Although the name sounds as if it might be a fusion of the Luba and Kuba, two influential cultures going back to precolonial times, the Northern Luba Kuba are another distinct ethnic group speaking the Luba-Kasai (Tshiluba or Ciluba) language. It is a first language within the community but not taught in schools. The group lives in a zone of the DRC culturally influenced by an overlapping of the historic Luba and Kuba Kingdoms. From the Luba, they gained a sophisticated political organization, clan structures, oral histories, ironworking and extensive trade networks. From the Kuba, they got elaborate artistic traditions, particularly in mask-making, textiles, woodcarving, ceremonial practices, and community cohesion.
There was widespread violence in the area beginning in 2016 with the killing of a local chief by government forces. His followers formed a milita called Kamuina Nsapu to avenge his death. Tensions escalated between customary chiefs and the state over traditional authority. A key point of conflict was the government's decision to appoint a customary chief in place of the one elected by the customary elders of one clan. Corruption, competition for resources, and longstanding ethnic tensions also played a role. Church and community-led meetings played a role in the long and uneven recovery period.
The Northern Luba Kubas make a living through subsistence farming, raising the staple crop cassava, maize, groundnuts, beans, sweet potatoes, plantains, and yams. Women usually do most of the farming, processing, and food preparation. Livestock in small numbers are kept for household consumption, cultural events, and occasional sale. Typical animals raised include goats, chickens, ducks, and sometimes pigs. Cattle are less common due to disease and limited land for grazing. The area includes forested land, where the people rely on gathering of wild fruits, mushrooms, and honey, collecting medicinal plants, harvesting palm products such as oil, wine, and fibers, and hunting small game. Economic opportunities are limited, so some men take up seasonal labor in mining, temporary work in towns, or diamond/gold mining, using their income to support families back home.
Although many today identify as Christian, traditional beliefs still hold an important place in their thinking and practices. They believe in a creator god called Vidye Mukulu (the Great Spirit), or Shakapanga (the creator). However, although this deity is respected, he is not fully worshiped directly. He is perceived as distant and uninvolved in daily affairs. Ancestors, called bavidye or bakulu, are venerated through offerings, prayers and ritual observances. They are believed to watch over the living, protect the clan, punish wrongdoing, and guide moral behavior. Misfortune is often seen as a sign of their displeasure. In addition, they believe in many spirits—those of the forests, rivers, hills, groves and trees. Traditional healers called banganga are consulted to diagnose and treat disease using herbal remedies, mediate with the ancestors, and protect from harmful forces. Diviners help discover broken taboos, ancestral displeasure, witchcraft, and guilty parties in social conflict. Clans are said to have their own spirits along with sacred objects like masks, sacred stools, staff and memory objects. They also have their own taboos, and rituals. Each clan may also have its own origins story. Many blend church life with these traditions.
Roads are extremely poor, making access to larger markets in major population centers difficult to impossible. Conflict has at times marked the region, displacing many. Even today, trust is fragile and many feel insecure. For that reason, they avoid nighttime travel.
Churches were among the first to reopen after the conflict. Pray they may continue to be a force for reconciliation and peace, and that this may cause many to be attracted not only to the church, but to Christ.
Pray that believers may discern between biblical and unbiblical practices.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to send revival fire to Northern Luba Kuba churches and families.
Pray that those who consider themselves to be Christian may have a deep experience of the new birth and a deep commitment to Christ.
Pray that the church may become a force for evangelizing the world.
References
Scripture Prayers for the Kuba, Northern Luba in Congo, Democratic Republic of.
| Profile Source: Joshua Project |
