Mahale Mountains National Park | Summary of Resource Base

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Vegetation map for the MMNP area, from high-resolution satellite imagery 44
4. NEIGHBOURING COMMUNITIES AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL HISTORY The anthropological history of the Mahale peninsula and hinterland is one of successive waves of immigration from across the lake in Congo, south from the Malagarasi River basin and north from Ufipa and northern Zambia (Hatchel, 1941). In most cases, the immigrants either conquered or absorbed the inhabitants they found in the area. Until 1974 the Baholoholo or Wasowa people inhabited many parts of the Mahale Peninsula. These people came from what is now the DRC 16 generations ago, having been driven out by the Wemba tribe who were being driven north by the Angoni. The Baholoholo drove the original inhabitants, the Wamahare (Wanyakungwe) from the lake shore up into the Mahale Mountains and later absorbed them entirely (Hatchel, 1941). The area to the south and east of Mahale from the Lubugwe to Karema and inland to Katavi, was formerly known as Ubende or Ukabende. The people of this area originated from Congo or came south from the Malagarasi Valley (Hatchel, 1928). The area north of Ubende and east of Mahale was known as Tongwe and was inhabited by the Waganza and Wagalawa people, who also came across the lake from Congo around the same time as the Baholoholo. In 1925 when the British Administration established governmental control over Tongwe and Ubende, there were dozens of small chieftainships in the area and no cohesive tribal identity. This has changed considerably, and today the Baholoholo, Waganza and Wagalawa speak a common language know as Tongwe and are collectively know as the Watongwe. However, dialectal differences are still evident in slightly different names and/or pronunciations used for animals and plants in disparate parts of Mpanda and Kigoma districts inhabited by Tongwe speaking people. In more recent times, members of the Bembe, Tabwa, Ha, and Sukuma tribes have also immigrated into the area searching for favourable land and well-stocked fishing grounds, or fleeing military conflicts. Legends of the Mahale Mountains A chief called Mkungwe once quarrelled with his son, Lubadyu, and in his rage, picked him up and threw him across the lake. Lubadyu disintegrated when he fell, so his form can be seen in the Lubadyu Mountains, but not his shape. Mkungwe, tired from his exertion, lay down to rest and never rose again, forming Mt Nkungwe and the other Mahale Mountains. It is said that from the north one can clearly see the shape of Mkungwe reclining, his head positioned towards the water, his knees raised and his hands clasped across his stomach. The notch that is visible in Mkungwe’s head was cleaved by another tempestuous son, Katavi. In return for disfiguring him, Mkungwe banished Katavi to the east, 45
Page 1 and 2: MAHALE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK SUMM
Page 3 and 4: Galagos (bushbabies) Galagonidae Gr
Page 5 and 6: Banded Mongoose Mungos mungo White-
Page 7 and 8: Comments • The current (2008) MMN
Page 9 and 10: Wahlberg's Eagle Aquila wahlbergi T
Page 11 and 12: Thick-billed Cuckoo Pachycoccyx aud
Page 13 and 14: EURYLAIMIDAE - BROADBILLS African B
Page 15 and 16: Dusky Flycatcher Muscicapa adusta S
Page 17 and 18: Brown-capped Weaver Ploceus insigni
Page 19 and 20: • Large numbers of migratory bird
Page 21 and 22: Brown House Snake Lamprophis fuligi
Page 23 and 24: showed that it was not this species
Page 25 and 26: Order Family Scientific Name Perch-
Page 27 and 28: Comments • All these aquatic moll
Page 29 and 30: Asclepiadaceae Ceropegia nilotica C
Page 31 and 32: Celastraceae Maytenus heterophylla
Page 33 and 34: Pseudolachnostylis maprouneifolia R
Page 35 and 36: Moraea schimperi Lamiaceae †Leuca
Page 37 and 38: Ochna sp2 Olacaceae Ximenia america
Page 39 and 40: Mussaenda monticola Oldenlandia hoc
Page 41 and 42: Violaceae Rinorea brachypetala Rino
Page 43: 3. VEGETATION AND HABITAT TYPES Gro
Page 47 and 48: Tongwe culture Tongwe people believ
Page 49 and 50: REFERENCES Anderson, S. J. & Baker,

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