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THE
MAJOR
TRIBES
With over 70 different tribes
in Zambia, there is wide cultural diversity. Interestingly enough however, it is one of
the few countries in Africa with very little tribal animosity, and the existence of so
many tribes has proved less of a political problem than in many other African states. The
Main tribes are the Lozi, the Bemba, the Ngoni, the Tonga, the Luvale and the Kaonde.
The
Lozi
 The Lozi migrated into Western Zambia from the
Luba Lunda Kingdom of Mwata Yamvwa in Zaire, which was one of the greatest central African
Chieftainships in the 17th and 18th Century. After some centuries they were conquered by
the Makalolo from the South, fleeing themselves from the great Zulu conqueror, Shaka. They
left their language, Sikololo as the lingua franca of the Barotse plains and imposed much
of their cultural tradition on the area. The Lozi people eventually rose up against them
in 1864 and all but annihilated them. Their Chief is called the Litunga and they are
essentially cattlemen. Every year they migrate to higher ground above the barotse
flodplains of the Zambezi in a grand ceremony called the Kuomboka.
The
Ngoni
 Originally from South Africa, also fleeing the
Great Shaka Zulu, the Ngoni migrated into Eastern Zambia and adopted the fighting tactics
of Shaka. They conquered indigenous tribes there with ease. The day they crossed over the
Zambezi was a momentous occasion marked by an eclipse of the sun and ceremonial beer
drinking, stories of which are still told to this day. They ruled this area in peace until
they were conquered by colonial government in 1897 with troops coming in from Nyasaland
(Malawi) Their warlike festival of Nc’wala was surpressed until independence and then
revived. Now, with leopard skin, knobkerrie and shield, Paramount chief Mpezeni represents
a tradition which has all but lost its language, except for Mpezeni’s praise singer.
Today the Ngoni speak Chichewa, the language of the people they conquered. With the break
up of their military system, the power of the Ngoni declined and in the East today, the
traces of Ngoni ascendancy are few. Many of their cultures remain however and at the
annual Independence celebrations every October, their dancers are well known.
The
Tonga
Among the most numerous in Zambia,
archaeological evidence proves their existence for at least 900 years in the Southern
province. Six centuries ago, one of the areas where they now live, the Zambezi Valley, was
a flourishing trade centre. Here there was brisk trade between the valley people and the
Arabs, Chinese and Indians on the East coast of Africa.. One form of currency used was a
copper ingot cast in the form of a cross.
The
Lunda
Now living in the Luapula area and North
Western Provinces, the Lunda people are descendants of the original Mwata Yamvwa
Chieftainship in Zaire.
The
Bemba
Representing some 18% of the population, the
Bemba, along with the Lunda recognise an almost legendary place called Kola as their land
of origin. Historically they were nomadic hunter gatherers. Their paramount chief is
called the Chitimukulu. When copper mining began in earnest on the Copperbelt, the Bemba
speaking people came down for jobs in force.
The
Kaonde
The Kaonde People can be found in Solwezi,
Kasempa and Chizera districts of North Western Province and in Kaoma in the Western
province. The Kaonde like the Lunda are the descendants of the famous Luba-Lunda Empire of
Zaire. The Kaonde were among the first Zambian tribes to carry out the mining of copper
and archaeological evidence at the Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi dating back to the iron age
period proves this.
The
Luvale
Coming from the North of Lake Tanganyika,
their first chief was a woman named Kenga Naweji. Descendants of these people are the
Valuvale, Valuchase, Vambunda, Vachokwe and Vaviya Tribes living in the North Western
provinces. The Luvale were for centuries great travellers and traders, much of their
culture recalls their contact with the Portuguese on the Angolan coast, five hundred years
ago.
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