Aushi People in Zambia: History, Language, Culture, Religion and Economy

Brief history

The Aushi people/clans are viewed as a sub-group of the Bemba tribes, one of the biggest groups in Rhodesia. The Aushi moved from Luba-Lunda realm in ‘Kola” which is currently a piece of Congo. A significant part of the data I found comes from a particular Ushi clan whose chief identity is’ named Kalaba.

Food of eaten by Aushi people:

Their primary yield for quite a while was the millet however presently their horticulture likewise incorporates groundnuts, beans, cassava, and other root crops, Munda vegetables, and tobacco. They likewise gather food like mushrooms, bugs (caterpillars), organic products (Mpundu, Masuku, and Mfungo), roots (cikanda, and imbwelenge), leaves, honey, and spices.

Aushi people eat many kinds of various meat. A few chiefs could keep a couple of cattle however they are not cow headers. Sheep and goats are somewhat more typical for them to own however are not many, and poultry is an uncommon treat. In the wild, they fish and chase hooved creatures in the land close by. They likewise chase wild pigs and gather different birds and bugs relying upon the season.

They have various kinds of systems for fishing: weir and trap, line fishing, fish farming, and bin fishing.  To save their food the clans either sun dry or dry their food over a fire.

Food preparation and homegrown tasks are for the most part ladies’ work. At the point when a lady is sick or can’t accomplish the work the man on occasion comes and helps however attempts to do the most un-conceivable and depends on family members and companions to help.

Men and Women eat independently, except if in security in their own cottages. Ladies eat together and a young fellow eats with his mother until he is too old then he joins the men.

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Food taboos:

Eating animals with conspicuous lower teeth is unfortunate for Aushi people, for example, the bramble pig, the mole hoard, the zebra, and the eland. Goats and sheep might be killed and utilized as meat, yet never for hunger, there must be a ceremonial purpose.

How the Aushi people create a Family:

Size really relies on the number of little girls a man has on the grounds that little girls will generally live with their dads while the boys will more often move away to their bride’s town.

After the birth of a child, at the age of 4 and the parents must perform the ukupoko mwana ritual, ‘the taking of the child’, intercourse is permitted and it is OK to have a child. If one has a baby before the ritual, it is considered taboo.

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Marriage Age (m and f):

For a male, it is around the ages of 12-14.

Divorce:

Divorce occurs, generally, the men do it to join another clan however it rarely happens.

Polygamous:

In Kalaba’s clan, twelve out of thirty ladies were married polygamously (40%).

Bride Price:

The groom is supposed to give a wristband to the father by marriage at the inception and afterward be traded by materials.

Example of exogamy:

Men normally will generally live in different towns in comparison to their parents on the grounds that they live with their wives families.

In the event that the mother passes on, who brings up youngsters?: The sibling has the authority over the kids and the fatherly auntie has privileges over her sibling’s kids.

Wedding Ceremony:

The boy needs to go work for his bride’s father and show his value. After the young lady has gone through her introduction she is permitted to wed him. There is an old-timer story about the function spouses go bring salt from far-off places, which addresses his satisfaction as a husband.

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Political framework of the Aushi people

Aushi people work under a head chief, who has command over a significant part of the town in light of the fact that the majority of the people are connected with him somehow. There can likewise be sub-chiefs however that is up for the primary boss to choose.

Territoriality:

For the  Aushi and Bemba people region is a sad issue since they don’t think about land as a belonging. They split their property however into segments called I-calo, which likewise is utilized to portray the region of specific chiefs. In this way, the name of the area is the name of the chief. There can be partitioned into more modest areas and have sub-chiefs however that depends on the principal chief to choice. Generally, however, the Ushi and Bemba individuals partition their territory not by political and ancestral lines but rather by regular vegetation divisions.

Exchange:

There isn’t a lot of custom in trade since cash isn’t utilized to buy food. They really do the exchange at times bushels and mats, trade products when supplies are low, etc. The Aushi people have extraordinary supplies of fish however need other fundamental things so most of their exchange is through fish.

Specialization (shamans and medication):

The spice millet however is one of the spices that they use for recuperating and other clinical purposes. Trees are likewise utilized for medication and appeal, they accept the tree gang’s otherworldly powers that assist with forestalling weakness, black magic, and fiendish spirits.

Legends (Creation):

Muwe found Makumba, in all likelihood a shooting star, and the Aushi people perceive this as their ancestral God. However, the presentation of Christianity has spread since the clans interacted with European Makumba is as yet an extensive figure who uncovers himself in the dreams of notable individuals.

Social material (craftsmanship, music, games):

Paintings and elaborate workmanship depicting scriptural pictures and faction jokes have stayed nearby the houses and public spots. Music generally comprises guitarists and vocalists.

Evangelist impact:

There is a great deal of white impact in the Aushi people. The vast majority nowadays have switched over completely to Christianity. Tattoos and other body paints were exceptionally normal before the presentation of Christianity, but not really any longer.

Sources:

• Database for Indigenous Cultural Evolution (DICE) – University of Missouri
• Peoplegroups.org
• 101lasttribes