The world as we see it today has been shaped by different

cultures. It is through our past histories that we have now the

world as it is. Many people from all types of backgrounds have
shaped the world. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, an
African country located in the west central part of the continent
we have the “Luba people or Baluba”. The Baluba as they are
commonly known as in the Congo are an ethno-linguistic group
indigenous to the south-central region of country, they are of
the Bantu peoples of Central Africa. The Baluba consist of many
sub-groups who speak various dialects of Luba and other
languages.

According to AFRICA | 101 Last Tribes - Luba people “The

origins of the Luba People date back to 1500AD when the
thriving Luba Kingdom emerged as a single unified state in the
grasslands of the Upemba Depression in the Katanga region of
what is known today as Democratic Republic of the Congo. The
kingdom thrived in the Indian Ocean trade by producing salt,
palm oil, dried fish and later various agricultural implements
such as maize and cassava.” The society of Baluba was made
up of various skilled people who used their hands such as
potters, crafters, woodworkers and smiths to name a few and
this was shown through their artefacts which can be found in
many national museums.

A large number of Balubas live in Katanga, Kasai, and Maniema

provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The
environment of these provinces shaped how the Balubas lived
and continue to do so. Katanga province has tropical conditions
as well as warm and humid weather. Kasaï and Maniema
provinces have a tropical wet and dry or savanna climate, the
average temperature is 28.45ºC, annual rainfall of just below
100 millimetres and has half of the year as rainy days.
Historically the Luba lived in the Upemba Depression, a region
filled by lakes, marshes, and streams. The Upemba Depression
has been populated almost continuously since the 5th century
AD, and is considered the origin of the Kingdom of Luba (1585-
1889).
The Baluba’s people lifestyle was greatly influenced by the
environment in which they lived being mainly fishermen and
farmers. However, seasonal flooding was a regular occurrence
caused by water runoff from the southern Shaba highlands and
in some parts of the year these water sources filled up with
water and vegetation also floated and after the rains the region
would dry out. This necessitated the Baluba to be smart and
they constructed dams and dikes using mud, papyrus, and
other vegetation to improve the marshy soil conditions for
agriculture during the long dry season. They built houses using
reeds and wattle which shielded them from the rain.
Again because of the climate and weather experienced in their
region, Baluba people practiced agriculture with slash-and-burn
agriculture being more prominent fields are abandoned after a
few seasons. Cassava and maize were more common crops
which are produced in June and other crops are sweet potatoes,
peanuts, tomatoes, onions, beans, cucumbers, tobacco, and
sesame. In the Upemba Depression along the Congo River,
fishing is the principal economic activity and they Baluba
people till to date are considered as great fishermen according
to www.101lasttribes.com/tribes/luba.html
When it comes to religion and beliefs the Luba tribe believe in
Ancestor worship. Like most African tribes they believe their
ancestors are the protectors and guardians of their lives and
thus keeping a connection with them is of paramount
importance. Ancestral spirits are thought to influence everyday
life and therefore need to be thanked, worshipped and praised
through offerings, rituals and ceremonies. Britanica notes that
“Among the most important components of the Luba religion,
three important figures constitute the supernatural world: Leza
(Supreme God), mikishi or bavidye (various spirits),
and bankambo (ancestors). In the world of the living, the main
figures are kitobo or nsengha (priest), the nganga (healer), and
the mfwintshi (the witch, the embodiment of evil and
the antithesis of the will of the ancestors).“

To celebrate their religion the Baluba people use dances,

singing, sacrifices, cleansing and purification. A practice which
is also present till present day is interpretation of dreams to
communicate with the ancestors and the practice
of lubuko (divination) to consult the will of the ancestors before
any important decision or to know the causes of misfortune.
Baluba people cherish their spirituality. Diviners and spirit
healer are still present and they serve their communities they
can be male or female who are possessed by the mighty spirits.
These people are professional mediums who when they go into
trance make ancestrals spirits speak through their mouth. They
also help in locating sorcerers and their charms and bring an
end to them.
The Luba tribe have their language “Tshiluba” as one of the
four official national languages (Lingala, Swahili, Kikongo and
Tshiluba spoken by over 10 million people in the Democratic
Republic of Congo and this just shows of how great of a tribe it
is. The language also stretches to some parts of Angola and
Zambia. The language has many dialects known as Luba-Lulua,
Luva and Tishiluba. Peoplegroups.com notes that the two
principal dialects are: Luba-Kasai and Luba-Katanga. Luba-Kasai
is spoken in the Kasai province and is widely used in
education as well as churches. There are an estimated
6,300,000 native Luba-Kasai speak-ers and about 700,000 seco
nd-language speakers. Luba-Katanga is spoken mainly in the
Katanga province.
Elements of cultural heritage which can still be found today of
the Luba include marriage and family customs. The potential
wife must not be in any way related to the husband or his great
grandparents. Bride price is paid to the wife’s family which can
include money. When the bride price is paid husband brings his
bride to live near his parents. In the case of divorce, the bride
price has to be repaid in all or part it. If the wife dies it is put on
the husband’s hands, and he has the responsibility for the
death of his wife and must pay heavy death dues to his in-laws.
Inheritance goes through the mother’s side, which sees the
Luba people are one of the few African tribes who place
importance on women.
Another heritage which can still be found today is the art and
music. Baluba people are still until today known as great
artists. Their woodcarvings, sculptures, and mask have not only
been for aesthetic purposes but they convey certain messages.
Luba | History, Culture & Religion | Britannica states that,
“African wood sculpture made by the Luba peoples (Baluba) of
Congo are known as Buli and that these
sculptures constitute the production of a workshop rather than
of one artist.” Baluba art works are still very alive in Congo and
play a part in the tourism sector when they are sold as
souvenirs to tourists who visit the country. In terms of music,
many genres which originated from Congo such as Congolese
rhumba, soukous and ndombolo have also got inspiration from
the Baluba tradition music.

In conclusion the Luba people remain a tribe which recognizes

its ancestors and follows their customs and traditions. They
represent the various African heritages which have moulded
Africans and given an identity.
 Sources used:
https://congotalks243.com/a-look-at-the-great-luba-empire-
congolese-pre-colonial-kingdoms-2/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Uitlander

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=baluba
%20art&form=IQFRML&first=1

https://www.britannica.com/art/Buli-style

https://theafricanhistory.com/3172

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luba_people