History
The earliest historical reference of the Pygmies, was by ancient Egyptians, who captured them for entertainment uses. They were also mentioned in the Iliad, by Homer.
Interest in the Pygmies grew after their enslavement by European and American entertainment companies. During the late 1800’s to mid-twentieth century, world fairs and zoos were common places in which to view them. A famous example of this is Ota Benga, a Mbuti pygmy who had been captured after his family was massacred. He was originally exhibited in the 1904, World Fair, and was subsequently transferred to the Bronx Zoo. It was there that he was finally allowed to leave exhibition, following an extreme mental break. The worst part of this genocide is occurring now, however. Before the 1990’s, there had been some conflicts between the Bantu people and Pygmy people, however it escalated with the removal of the Pygmies from their native land and the Rwanda Genocide introducing more conflict. |
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