Summary 2 - The Efe Pygmies

In Central Africa, there lives a group of people called the Pygmies. They are so called because they are very short people, their average height is less than five feet tall. The origin of the word ‘pygmy’ is used to refer to the distance between the elbow and the knuckles, a reference to the height of the people. One tribe of the Pygmies is called the Efe tribe. These people are semi-nomadic. During certain times of the year, they move around in the forest in search of food. The Efe continue to live in the jungle like their ancestors did, hunting and gathering, almost totally unaffected by modernity.

            Scientists find studying the Efe so interesting because these people represent the closest we can ever get to our ancient ancestors. Their way of life remains so unchanged that learning about their lifestyle would open our eyes to how our ancestors lived as well. For instance, the different roles of the women and the men reflect how we also play different roles today. The women are responsible for looking after the family. When the Efe move from place to place within the forest, the women are the ones who pack up and carry all their belongings. The men only have to take care of their weapons as these are what they use to feed their families.

            The Efe are renowned as archers. Their skill as archers sets them apart from other tribes, who use different methods of hunting their prey. The Efe usually hunt in groups for animals like antelope. They surround the animal and shoot at it with arrows from different directions. The arrows have metal tips which are very lethal. The meat of the animal is divided among all the hunters who have participated in the hunt. The best parts of the animal, like the hind legs, are usually given to the hunter who made the first shot. The hunter who shoots the final arrow that brings down the animal also receives quite a good piece of the animal. The hunters who do not manage to shoot the animal at still get an equal share of whatever meat is left.

The Efe have a great weakness for honey, considered to be a delicacy. Every June, the trees start to flower and bees soon start to build bee hives. Come July, the Efe start looking for honey. In spite of their height, they still manage to reach the hives by climbing up trees. They usually stuff themselves with it, until their bellies are swollen. Sometimes, they eat all that they find, returning home to the women saying that they had no luck. Their full stomachs, of course, tell a different story.

Read the following article about the Efe Pygmies and then write a summary of the role of women and the hunting methods of the Efe. Your summary should be about 100 words (not more than 120).