Masa

Africaagro-pastoralists

Map
expand_more Description

The Masa live on both sides of the Logone River where forms the border between Cameroon and Chad. The traditional diet was largely sorghum, fish and milk; rice has been added, also as a cash crop. Cattle were important signifiers of wealth and necessary in marriage exchanges. Extended, polygamous households formed larger, lineage-based cattle herding units. The ritual calendar followed an agricultural cycle that included both fishing and pastoral activities.

Identifier
Region
  • Africa
Subregion
  • Central Africa
Subsistence Type
  • agro-pastoralists
Samples
Countries
  • Chad
  • Cameroon