"You Should Marry My Husband"

by, Nichole Smaglick, President
Another Land, Minneapolis, MN

In February of this year I traveled to Tanzania to finalize the details on our latest cultural program with a Barabaig (sometimes known as Datoga) village in Tanzania. If you drive just a few hours from the Barabaig area, most other Tanzanians don't even know it exists. On a small dirt road, you can literally drive right through a Barabaig village and not see a single home, since they are hidden behind bushes and trees.

The Barabaig are a patrilineal, polygamous Nilo-Arabic people whom the Masai tribe calls a “respected enemy.” The Barabaig are powerful warriors (with a sweet side) who are respected for their ability to make rain in a very arid region. Some people may mistake the Barabaig for Masai, but they are very different. For example, unlike the Masai, the Barabaig beautify themselves by the practice of facial scarification. They have consciously chosen not to adapt their culture to “mainstream” Tanzanian society and are proud to share their culture with others.

While in the Barabaig village, the villagers wanted to show me everything about their culture that they were proud of so that I could return to the USA and tell people about them. So I learned to grind corn and cook it into a hearty porridge. I danced for rain with the married women and learned how to make and decorate clothes out of goat hides. I learned how to collect honey and make honey beer (I drank a lot of it, too). I walked with a healer in the bush to learn which plants could heal and which have special powers. I could have spent weeks with him alone, for there was much to learn. I then learned how to make rain. I can't tell you how -- it's a secret. (Besides, they prefer to show you how themselves.)

The three women who showed me how to cook were all related in a way: They all had the same husband! The first wife had spent many decades cooking for her family over a smoky, enclosed fire. Over the years the smoke had made her blind. When I first met her, she refused to believe that I was a foreigner. She thought, “Why would someone come all the way from America to see me?” It wasn’t until I suggested that she touch my long, curly hair that she was convinced. She then told me, “You should marry my husband!” She explained that her husband, Gidamuydhaghat, is a respected rainmaker and if I were to marry him, I could have a house next to hers and we would become best friends. It was a great offer, but I told her that I would have to talk to my husband about it first. From then on, I was jokingly called “Gidamuydhaghat's fourth wife.”

It was now time for the big meeting. The village elders, Barabaig warriors, village chairman, rainmakers, district commissioner, interpreters and I gathered under a tree at the foot of Mt. Hanang. Here we discussed logistics related to travelers visiting the village, such as water source, campsite, and the nearest airstrip. The elders then determined what codes of behavior the visitors should abide by, such as no staring or laughing at the village women who frequently are topless. They also set the limit for how many visitors per year are allowed.

When the meeting ended at around 6:30 p.m., we all said farewell (“ebasayu”) and I traveled by Land Rover for about one hour to the nearest town to rest up before the next day's journey.. I wasn’t aware that the village elders, including Gidamuydhaghat, had all started walking to the same town to see me off. They walked seven hours through the night and slept in someone's backyard. When I awoke, they were all waiting for me to bless me, say thank you and wish me well. I will treasure this experience for the rest of my life. I can't wait for the first travelers to visit this village!

Village proceeds from the program will be used to build a well with a pump. During the dry seasons, Barabaig women and their donkeys walk all day long to collect water. The donkeys used to carry the water die at the end of the season from overwork.

Only a small number of travelers may visit the village each year.

Another Land's cultural programs in Uganda and Tanzania are not canned, touristy or “average.” Its clients live in the bush, learning from shamans, medicine men, musicians, etc. Over the years, Another Land has conducted research, made contacts, learned local languages, met with village elders, and traveled places and done things that few travelers ever experience.