Credits:The Kambari tribesmen are a secluded group of people that still practise nudity. They reside in Kambari, which is an ancient rural community located in Birnin Amina and Acer, Niger state in Nigeria. Due to the reclusive nature of the Kambari people, they constantly dissociate themselves from anything that relates to civilization and the government. For many years, they have tried to be as independent as possible from the authorities and everyone else.
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Kambari inhabitants are quite satisfied with their way of life and feel that they are doing more than enough to sustain their community. They prefer to cater for themselves in the same manner as that of people that existed during ancient times; devoid of any external control or influence.
The location of Kambari community is quite interior and is sometimes difficult to locate. The people live in a world of their own.
Nudity as a lifestyle
Apart from resisting the efforts of the government to change their lifestyle and bring them into civilization, the Kambari tribesmen are constantly resisting western influence because they seek to preserve their culture. They have constantly maintained that the tradition of nakedness was passed down to them from their ancestors and they have observed it for many years.
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For this group of people, the only time they actually wear any form of clothing is when they go to the local markets to trade with others. On market days and when they go to sell agricultural products, Kambari people are half-covered in wrappers. Whenever they step outside their villages, they cover only the bottom half with leaves, while proudly moving around.
The Kambari indigenes who are mostly agrarian and nomadic, have maintained that nudity will always be an integral part of their custom.
To the outside world, the inhabitants of Kambari may seem like a forgotten tribe, but to the local men, their reclusive nature is the ultimate source of happiness and peace. They do not wish to change anything about their lifestyle. To this extent, a Kambari chief known as “the Maiunguwa” had once said:
“Moving around naked or half-naked is our culture and we don’t care what people say about us”.
For the Kambari residents, nudity isn’t even a means of seduction. The men are mostly attracted to the beautiful tattoos of the women and their style of hair, rather than their naked bodies.
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In 2017, a reporter, Mr Enyioha Opara, visited the Kambari community and was very shocked to see the inhabitants freely roaming around without covering themselves. Their societal norms are also quite different from what is obtainable in other parts of the world. Some strange rules also exist to guide the people. For instance, they are not allowed to have marital engagements with outsiders who don’t understand their culture, while cousins are allowed to marry themselves. Also, there are no incidents of rape because if done, it is an offence that is punishable with death.
The local lifestyle of the Kambari tribesmen
The Kambari people are mostly pagans who worship a god called “magiro”. Despite being aware of modern civilization, they do not wish to pollute their highly esteemed practice of nudity. Also, majority of them are illiterate and can barely read or write. They can hardly speak English, but are more comfortable communicating in their native Kambari language.
- Young women wrapped in leaves; Source: Democracy Newsline
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The local Kambari men cherish the use of donkeys as a means of transportation. Many of them live in mud houses and are opposed to any form of sophistication. The Kambari people are mostly farmers and produce a large percentage of crops such as millet, corn, groundnuts, yams, guinea corn, beans and rice.
In Rijau council area where the Kambari people are located, Mohammed Kadukku, a resident, once mentioned that the Kambari tribe had lived in that place for over 50 years. Kadukku admitted that missionaries and other organizations had made several efforts to reform the people, but were unsuccessful because the inhabitants stayed stuck to their indigenous culture.
HISTORY OF YESTERDAY &
FACE OF MALAWI
