XI. Tribal And Proto-Feudal Aspects Of The Chieftainship Of REMERA
If we consider the chieftainship of Remera before the various administrative reforms had their effect, some aspects are very similar to those found in tribal chiefdoms elsewhere in Central Africa, , among the Bemba, Swazi, Ngoni, Sotho, and Luapula. Land…
X. Historical Background Of REMERA
If one were to characterize the Banyaremera, their life, their philosophy, in one single word, the best word would be "pragmatism". To the Banyaremera, if something works, it is good and it is correct. This explains a great deal of…
Gifts as a Reciprocity Mechanism
Social obligations are most often expressed in terms of visits. But "to be seen" is so important, whether it be by the patron or by one's relatives, that the whole afternoon of every day is usually given to such visiting.…
The imirenge
An umurenge (sing.), is a geographical subdivision of a Hill. It is not, however, a well-defined area; it corresponds rather to what the French call a lieu-dit, , a place with no boundaries but having a specific name. The imirenge…
Neighborhoods, Mutual Help, And Reciprocity
Reviewing the distribution of lineages, the following information was obtained: (1)Hutu abavandimwelive usually near each other. They are brother-neighbors (abahana). (2)Hutu isolates live near strong Hutu lineages and are treated as if they were part of the lineage, but with…
IX. Lineage Affairs: Marriage, Inheritance, Neighborhoods And Ancestor Worship
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE A young man normally waits for his father or his "fathers" to find him a wife. Marriage is more a matter of concern for the lineage than for the individual. Within the stronger lineages, it may be…
VIII. Some Aspects Of The Kinship Structure
The Banyaremera belong to a Hill, to a subdivision thereof called an umerenge, and to a neighborhood, for which there is no term in Kinyarwanda. They also belong to patri-clans (sing. ubwoko, pl. amoko), and to unsegmented shallow lineages (.-ryango),in…
VII. Labor Migration
For various reasons, the Banyaremera need cash. The main reason is that the administration has imposed a relatively large-head-tax — 420 francs a year in 1961 — upon every adult male, in order to create the necessary incentive among the…