African Art and history of the Yaka Tribe

Congo

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.

The Yaka tribe believes that the creator inhabits the sky and is responsible for unknown questions, life, and death. However, religious celebrations include elders and ancestors rather then the creator. Ancestors are honored by offerings and gifts at a clearing in a forest. This place of offerings is off limits to women and outsiders. The Yaka tribe relies on divination and a medicine person to figure out the cause of illness.

Carved drums known as Mukoku were used in rituals and divination. The Yaka tribe also carved hair combs, masks, and headgear which used in initiation and for the chief. The chief of the Yaka would have objects to prove the legitimacy of his authority and powers. These objects included bracelets, anklets, a special swords, and headdresses. A chief headdress of woven raffia is considered a very powerful object and must always be worn. Many feature a front to back crest, linear designs, knobs, and a variety of textures. Another object connected with leadership was the Kop (a two-mouthed vessel used for drinking palm wine). It was carved from a single piece of wood and symbolically invested the headman with powers of fertility and vigor. The Yaka tribe also had power figures known as Biteki. These figures had an exaggerated nose and bulging downcast eyes.

Masks are seen as means of protection or images of elders and cultural heroes, and are worn predominantly during initiation ceremonies related to the Ngoni and the Yiwilla societies. The Yaka tribe uses helmet masks, face masks, and body masks. Masks may be decorated with feathers, raffia, carvings, and fabric. The leaders mask or Mbala, has flared ears and a vegatable fiber spiked coiffure. The Kakungu mask represents an elder or 'ritual expert' with anti-social powers to frighten youths into submission. It could be three feet in height and was bulky and heavy. The face was characterized by bloating features, ballooning cheeks, a swelling chin, and red and white paint. The initiates mask, or Kholuka, has a face surrounded by a ridge and surmounted by a vegetal-fibre coiffure which supports figures or animals.

Yaka statuary was for the most part carved in pairs and were associated with the Mbwoolo shrines.  They had hollow abdomens for insertion of fetish material, but are also often adorned with bundles of paraphernalia.  Yaka statues are multi-functional, at times having contradictory roles, such as being used to heal or to cause illness.