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In anthropology, pygmy peoples are ethnic groups whose average height is unusually short. The term pygmyism is used to describe the phenotype of endemic short stature (as opposed to disproportionate dwarfism occurring in isolated cases in a population) for populations in which adult men are on average less than 150 cm (4 ft 11 in) tall.
Dembner (1996) reported a universal "disdain for the term 'pygmy '" among the Pygmy peoples of Central Africa: the term is considered a pejorative, and people prefer to be referred to by the name of their respective ethnic or tribal groups, such as Bayaka, Mbuti and Twa. [2]
The term Pygmy race can refer to a number of things: Congo Pygmies- a group or race of short-statured people living in the Congo rain forests; Pygmy peoples- various short-statured peoples from around the world who have been termed "pygmy" dwarfism- a condition, usually genetic, that causes short stature in populations; Mythological figures
The Aka or Biaka (also Bayaka, Babenzele) [1] are a nomadic Mbenga pygmy people. They live in south-western Central African Republic and in northern Republic of the Congo.They are related to the Baka people of Cameroon, Gabon, northern Congo, and southwestern Central African Republic.
Due to their pygmy ancestry, they continue to suffer ethnic prejudice, discrimination, violence, and general exclusion from society. [ 8 ] [ 9 ] Batwa men struggle with alcoholism, known to occur in communities facing cultural collapse as men can no longer carry out traditional roles and provide for families. [ 10 ]
Related ethnic groups; African Pygmies: The Mbuti people, or Bambuti, are one of several indigenous pygmy groups in the Congo region of Africa.
Being hunter-gatherers as opposed to farmers, and semi-nomadic, the Baka are challenged when education is concerned. Because the Baka are an ethnic minority in both Cameroon and Gabon, they are often either excluded from their respective school systems or forced to forgo their culture and assimilate to a Bantu-normative way of life.
All Pygmy and Twa populations live near or in agricultural villages. Agricultural Bantu peoples have settled a number of ecotones next to an area that has game but will not support agriculture, such as the edges of the rainforest, open swamp, and desert. The Twa spend part of the year in the otherwise uninhabited region hunting game, trading ...