My version of the year 2009 in review - July

July 13, 2009
Professor Ikaweba Bunting (right) watches the performance of the Egumba Cultural group at Butiama during the visit he led of students from California State University at Long Beach. Part of a three-unit course titled "The Cultures of African Peoples" that he teaches at the University brings students to Tanzania to get hands on experience of what they learn in class.

July 18, 2009




I visited the village of Mariwanda, less than two hours' drive from Butiama, with colleagues from an association invloved with promoting cultural tourism in the Lake Victoria area. At Mariwanda we documented the cultural attractions offered by members of the Taturu ethnic group.

Taturu culture has some resemblance to Masai culture. In the first photograph (above), a Taturu women places firewood into a specially-prepared surface; she later lit the firewood, and placed a huge pot on top to prepare tea.

The second photograph shows Taturu women skinning a cow they had slaughtered moments earlier, a task that is done only by women. One of the men told me, "Taturu men don't touch blood."

The two remaining photos show Taturu women in traditional wear.