Americans households today go by. In today's society women likes to do things on their own.
-Micah Seals
I think think this blog is very interesting. Hunter-gatherers have been around since the beginning of time. It takes a village to get the job done so i definitely believe women hunted as well.
I can understand why only the men hunted and gathered food because you can not take a baby to go hunt and gather because they cry. Plus, it’s the possibility of getting killed. If killed women are the only ones that can reproduce. It makes since in a way. I wonder if they still practice that way of life because of all the technology, like have they switched or changed a couple things about the way they live or still live the same?
—Monya’ Smith
To be honest, nothing about this article really stood out to me, other than the fact that women had to build the houses. We have been living in a world that has believed since the beginning of time that that women are supposed to take care of the home while the men go out and provide. As time has progressed as the people have started to wain away from those stereotypes, but that is still the beliefs of many people everywhere.
I believe the African hunter-gathers are like people in America. The American tradition of society is to have the males be the breadwinners for the family , which means making sure there is a roof over their head and making sure there is food on the table. The females in America are made to stay home in cook, clean, and take care of the children at home. Nowadays the woman of the house is making more money and etc, So to answer your question yes I believe females can do anything especially being a Hunter-Gather. Females are very important, females carry children, feed them and stop babies from crying so much.
-Roy
I believe this has a lot of similarities to american exception of women and men. Men work to bring food and money home while the women suppose to take care of the house by cooking and cleaning and also take care of the kids. Which is stating women aren't as capable of doing men work to where as today its the opposite. Women are becoming more strong armed on what they believe they can do and be treated. Once you really think about it women are very important in this world especially when having a child. Just as
they can raise a family they can do really anything a man can.
Akwila Cooks
In most cultures men do all the work or majority of the work and women stay in the village and do "wifey or woman" work. In my opinion there are a lot of things that both sides can do and I think that if a woman wants to go out and hunt she should be able too and I also think that men should take part in taking care of the children. Most of the time women are just down played.
I would have to say my views of this blog post would be opposite of others. I feel like the women should not have been hunting with the men. I feel like the men should have been out hunting while the women was at base doing something while they were gone. But it makes sense in a way that it was a community effort.
I do feel that hunting is more considered if the mans job because it’s dangerous and also mothers have more of a nurturing feeling which is why she should stay with the kids. I do also feel that if a woman wanted to do the hunting, they should be able to because we are just as hardworking as men. We can’t just always live by stereotypes. - Jayden Pullman
I think it’s very interesting that women didn’t hunt. In my Black America’s class we learned about a tribe where only the women hunted and they came back with food daily. Why do you think that they caught more food? I would think it would be because of organization skills, patience, or just a surplus or game in the area. I’m also surprised that even though the women do not hunt they also don’t collect the honey. In most of the movies that I’ve seen that have something to do with bees or honey have had women handling the bees. I believe in one of the movies it was said that women are better around the bees because the bees need to be relaxed almost the entire time in order to get really good honey but I may also be wrong. I really appreciate he insight this article gave me.
I am not surprised that women didn’t do the hunting. Many cultures and societies assume the women’s role is to do house work and care for children. Looking back into history, there were some tribes that women did the hunting, but that is not something that was commonly found. I think one of the main reasons it does not surprise me, is because in our own society women had to fight for their right to work and be treated the same as men, because once again a woman belonged in the house caring for the family. Very interesting and informative blog though. It is awesome how they used all of their resources around them to survive, like hunting beehives, and making their own tools like bows and traps.
Kahla Perry
Hi name is Tonii Saffore. I really enjoyed reading your post and I can say that I have wondered the same things as you before which is rather or not hunting and gathering is a men job. while a lot of tribes leave this up to the men, I do know that there are a few tribes were the women hunt instead of the men or if not instead, with the men. one example of this is the Anmatyeree women of Australia northern territory where these women hunted all kinds of things. I also read somewhere that if in some tribes, when the women brought back food, it was not favored as much a man bringing back food but they still did it.
I think that hunting is not only just for men. Women are just as capable of doing so but society has everyone thinking that men are the heroes and bread winners of society when women can do the same and more as well.
I want to ask you, why do you feel as if they should have stayed back? Was it because of danger ?
I feel like hunting is just for men, however i know women can handle hunting as well. But with it being dangerous i feel like only a man should do it.
-Kyla Thomas
Aide,
I enjoyed reading this article. I have mixed opinions now. I feel as though hunting is a very risky job for both a man and woman. But also If, its made for a man then its made for a woman. We can do just as much as a man with no problems.
-Jasmine Busby
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