MBUTI: CHILDREN OF THE FOREST

TRIBAL TRUST FOUNDATION

All of us intuitively understand that we are part of a living chain, inexorably linked to one another, the planet and the universe around us. Everything arises from this core reality–our symptoms, our sufferings, and our healing.

For thousands of years, the Mbuti Pygmies have lived sustainably as hunter-gatherers in the world’s second largest rainforest, in what is presently the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Through their ability to change and adapt within their forest habitat, they have survived the country’s devastating history of war, disease and resource exploitation. As globalization is causing irreversible deforestation, the Mbuti’s existence is seriously threatened. They cannot survive without the Forest, which is the source of their food, shelter, identity, and connection to spirit. These traditional artifacts used by the Mbuti in their daily lives offer a window into their symbiotic relationship with the rainforest.