Hutu Culture in Rwanda

African Hutu culture.

By: Lena Z.

Economy

• Rwandan economy is based heavily on agrarian economy
• Most residents live largely from subsistence farming,
• growing coffee on the side as a means of earning income.
• The level of industrialization remains extremely low.

• Most Rwandans own the land they work.

Education

• Rwanda operates on a 6-3-3-4 System.

• Primary school is 6 years, Junior secondary school (ordinary level) is 3 years, Senior secondary school is 3 years, and a University Bachelor's degree is 4 years.

Death Rituals

• Kinyarwanda language is taught in primary school
• English from P4 through University.
• French is taught as an elective

Food of the Hutu People

• The food of Rwandan people is quite simple consisting of beans, bananas, sweet potatoes and Sorghum
• Dairy is widely consumed
• The ones who can afford to also eat meat, primarily beef, goat, and chicken

Natural death : 5 steps

1. The will

2. Signs of respect

Life after death

3. Burial

4. Making one self black

• Rwandans believe that spirit continues after death as well as see their families as including not only the living.

5. Making oneself white

A person called "imbitsi" goes around to suitable places, calls upon one of the main figures of the village and informs him of what has happened to the family. Later spreading the word to the entire village.

• Showing respect to deceased family members is extremely important to them.

• Failure to please the spirits of dead ancestors through rituals and offerings result in ancestors neglecting their family members and allowing evil spirits to inflict harm upon them.

Origins of Hutu

Cultural Changes

The word "Hutu" is used to describe people who live in the countries of Rwanda and Burundi.

The population of Burundi is approximately 10 million people.

1. Women's Empowerment

• Women contribute tremendously to the economic development in Rwanda currently. They are also the primary caregivers in households.
• In recent years, steps have been made by the government to ensure and empower women's economic empowerment

Structural Functionalism

• The Hutu tribe works and thrives as a complex system of means.
• They strongly believe in family life and marriage, without these particular institutions their whole society would be demolished.
• Marriage roles: Mother- Caretaker and responsible for the household.
• Father- Supports the family by working hard while his initial job is to protect his wife and children.
• Hutu tribe is centered around rituals like marriage rituals and death rituals.

Languages spoken by the Hutu tribe include: Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, French, and Swahili.

Marriage customs

Spiritual Beliefs

Uniting people together

2.

1. Kuranga: Bachelor pointing out a potential young bride to marry.

Family Structure

• When a married couple has children, their names change to the identity of their first born child.

ex. Papa Elaina Mamma Elaina

2. Gufata Irembo: Father of bachelor visits potential brides father to declare his sons intentions. If the father accepts, arrangements of the ceremony would be arranged.

• As soon as a couple has a baby, the woman is expected to get pregnant since family is very valuable to them.

• Upon a fathers death or retirement his land and property is divided between his two sons and the eldest surviving son is expected to take care of his mother and unmarried sisters.

• The inheritance law has been revised so that women can inherit more easily.

3. Gusaba: The ceremony of where guy officially asks for the daughter as a bride. Involves a battle of wits like pranks and tongue twisters from the girls side.

• Christianity greatly influences Rwandan culture.

More than 60% of Hutu people are Catholic while another 30% identify as Protestants.

4. Gukwa: If the guy was successful, the next step is payment of dowry. Strictly the payment of cows or several of them. Once negotiations were over, bride would invite grooms family over.

5. Gutebusta: Families meet and discuss the date of the wedding.

After the genocide of the two tribes in Rwanda: Tutsi and Hutu occurred, this taught Rwandans to never again experience or relive violence and hatred amongst each other.

6. Marriage ceremony

The Hutu tribes religon consists of Christianity combined with traditional beliefs.

• Nyabin and Lyangombe are secret societies that accept members through initiation.

• Families facing difficulties of some sort will chose a child to be initiated into the sect.

• Ceremonies are held outdoors in a clearing around a type of tree whose red flowers represent Lyangombe's blood.