An intrepid filmmaker has revealed how he lived with one of the world’s last hunter-gatherer tribes for three days in an attempt to document their stripped-down existence.
Ruhi Çenet ventured with a guide and translator near Lake Eyasi in northern Tanzania, where he met members of the Hadza tribe.
In a YouTube documentary about his journey, he explains that the Hadza people “survive by hunting their food with bows and arrows, just as our ancestors did deep in the wild savannah thousands of years ago.”
The animals they hunt for food, says Ruhi, include rock hyraxes, squirrels, antelopes and baboons, and to wash that down they drink “muddy water” because “their immune system is strong enough to deal with the germs and bacteria . parasites.’
In addition to a unique diet, Ruhi reveals that the Hadza people speak a complex language called Hadzane, which combines spoken words with clicking sounds.
Ruhi Çenet ventured with a guide and translator near Lake Eyasi in Northern Tanzania, where he met members of the Hadza tribe
In a YouTube documentary describing his journey, he explains that the Hadza people “survive by hunting their food with bows and arrows, just as our ancestors did thousands of years ago.”
The animals they hunt for food, Ruhi says, include rock hyraxes, squirrels and baboons
After being introduced to the tribe’s chief, Sakoro, Ruhi prepares to go hunting with the male tribesmen.
They wake up very early in the morning in the dark with about 10 hunting dogs in tow.
Their weapons of choice include knives and arrows, some of which are rubbed with poison.
As a form of camouflage, the men wear baboon fur and other animal skins on their heads and around their torsos.
The majority of Ruhi’s short film then focuses on the arduous and tiring task of hunting for food.
The dogs help track rock hyraxes and mongooses in their underground homes before the tribesmen go in and spear the animals.
To lure their prey, the tribesmen imitate animal sounds, with one shouting like a baboon and the other echoing the melody of a bird.
Steadily, over many hours, the hunters rack up an impressive number of kills, but they fail to find any baboons.
During their hunt, a man also found a giant snail, but Ruhi says the young people don’t like the taste, so they offer it to the elders
In addition to a unique diet, Ruhi reveals that the Hadza people speak a complex language called Hadzane, which combines spoken words with clicking sounds.
Ruhi reveals that there has been a decline in the animal population in the region where the Hadza people live, due to ‘neighboring tribes cutting down trees and driving out wildlife’
During their breaks, the men eat from honeycombs and Ruhi explains that honey is the tribe’s “liquid gold” and is “full of energy and essential nutrients to keep them strong in the wild.”
As they reap a good harvest during their hunt, Ruhi reveals that the animal population in the region where the Hadza people live has declined as “neighboring tribes cut down trees and drive out wildlife for crops and livestock.”
This means that survival is becoming increasingly difficult for the old tribe.
When they return to the main camp after more than seven hours of hunting, the tribesmen cook some of the animals and offer some to Ruhi.
While discussing their diet, one of the tribe members explains that they like to eat “hands and the back parts of baboons” and “baboon buttocks are sweet.”
Since there is no baboon on the menu, Ruhi eats a rock hyrax.
He tells viewers: “I am honored that the Hadza people share with me their yacht, which they have worked hard to obtain.
“For those who really want to learn what hyrax meat is like, it’s honestly quite rubbery.”
In another scene of the documentary, younger members of the tribe are seen refining their bow and arrow skills
As a form of camouflage, the men wear baboon fur and other animal skins on their heads and around their torsos
At the end of the film, Ruhi emphasizes the importance of keeping the tribe alive and protecting their environment
During their hunt, a man also found a giant snail, but Ruhi says the young people don’t like the taste, so they offer the molluscs to the elders.
In another scene of the documentary, younger members of the tribe are seen refining their bow and arrow skills.
They use a tree trunk for target practice and Ruhi is impressed by their precision.
Also some women from the community appear briefly as they go digging for fruits and vegetables, but Ruhi explains that they are very camera shy.
Ruhi spends a total of three days hunting with the Hadza people, but each day they “return home empty-handed, without a baboon for their family.”
At the end of the film, Ruhi emphasizes the importance of keeping the tribe alive and protecting their environment.
He concludes: “Hadza people live in this world as we did thousands of years ago… They are like a window into the past.”