The Bemba People

The Bemba People are the most dominant group of people in Northern Zambia. They are mainly known as "forest people". It is very uncommon for people in Zambia to be multilingual. Since the Bembas are the most dominant group, the most common language spoken in Zambia is Bemba. The next most common language they speak in Zambia is English. People who know how to speak English are known to be prestigious and of a higher society. But, the importance of Bemba-speaking goes back to Chitmukulu who rules the state, and they are known to have supernatural power. They have their unique political system with one common chief, the Chitmukulu.

The soil where they live is not very good, so most Bemba live on farming, and migrate as the soil nutrients get thin. Usually, people have very few possessions and wealth, and struggle with diseases that has been in the area for years. 

The Bemba peoples' traditional dress is made with bark, hence the name "forest people". They also live in small villages 30-50 mud huts. One of the most interesting part of their culture is their marriage ceremonies. After almost all of the marriages, the husband goes to live in the wife's house. So generations of Bemba families are traced back to a matrilineal structure, instead of the more commonly known patrilineal structure.

Their religion had been very monotheistic. Traditionally, they worshipped the high god Lenza who lives in the sky. But recently, due to Christian missionaries, many believe in a mixture of traditional folk religion with Christian elements.