Culture Understanding

Coming from Africa and having so many traditions in my home country, Zambia, there is alot to learn and have in place when having the traditional morals.

Lozi, my tribe is from the western province in Zambia and is the biggest tribe in that province out of the 72 other tribes. The language is wide spread and has people from all ages managing to speak it. The term is or tribe is got from the plain land that the people of the province. Flood plain being called the Barotse flood plain where the traditional ceremony called Kuomboka is held.

The culture of the Lozi is very elderly and matured with respect from the young to the old. With any person known this tribe are shown the ways of how to greet, talk to people and certain gestures that path the way of a human being culturally and also to have good deeds towards certain people. Due to the tribe being related to a royal type of ceremony, certain ‘laws’ or rules are put in place as a guidance. The Lozi culture is strongly influenced by the flood cycle of the Zambezi river, with annual migrations taking place from the flood plain to higher ground at the start of the wet season which is called, Kuomboka. In this ceremony the Litunga moves from Lealui in the flood plain to Limulunga on higher ground. The Kuomboka usually takes place in February or March.

The Lozi culture also has the material called chitenge that is worn traditionally. It is sometimes worn as a dress both for the men and the women of the tribe and this shows the older side that the people have. Traditional food of the tribe is normally the usual millet, cassava, sorghum etc. More of the staple food due to the plain on where they originate from being a flood plain so the water there is enough to grow such staple foods. Keeping of traditional animals is also done, keeping of cows, cattles, sheep is also one way of life for the Lozi person who resides in the outer skirts of the city and more in the rural area. The herdsmen keep the cattle well and feed so in a circumstance of paying a bridal price by one, they can be received in good shape and health.

Marriage in the Lozi culture was by having girls betrothed in childhood, and married after mwalianjo (initiation); there were no boys' initiation ceremonies. Marriages were done by the payment of a small bride-price. Polygyny is common, but the Lozi do not practice polyandry. Marriages between close relatives, extending to third cousins, are prohibited; some cousin marriages occur despite this prohibition, but with the proviso that they may not be dissolved by divorce.

The religion in this culture was Christianity but because of this being a tribal situation. They were also medicine men, or traditional doctors and that would help these people around and gave them a way of belief. But it was a priority that a Lozi should know and have a close relationship with God. In the traditional world, they were traditional doctors that gave certain people abilities that they didn’t have or wanted, rainmakers were also there to give the people a belief and make sure that rain comes through when there could/would be a drought. Although the Lozi traditional ruler is not a priest, he acts on behalf of the kingdom by presenting a sacrificial animal to the grave custodian when there is a national crisis.

In a simple conclusion to this short brief culture about the Lozi tribe, it is seen that each culture has certain things that are put in place such as laws for marriage, the traditional doctors who give the people a belief in something and also the way of life and how people are taught to be loyal and also that this tribe has a way of celebrating its own culture.