An intrepid filmmaker has revealed how he spent three days living with one of the world’s last hunter-gatherer tribes in a bid to document their streamlined existence.
Ruhi Çenet ventured near Lake Eyasi in northern Tanzania with a guide and translator, where she met members of the Hadza tribe.
He explains in a YouTube documentary detailing his journey that the Hadza people “survive by hunting their food with bows and arrows just as our ancestors did thousands of years ago deep in the wild savanna.”
Some of the animals they hunt for food, Ruhi says, include hyraxes, squirrels, antelopes and baboons, and to drink them they drink “muddy water” as their “immune system is strong enough to deal with bacteria and parasites. ‘
In addition to a unique diet, Ruhi reveals that the Hadza people speak a complex language called Hadzane that combines spoken words with clicking sounds.
Ruhi Çenet ventured near Lake Eyasi in northern Tanzania with a guide and translator, where she met members of the Hadza tribe.
He explains in a YouTube documentary detailing his journey that the Hadza people “survive by hunting their food with bows and arrows just as our ancestors did thousands of years ago.”
Some of the animals they hunt for food, Ruhi says, include hyraxes, squirrels and baboons.
After meeting the tribe’s chief, Sakoro, Ruhi prepares to go hunting with the male members of the tribe.
They wake up very early in the morning in the dark with about 10 hunting dogs in tow.
Their weapons of choice include knives and arrows, some of them smeared with poison.
As a form of camouflage, men wear baboon skins and other animal skins on their heads and around their torsos.
The main part of Ruhi’s short film focuses on the arduous and exhausting task of hunting for food.
The dogs help sniff out hyraxes and mongooses in their underground dwellings, before members of the tribe enter and harpoon the animals.
To attract their prey, members of the tribe imitate animal sounds: one screams like a baboon and another reflects the melody of a bird.
Constantly, for many hours, the hunters accumulate an impressive number of kills, but fail to find any baboons.
During his hunt, a man also found a giant snail, but Ruhi says that the young ones don’t like the taste and offer it to the elders.
In addition to a unique diet, Ruhi reveals that the Hadza people speak a complex language called Hadzane that combines spoken words with clicking sounds.
Ruhi reveals that there has been a drop in the animal population in the region where the Hadza people live due to “neighboring tribes cutting down trees and driving away wildlife.”
During their breaks, the men eat from the honeycombs and Ruhi explains that the honey is the “liquid gold” of the tribe and is “full of vital energy and nutrients to stay strong in the wild.”
While they get good loot during their hunt, Ruhi reveals that there has been a decline in the animal population in the region where the Hadza people live due to “neighboring tribes cutting down trees and driving away wildlife to cultivate crops and raise livestock.”
This means that survival has become increasingly difficult for the ancient tribe.
When they return to the main camp after more than seven hours of hunting, the tribesmen cook some of the animals and offer some to Ruhi.
While talking about their diet, one of the tribesmen explains that they like to eat “the hands and backs of baboons” and that “the buttocks of baboons are sweet.”
With no baboon on the menu, Ruhi eats some rock hyrax.
He tells viewers, “I am honored that the Hadza people share with me their hard-earned game.”
“For those who really want to learn what hyrax meat is like, it’s actually pretty rubbery.”
In another scene in the documentary, younger members of the tribe are seen honing their bow and arrow skills.
As a form of camouflage, men wear baboon skins and other animal skins on their heads and around their torsos.
At the end of the film, Ruhi highlights the importance of trying to keep the tribe alive and protect their environment.
During his hunt, a man also found a giant snail, but Ruhi says that the young people don’t like the taste, so they offer the mollusks to the older ones.
In another scene in the documentary, younger members of the tribe are seen honing their bow and arrow skills.
They use a tree trunk as target practice and Ruhi is impressed by their accuracy.
Some women from the community also They make a brief appearance while out looking for fruits and vegetables, but Ruhi explains that they are very camera shy.
Ruhi spends a total of three days hunting with the Hadza people, but each day they return home “empty-handed and without a baboon for their family.”
At the end of the film, Ruhi highlights the importance of trying to keep the tribe alive and protect their environment.
He concludes: “The Hadza people live this world as we did thousands of years ago… They are like a window to the past.”
