Luba People Research Paper

The Lukasa, or memory board, is from the Mbudye Society. The work was created by the Luba peoples from current-day Democratic Republic of the Congo. This work is from c. 19th to 20th century C.E., and was constructed using wood, beads, and metal. The purpose of this work is to show the history of the tribe. Similar to other African tribes, the Luba peoples passed down their history verbally, as they had no written language. Thus, this memory board depicts the political history of the Luba people. Meanwhile, the Navigation chart was created on the Marshall Islands in Micronesia. It was created during the 19th to early 20th century C.E., and is made out of wood and fiber. This work served as a map for sailing on the water around the islands by its inhabitants. The Marshall Islands are a complex grouping of smaller islands. Thus, a map is crucial to navigate the waterways. The diagonals indicate wind patterns and water currents, while the horizontal and vertical sticks support the chart. The small shells on the work represent the islands.
Recounting the history of the Luba peoples involves performances, including dance and song. The master, who is the person who has the ability to read the lukasa, will touch and feel the beads, shells, and pegs to recount the history of the Luba people, as well as solve the contemporary problems the Luba people face. The Luba people are the largest ethnic group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The art of the Luba people highlights the roles that objects played in giving the holders the authority of kingship and royal power, as the location where the Luba people settled gave them access to a great abundance of natural resources, such as copper, gold, and