INTRODUCTION TO ANTHROPOLOGY
ETHNOGRAPHIC FIELDNOTE EXERCISE:
Film Title & Date: Baka: People of the forest (1998)
Environment, Country and Location: Southeast rain forest, Dja, Camaroon (also move
into Congo, Gabon).
Name of Community: Baka
Type of Subsistence Pattern: Forager (Gather-Hunters) and wage labour on Kono Bembe
ranches and plantations.
Family size & gender: 20 people band, male and female.
1.Decoration/Clothing Status Differences: Women wear a cotton cloth called a sarong from
their chest down. When it gets hot, they can pull the surong down and wear it waist down.
Women can also wear jewelry and some have stretched, pierced ears, or scarification. For
example, a woman in the movie was wearing a pearl necklace. Men also wear the sarong waist
down to cover their genital area but they are seen wearing it shorter than the women. Men also
wear shorts. It is common to have a string around toddlers and adults waists alwell which helps
carry things around. Some toddlers are also seen with amulets around their necks which is a
symbol in the community.
2. Usage of Technology: Many technologies were seen in the movie some of which included
different medicines and tools. One tool used was a machete to cut things like leaves, kill fish to
eat, and cut open seeds. They also had this thick branch to squish food. Medicine used to cure
infertility and that can also be used to cure gonorrhea is called Njaea. Another medicine used
was for the toddler to grow up into a strong man. It was a red paste created from sand rubbing on
a wood from a tree called Ngele. Also, they used a strong vine as a climbing tool to climb trees.
3. Leadership/decision-making: The people of the community regulate themselves among
themselves. Decision making is very casual and simple. For example in the movie when they had
to decide who was going to climb the tall tree to get honey for the community, the decision was
made quickly and simple. One man was suggested as a volunteer and that was the end of the
decision. Everyone agrees and there is no further discussion.
4. Exchange & Trade: The people of the community trade with outsiders. They trade meat and
medicine remedies and treatments in exchange for outside clothing, metal pots, necklaces, and
material goods.
5. Treatment of Children: The children are looked after well in the community so they do not
lose them to illness or other kinds of death. The children are always with their parents. They are
exposed to adult activities such as building and gathering food. It is important for the children to
be educated into adulthood. For example, the parents teach the kids about termites. They show
them how to collect them and which ones and best to eat which have protein in them. In terms of
categories, children are treated as equal as adults as in they do not go first like in our society. In
the movie when eating the honey, it was first come first served.
6. Treatment of Animals: The community has respect for animals. They must kill some to eat.
They do not harm animals. When cleaning a poisonous branch which releases Rotenone in the
water, it temporarily numbs the fish but does not kill them. Also, when they are unsure of an
animal, their first reaction is to stop and freeze until it goes away. They fear animals that are
bigger than them but they let them be. They teach children how to get termites just like how the
chimpanzees do it.
7. Treatment of Elders: The elders are treated like adults to an extent. The adults do respect the
elders. The elders participate in the same jobs as the adults do. However there is a certain extent.
In the movie when deciding who will climb the tree, the elder man says “I can’t do it, I’m too old
to climb” and the others agree and respect that.
8. Gender Relationship Dynamics: The community is semi sedentary meaning they travel a bit
when there is no more food left in the area. When they do travel to a new area, women build
houses and the men look for food. The men stick together when working and so do the women.
When fishing, men use a machete and women build a dam to catch the fish. When deciding on
who to climb the tree, women were not involved.
9. Communication Styles: The community communicates orally. They speak to each other in
their own language called Baka. They speak normally and communicate and a community with
each other.
10. Expressions of Tension/Aggression: Aggression isn’t very present in the community. They
are allowed to express themselves but they do not act back at each other. It is probably seen as
disrespectful to act back. For example, Ali played with a machete and the adults liked how he
was experimenting with it but when it started to get out of hand, they took it away from him and
replaced it with food. Also, there was a scene where a woman made a comment to I’m guessing
her husband fishing telling him to hurry up and he commented back but nothing followed after
that.
11. Leisure Activities: The people of the village like to sing. The adults teach their children
songs that are educational. For example there is a chimp song saying to stay away because they
are dangerous. The parents also tell the children stories and pass down information. This is how
they are educated and how they learn.
12. Private/Public property patterns: They are a community. Everyone is equal. Everyone in
the community participates including children, elderly people, and pregnant women. They have
equal sharing and same amount each. This community truly believes in equality.