Pygmy Boy In Front Of Home And Family

Beni Hills, Zaire, Africa

Camera: Rolleiflex

The story:  I had been in the Pygmy village for half an hour and it was time to set up camp. I reached into my pack and removed my modern dome tent. Within two minutes I had set it up (without pegs) next to one of the Pygmy dome shelters made from sticks and banana leaves. The size and shape of the two dwellings appeared identical. I heard some commotion, some words were exchanged from behind the crowd. The Pygmies separated and an old lady, who had been hiding in one of the dwellings, came to the forefront. It was impossible to know how old she was, but it was obvious that she had a position of respect in their society. She approached my tent and stopped. Not knowing how to get in - the door was zipped shut - she turned and stared at me. I stepped forward and demonstrated how the zipper worked. Bravely she reached out, grabbed the zipper, and opened the flap all the way up; then zipped it all the way down; all the way up. Next, she cautiously entered my dwelling and scratched at the floor and walls; noticing that they were made out of the same material. She inspected every inch of my tent: lying sideways, kneeling, crouching, and even licking the foreign material. The whole process lasted a good five minutes before she peered out the door at me to acknowledge what a nice house it was. The fact that it was the same shape and size as her own home made it identifiable. After some persuasion I was able to get her out of my tent. Then, with one hand, I picked up the dome and carried it to the other side of the clearing. With that one simple movement I shocked the Pygmies into silence followed by an uproar of understanding. What a concept: the portable home. That old Pygmy woman may never be the same again.