Pygmy Tribe Collection

Pygmy refers to rainforest hunter-gatherer populations worldwide that are less than five feet tall. According to research, this short stature is genetic rather than the result of malnutrition. Members of these so-called Pygmy groups often consider the generic denomination of pygmies as derogatory and discriminatory, instead preferring to be called by the name of their ethnic group for example in the Democratic Republic of the Congo they are Batwa/Twa, Bambuti/Mbuti or Baka. The homeland of the Twa and associated groups is generally the tropical rainforest of central Africa around the Great Lakes of Eastern Africa. They are scattered in a number of countries in this region, which include Cameroon, Gabon, Congo-Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Most Pygmies are nomadic, and obtain their food through a mix of foraging, hunting, fishing, and trading with inhabitants of neighboring villages. Their cultural identity is very closely tied to the rainforest, as are their spiritual and religious views. They are probably the earliest inhabitants of the region.