Honey and Holidays: The Interactions Mediated by Honey between Efe Hunter-Gatherers and Lese Farmers in the Ituri Forest

Abstract

In the Ituri Forest of north-eastern Congo, there is a "honey season, " every year, usually around July and August. During this time Efe hunter-gatherers move deep into the forest to seek honey. Lese farmers living with the Efe obtain honey usually through exchange with the Efe. Some farmers, however, visit the Efe honey camp in the forest and spend several weeks or months enjyoing the honey collected by the Efe. Lese farmers who go into the forest say it is their "holidays." This paper describes how the Efe and Lese obtain honey, among other exchanges. The dichotomy of the forest and the village has been used to characterize the way of life of Efe hunter-gatherers and Lese farmers. Rather than confined to either the forest or the village, the Efe and the Lese maintain a symbiotic relationships for generations. These partners are a mediator to one's own world. The honey season provides for the farmers a refuge from tensions and conflicts in the village.