Meru Tribe In Tanzania
Meru Tribe In Tanzania : When looking for a culturally diverse destination, Tanzania stands out as the perfect one. Over 120 ethnic groups are residents of this fabulous country. The groups are widespread across the country. On Mount Meru’s slopes, the Meru tribe, or simply Wameru. They are also called Warwa or Varwa, which means “those who climb.” The Meru live in the Arusha region of Tanzania.
Origin of the Meru tribe
The Wameru claim to have originated from the large Bantu ethnic group, alongside the Chagga. Their ancestors arrived in the Usambara area 300 years ago. The origin of the Wameru tribe is linked with the Machame, an ethnic group of the Chagga who migrated to the slopes of Mount Meru 400 years ago. Three of the 26 clans can be traced back to the Maasai, while the rest relate to the Chagga. By the 1830s, the Meru were well established on the slopes of Mount Meru.
German punitive expeditions against the Meru tribe
The Meru were once opposers of Christianity. The murder of the first two missionaries who settled in Meru in 1896 indicates their resistance. The German colonial masters exercised brutal punitive expeditions to the Meru and Arusha. Many members of these tribes were killed, their cattle confiscated and banana groves burnt down. The Germans also gave a large portion of north Meru land to the Afrikaners, a migrant tribe from southern Africa. They also took a large block of land from the south of the slopes.
The graves of missionaries commemorate the work done by these folks to convert the resistant tribes to Christianity. Currently, about 73% of the Meru people are Christians, with the majority being Catholics and Protestants.
Meru tribe population
Tanzania census doesn’t record ethnicity, but the population of the Meru is around 198, 000 people. They live in almost 26 clans.
They are expert farmers growing a variety of crops on the fertile lower slopes of Mount Meru. Their common crops include vegetables, bananas, and coffee.
What do the Wameru do for a living?
The Wameru were well established on the foothills of Mount Meru when the first Arusha settled there in the 1830s. The Arusha lost their cattle to the Maasai during the tumultuous wars. They, therefore, became farmers and came to settle along with the Wameru.
The Meru cultivate crops like coffee, bananas, and many others. They inhabit the southeastern and eastern slopes of Mount Meru. Some of them have engaged in business like their neighbors the Chagga.
Coffee tours, biking tours, and village walks are among the prevailing activities when visiting. They are welcoming and will let you know the methods they use in growing, cultivating, and processing coffee. You will also learn a lot from their extensive skills in farming other crops, like bananas and others.
What language does the Wameru speak?
Kimeru is the native language of the Meru tribe. Kimeru is one of the Bantu languages and is closely related to the dialects of the Chagga. Their closeness to the Chagga is not only in the language but also in origin. They descended from the Machame and Siha/Ng’uni groups. It is believed that about 400 years ago, the Wameru moved from the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro to the slopes of Mount Meru.
The Wameru also speak Kiswahili, a national language of Tanzania and this unites them with other tribes.
Meru tribe tradition
The Meru practice live their lives traditionally. Here are some interesting traditions:
Birth: The Meru consider giving birth as good news to be shared by the members of the community. When a woman gives birth, for example, neighbors will visit her and will make loud hooting sounds to symbolize joy. The sounds also make society aware of a newcomer. After a few days, the child is given a small portion of fried banana.
Naming: The Meru name their children after their recently deceased family members. However, getting to know these names is hard because they are kept secret from outsiders.
Are the Ameru of Kenya related to the Meru of Tanzania?
The Meru tribe of Tanzania is sometimes confused with the Ameru tribe in Kenya. Both the Meru and Ameru are famous for their intensive agricultural practices. This is the common feature shared by these two tribes.
The Meru are also called the Warwa, while the Ameru are also known as Ngaa. The Ameru are also a Bantu ethnic group found in the Meru region of Kenya, while the Meru inhabit the lower slopes of Mount Meru.
The Wameru are polite people and very welcoming to visitors. You can have a tour of their land on your next adventure to Tanzania. If you are ready to take on a safari, we can help you achieve that. Reach out to our Focus East Africa Safaris experts and start your plan.
