Rwanda+Culture


 * = =History= ||= =Geography= ||= =Culture= ||= =Economics= ||= =Politics= ||= =Class Activities= ||= =Resources= ||

**__Identification__** The Rwandan culture is based on ethnic divisions between the Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa. The divisions are based on perceptions of where the people were from historically rather than any cultural differences. All three groups speak the same language, go to the same churches and live in the same areas. According to tradition, the Twa were the original settlers. The Hutu came next from a western migration, and the Tutsi later from the northeast. 

__**Social Stratification**__ The association between class and ethnic identity has recently broken down since independence. When the Hutu took control of the government, those with access to power used it to their advantage. Many use their positions to accumulate land and cattle, which are traditional signs of wealth. While many Hutu remain poor, the elite were still able to flourish economically. With the change of government in 1994, Tutsi once again had access to economic prosperity. __**Societal Expectations**__ Women in modern Rwandan typically hold very few political positions and have very little economic power. While women participate in day to day farming activities, men hold the primary responsibility for overseeing livestock. Women are also in charge of raising children and preparing food for members of the household. Women's associations have recently tried to overcome the division in status, but little improvement has been made. __**Education**__ The country of Rwanda has taken responsibility for providing education for children, but only about 60% of children ever attend school. The small fees that are required to attend are too much for many families to afford. As far as higher education goes, Rwanda puts very little focus on it. Less than 10 percent of people in Rwanda attend high school. A much smaller percentage of the population attends a trade school or university. Rwanda only has one national university, which is based in Butare**__.__** __**Languages:**__ Kinyarwanda, French, English, and Kiswahili __**Ethnic Groups:**__ Hutu (84%), Tutsi (15%), Twa (1%) __**Religions:**__ Roman Catholic (56.5%), Protestant (26%), Adventist (11.1%), Muslim (4.6%), indigenous beliefs (0.1%), none (1.7%) __**Food**__ The people of Rwanda eat very basic foods. The most common are beans, bananas, sweet potatoes, and sorghum. Dairy products, such as the traditional curdled milk, are also very widely consumed. Some people who can afford meat also eat beef and goat. Rwandans rarely eat food in public settings. Eating food in public is traditionally reserved for ceremonial purposes. __**Music & Dance**__ Music and dance are a very important tradition of the people of Rwanda. They use music and dance to demonstrate commemoration of acts of excellence and bravery. Traditional songs are many times accompanied by a lulunga, which is a harp-like instrument with eight strings. Other commemorative dances are backed by a drum orchestra, which usually is made up of nine members. The most complex and dynamic dance and musical style is the Intore Dace Troupe. The group once performed exclusively for the Royal Court, but today they perform at the Nation Museum in Butare. The most modern form of Rwandan music is upbeat and harmonious singing that can be heard throughout any church in the country.

**__Crafts__** There area wide range of traditional crafts produced in the rural part of Rwanda. It varies from ceramics to basketry to traditional woodcarvings. A distinctly Rwandan craft is the cow dung paintings that are produced by a local village people. The paintings are made up of brown, black, and white whorls and other geometric abstractions.

To learn more about the culture of Rwanda visit the following link:  http://www.everyculture.com/No-Sa/Rwanda.html

Information Gathered From: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rw.html http://www.rwandatourism.com/culture.htm <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">http://www.everyculture.com/No-Sa/Rwanda.html

**<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">© 2012 Samantha Jean Day - Revised April 25th, 2012 ** **<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Email: sjday5@ilstu.edu ** **<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Ph: 309-438-4323 **