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Kilimanjaro is the fourth highest mountain in Africa and the highest of all the freestanding mountains in the world with an elevation of 15,100 feet (4,600 meters). The people who make their home in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro are the Chagga, the largest ethnic group in Tanzania. The Chagga traditions were studied and reported extensively by Charles Dundas, a European, in 1924. His book, The Kilimanjaro and its People depicts a culture that has disappeared little by little every passing year. Tourists can catch an occasional peek at this people's strange traditions when they visit the smaller villages. These glimpses into the past culture of the Chagga make a tour of these villages more popular than ever before. It is interesting to contrast the superstitious beliefs, rituals, and practice of witchcraft of the past to the modern-day culture that has become a majority of Christians brought about by the influx of missionaries. The Chagga are believed to have immigrated from the north approximately 300 to 400 years ago and settled on the east side of Kilimanjaro. They proceeded to eliminate other tribes already living there by evicting them or absorbing them into their own culture. They eventually evolved into a people of one language and one culture. Witchcraft (or wusari in Chagga) was the major practice in Chagga society. Rainmakers, rain-preventers, and dreamers were an important part of their traditions. The name of their god was Ruwa who was not a creator nor a man, but a god who freed them from capture. They began to disregard Ruwa and began worshipping their ancestors who had more authority over events. Medicine men were able to remove curses. The most difficult curse to remove was the deathbed curse that was made just before a person died. The only way to remove this curse was for the cursed to bring the medicine man a piece of the corpse. The rich volcanic soil along with tropical temperatures and plentiful rains make Kilimanjaro ideal for growing crops. The Chagga economy remains an agricultural society. Banana, once their major crop, has given way to large coffee plantations since the early 20th century. Both crops are still produced today. The agriculturalists also raise cattle and goals. Trees also became an important crop to the Chagga. Commercial woods grew abundantly in the area. However, because trees were not replanted to replace those that were cut down the Kilimanjaro area suffered devastating deforestation that caused erosion with loss of topsoil, decreased wildlife, and less water flow from rivers and streams. The introduction of pesticides to the area depleted the soil of rich nutrients and affected the water supplies with pollutants. The people of Kilimanjaro are slowly recovering from their greed and the greed of Europeans who has stripped the land of their natural resources. Their schools concentrate on teaching their young people conservation of the country's natural resources so that the culture remains strong for centuries to come.
Design your own Tanzania Safari to suit your interests and budget. Specialists for Selous, Ruaha, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Kilimanjaro and cultural safaris.
Climb Kilimanjaro . Specialists for Kilimanjaro and Meru Treks, Kilimanjaro by all routes: Marangu, Machame, Lemosho, Rongai, Shira, Umbwe.
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