SUKU (BASUKU): Democratic Republic of the Congo

[Ɔkyeame Kwame]

SUKU (BASUKU)

Democratic Republic of the Congo


The 80,000 Suku people have lived in the southwestern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the 16th century. Their main economic resource is farming. Cultivation of yams, manioc, and groundnuts is done primarily by women. This is supplemented by the men hunting with dogs in the surrounding forest and by the women gathering wild berries, nuts, and roots. Occasional fishing in the Kwango River also provides some food. Although hunting rarely provides substantial quantities of meat to the Suku diet, it is considered an important part of male culture. Palm tree plantations provide the Suku with palm oil, an important commodity for local and international trade.

The wood sculpture is a royal court art linked to the social hierarchy. The statues that contain magic ingredients have malevolent or beneficial functions. The medications are placed in the figure’s abdomen, which is closed up with a resin stopper, or enclosed in small bags hung around the neck or waist. The statue is kept in a hut that stands with in the enclosure of the chief’s house. The Suku of the north have statues, the mulomba: these have one hand outstretched to solicit a gift. The sculptures wear the hairdo typical of the chiefs of the territory and lineage. The Suku also carve figures, which are used during fertility ceremonies and kneeling or crouching fetish figures. These are used either as ancestor figures or as the personification of the evil spirit.

The Suku have an initiation, the n-khanda. A special hut is built in the forest to give shelter to the postulants during their retreat; the event ends in circumcision, an occasion for great masked festivities including dances and song. The masks fulfill several functions: some serve as protection against evil forces, others ensure the fertility of the young initiate. Their role consists in frightening the public, healing the sick, and casting spells. The charm masks of the initiation specialist do not "dance." Their appearance must engender terror, especially the
kakuungu, with its swollen cheeks, massive features, and protruding chin.

The Suku also used hemba helmet masks. These are cut from a cylinder of wood, the hairdo often surmounted by a person or animal. These masks are supposedly an image of the community of deceased elders, notably the chiefs of the maternal lineage. They are used to promote success in the hunt, to heal, and to punish criminals. They were also worn by dancers during certain initiation ceremonies.

The Suku follow matrilineal descent patterns, which serve as individual lineages with members recognizing a geneological depth of three or four generations. Each community has a local chief who is the direct descendant of the original land owner and usually is controlled to some extent by a paramount regional chief. The Zairian government officially governs each region in conjunction with the local chiefs, controlling the extent of the power of those individual chiefs. Ritual specialists and diviners who achieve their prominence through display of their individual healing powers also inform political decisions.

The creator who inhabits the sky (ndzambyaphuungu) is responsible for life, death, and all unanswerable questions. There are no religious practices that actively pay homage to this god. Instead, religious celebrations focus on honoring the elders and ancestors (bambuta). The death of an elder is cause for a public ceremony performed by other elders. Bambuta may be honored by recognizing and practicing the traditional ways and through offerings and gifts. The offering place is usually a clearing in the forest (yipheesolu). This place is off-limits to outsiders and all women. Offerings may otherwise be made at the grave site of the ancestors.

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