Personal Biteki Fetish Figure

The Yaka Tribe is located in Southwestern Congo, living along the Wamba River.  They migrated there from Angola during the 16th century, settling under the control of the Kongo system. During the 18th century, the Yaka lands were annexed by the Lunda people, however, their independence was regained by the 19th century. They have a population of about 300,000 and are ruled by a chief of Lunda origin, the Kiamfu, organized into groups led by elders and headmen, the Unkwagata. The chiefs are believed to have super-human powers to rule the underworld and spiritual realm. They participate in the affairs of witches to tap into their powers. When a chief is proven to be fertile his authority is said to be strong and his lineage secure. The chief’s of the Yaka tribes have multiple wives and many children. The Yuka tribe has an economy supported by hunting, gathering, and agriculture. The men in the tribe are the hunters and hunt individually or in a group. They use bows and arrows, rifles, and hunting dogs to find and kill game. The Yaka women provided most of the food through growing cassava, potatoes, beans, and peanuts, gathering wild fruit and berries, and sometimes fishing.