Lamba people (Zambia)

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Lamba people are a Bantu ethnolinguistic group mainly located in the Central, Copperbelt, and North-Western provinces of Zambia.[1] Lamba people speak the Lamba language, with Lamba and Lima the major dialects recognized.[1]

Etymology[]

Lamba is ‘the act of humbling oneself’. Lambas are generally very humble people in nature.[2]

History[]

Before colonial history in the late nineteenth century, there is little information related to Lambas. Portuguese explorer Francisco de Lacerda first mentioned the Lambas, in his journal entry on 21 September 1798, recounting that Lambas were trading copper and ivory to Chief Kazembe's Lunda, and the middlemen of Nsenga country near Zumbo, the Portuguese trading post on the Zambezi.[3]

According to Clement M. Doke, the Lamba kingdom (chiefdom) is estimated to have been established in the 16th century, between 1585 – 1889.[citation needed] The founder of the tribe is believed to have been a woman known as Chembo Kasako Chimbala. She was the youngest wife of the Great King Mwati Yamvwa of the Luba-Lunda kingdom; she did not accept being part of a polygamous marriage, so she fled with her son Chembo and settled in what is today known as: Lambaland (Ilana) on the Copperbelt at Nkashiba Kabena Mofya (Lake of the Mofya clan), commonly known as St Anthony because the Catholics built a church there. The Kingdom grew and spread into the southern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Katanga Province, a province equally rich in copper. Therefore, whether you are in Zambia or in DRC, the copperbelt of both countries is squarely Lambaland (Ilamba).

Social organization[]

Lamba society is matrilineal. They use slash-and-burn farming methods and dwell in small, dispersed villages. In the last three hundred years, they have maintained close relationships with related neighbors, living, trading, marrying, and visiting across the Zambezi-Zaire watershed.[3]

‘The people are divided into a number of exogamous clans and clan descent is matrilineal. The Lambas may be described as hunting agriculturists. Physically, they are of medium built and remarkably robust and strong. Linguistically, the Lambas belong to the Central Bantu Group of which ubulamba is a typical example. Their language is remarkably rich in folklore and proverbs they take great delight in talking. Practically every Lamba is a born orator, unafraid to voice his views, no matter what size the assembly may be’.[2]

In the past, the chief had the power of life and death and in certain circumstances, the chief would order someone to be jailed, executed, or be sold into slavery and that was without doubt. That authority was inherited and over time, has been enshrined in all of the people who have grown up in that culture. Despite many years of urbanization, the Lambas still maintain their culture and traditions. However to understand their practices, one must analyze them through the lenses of the Lambas themselves.[2]

As early as 1931, Doke had the following confession to make about the Lambas:

…understand better the people and their point of view…this is a record of the thoughts and lives of the people as far I can observe them, unaffected by Christianizing and the influence of Western civilization….I can only say that I wish I had more knowledge of the significance of the native customs when I first went to work among the Lambas. I should have been saved from many grievous mistakes and many misjudgments. The ability to see through the Bantu eyes will give the missionary and the officials’ better understanding and more sympathy with the people, and a greater ability to gain their confidence.[2]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Lamba". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Doke, Clement M (1931). The Lambas of Northern Rhodesia: a study of their customs and beliefs. ISBN 978-0-8371-3751-3. OCLC 617276.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Siegel, Brian (1989). "The 'Wild' and 'Lazy' Lamba: Ethnic Stereotypes on the Central African Copperbelt". In Vail, Leroy (ed.). The creation of tribalism in Southern Africa. London Berkeley: Currey University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-85255-043-4. OCLC 603694752.

Sources[]

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