The Batwa People of Rwanda
Axia Online College
SOC: 120
Angela Martin
The Twa also known as Batwa are certainly considered a race of their own. This human population of people is isolated from many of the other tribes within Rwanda and has experienced their share of prejudice and discrimination by means of segregation, political unrest, poverty, and war. The prejudices of the Batwa people were formed beforehand and without thought or reason by the other Hutu and Tutsi tribes which started the negative stereotyping that follow the Batwa around today.
The Batwa tribe has lived most of its life deep in the African Rain Forest. A stereotype that comes into mind when discussing this tribe is Pygmy people and also hunters and gatherers. Although the Batwa lived, and was considered one of the first settlers to this area they were soon exiled by the Hutu and Tutsi tribes. Once exiled from their homeland they had no way of reclaiming it as their own. This demeaning act against the Batwa would be the first of many to come.
One form of discrimination that was directed at the Batwa by the Hutu and Tutsi tribes was negative stereotyping. This type of discrimination was very common and widespread. The Hutu and Tutsi tribe considered the Batwa to be people who were lacking a proper culture and language (Woodburn, 1997), but the Batwa are people that are very proud of their heritage and culture. Many are musicians and dancers. Some have taken on the task of pottery making and verse telling which keeps their culture alive today. Another form of negative stereotyping is the way in which the Batwa are called names like ignorant and stupid (Woodburn, 1997). This act is done most of the time in front of fellow tribe members or in public. Woodburn (1997) believed the Hutu and Tutsi tribe considered this a way in which they could humiliate and exclude the Batwa.
Another form of discrimination directed at the Batwa tribe by the Hutu and Tutsi tribe is the outright denial of...