- 6 months ago
The Hadza, the most primitive tribe living on earth. They are hunter gatherers just like our ancestors were thousands of years ago.
Deep into the wild savannah, where uncertainty awaits behind every bush, they chase rock hyraxes, antelopes and baboons.
The Hadza tribe has been living near Lake Eyasi in Northern Tanzania for over 50,000 years and only made first contact with the modern world around 150 years ago.
They speak Hadzane, a unique language with clicks.
For the next 3 days, I’ll be a part of their tribe and witness their way of life.
Deep into the wild savannah, where uncertainty awaits behind every bush, they chase rock hyraxes, antelopes and baboons.
The Hadza tribe has been living near Lake Eyasi in Northern Tanzania for over 50,000 years and only made first contact with the modern world around 150 years ago.
They speak Hadzane, a unique language with clicks.
For the next 3 days, I’ll be a part of their tribe and witness their way of life.
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FunTranscript
00:00The Hadza, the most primitive tribe living on Earth.
00:03They survive by hunting their food with bows and arrows just like our ancestors did thousands of years ago.
00:12Deep into the wild savannah, where uncertainty awaits behind every bush,
00:16they chase rock hyraxes, antelopes, and baboons.
00:23The Hadza tribe lives life in its rawest form.
00:25They drink muddy water, eat honey with larvae, and even sometimes meat with animal waste.
00:31For the next three days, I'll be a part of their tribe and witness their way of life.
00:36The Hadza tribe has been living near Lake Ayasi in northern Tanzania for over 50,000 years
00:41and only made first contact with the modern world around 150 years ago.
00:46They speak Hadzane, a unique language with clicks.
00:51The members took us to their chief.
00:55Take it away.
00:57Take it away.
00:58Take it away.
00:59Take it away.
01:00Take it away.
01:02Take it away.
01:03Take it away.
01:05To see it, the fish.
01:08Take it away.
01:09Take it away.
01:11Take it away.
01:13It's the land.
01:15The land has to be a beautiful land.
01:19Hunting skills are evident in the leather and furs they wear.
01:21The salt in the tears burns the open wound and the baby learns not to cry when feeling
01:40the pain.
01:45Here, a young group of people are crafting and repairing their gears for the next hunt.
01:50It's a skill passed down through generations.
01:52Koko, what happened here?
02:19They customize their arrows with unique patterns.
02:28If someone's arrow gets lost and found, that's how they know whose it is.
02:32It also tells who shot the target.
02:35On their boat, they have these unique patterns, some parts of the animal that they hunted.
02:39This tells how talented and experienced these hunter is.
02:43Also they use burst feathers to keep the arrows stable during flight.
02:47To make arrows, first they take a piece of wood and carefully shave it.
02:51It must be as light and straight as possible.
02:53They are always controlling the progress and using their teeth to fix any curves.
02:58Which animal do you fear the most?
03:04They use a piece of wood to keep the arrows stable.
03:10They use a piece of wood to pick up a piece of wood to pick a piece of wood.
03:19Those types of wood, they use a piece of wood to put it over there.
03:22Just the font of wood for it like this.
03:24We've gathered before the break of dawn.
03:45Sakuro is yelling to wake up the other hunters.
03:48Please be aware that some scenes you're about to see may be sensitive.
03:51We kindly ask you to watch the culture and lifestyle of the Hadza tribe with respect and
03:56an open mind.
03:58Our journey into the wild begins once everybody is ready.
04:01It's split into different groups so that they'll have better chances on hunting.
04:07The tribe is getting ready.
04:09Let's see what will happen.
04:14Once the daylight breaks, we're going into the wild with Sakuro leading the way.
04:18We've got around 10 hunting dogs with us on the alert.
04:21Hunters are carrying knives, bows, both poisoned and non-poisoned arrows.
04:26Sakuro pointed this way.
04:28We are separating now.
04:30Look there.
04:31So we will follow this group.
04:34One of our crew is following Sakuro and the dogs.
04:38Throughout the hunt, we will separate into groups from time to time.
04:42In this vast terrain, the dogs are our eyes and ears.
04:45They are spreading out and searching over a wide area.
04:48This strategy allows both dogs and us to cover more ground and increase our chances of spotting
04:52animals.
04:53This is how they drink water.
04:54They use this muddy palm.
04:57This is how they drink water.
04:58This is how they drink water.
04:59They use this muddy palm.
05:04First they blow and then drink.
05:05Their immune system is strong enough to deal with the bacterias and parasites.
05:11They don't care whether it's clean or not.
05:12They don't care whether it's clean or not.
05:18Dog starts running to run.
05:19There is something there.
05:20Run!
05:21This is how they drink water.
05:22This is how they drink water.
05:23This is how they drink water.
05:25They use this muddy palm.
05:26This is how they drink water.
05:27This is how they drink water.
05:28They use this muddy palm.
05:29First they blow and then drink.
05:30Their immune system is strong enough to deal with the bacterias and parasites.
05:33They don't care whether it's clean or not.
05:41The dog is starting to run. There's something there. Run!
05:48He's gonna put the long stick inside that hole.
05:51He's trying to move the animal to come out.
05:55The previous stick wasn't long enough. Now he's making a longer one.
06:01The dog is trying to dig a bigger hole to make it easier to grab the animal.
06:11They're giving up. Time is precious. It's time to move on.
06:25The Hadza are nomadic people and they don't store food or engage in farming.
06:29They completely rely on hunting and gathering.
06:41They're teaming up to catch the squirrel. One hunter shakes the tree to confuse the animal and make it run towards the other hunter.
06:54They've got it.
07:07This is the first hunt of the day.
07:09He put it inside his belt.
07:24He's looking for his arrow now.
07:26Each arrow is so valuable for them. It takes a lot of time to craft one.
07:32The dogs are leading Sakuro to the spot.
07:34He's filling in the openings with grass to stop the animal from getting away.
07:42We're changing our route because we cannot pass the river ahead.
07:43Finally it's time to rest. It has been four hours that we are walking.
07:45We're changing our route because we cannot pass the river ahead.
07:51Finally it's time to rest.
07:53It has been four hours since we are walking.
07:59I can't wait before I move on, I don't see it yet.
08:03We're changing our route because we cannot pass the river ahead.
08:07Finally, it's time to rest.
08:09It has been four hours that we are walking.
08:14If you look at this tree, these things always get us.
08:19They are sharp and they tear down our clothes.
08:22The name is Acacia.
08:24Sakoro keeps watch on the other hunters below.
08:28The dogs catch this rock hyrax but they ate half of it.
08:33Now Sakoro is sliding through the rocks to move downhill.
08:37Thorns prick his legs.
08:40He's cutting down the branches to clear his path.
08:44In the meantime, the boy pushes his body into the gap between the rocks.
08:47He completely disappears.
08:58The boy who went in this rock has been circling the entire area from one side to the other.
09:09He and the dogs are searching for their prey in a quite tiny space.
09:16They shot another rock hyrax down under this rock.
09:20They saw something else there.
09:26I think dogs are onto it now.
09:31They are trying to pull it out.
09:34It's a food that is ready but unreachable yet.
09:40The one in the nest has been caught.
09:41The animal is still alive.
09:50He's trying to end his way.
09:53That's a bad way to go.
09:56Bad, bad way to go.
09:58The animal is still alive.
10:02He's trying to end his way.
10:05That's a bad way to go.
10:07Well, this is what we call these rats.
10:08That's right.
10:09That's what we call these rats.
10:10That's right.
10:11That's right.
10:12That's right.
10:13That's right.
10:14Yeah.
10:16Look!
10:18Okay.
10:27Look!
10:28Look!
10:29This is the third rock hyrax.
10:50In just 50 years, the Hadza lost 90% of their lands to neighboring tribes cutting down trees
10:55and driving away wildlife for crops and livestock.
10:58The drop in animal population has made hunting and survival more difficult for them.
11:06Their way of life is at risk.
11:09Watch this.
11:10He makes a fire in less than a minute just by spinning the arrow fast between his palms.
11:16Now they take a break to consume a type of plant as they believe it boosts their vision
11:20and up hunting chances.
11:25Even walking in this terrain is a challenge.
11:33The boy is looking for a mongoose.
11:40He's checking every gap he can reach.
11:49The boy is looking for a mongoose.
11:59He's checking every gap he can reach.
12:01The boy is looking for a mongoose.
12:03But the dog is looking for a mongoose.
12:04The boy is looking for a mongoose.
12:08The boy is looking for a mongoose.
12:10My sister is in prison.
12:12I am on my own.
12:14I'm on my own.
12:20I'm on my own.
12:22How are you?
12:24My sister is here.
12:26My sister is here.
12:29My sister is here.
12:33My brother is here.
12:36My brother is here.
12:38Don't judge. This is the way they live. This is how our ancestors have survived.
13:08It was a very tiring hunt. Very tiring.
13:28We walked 36,000 steps in just 7 hours while tracing animals in the mountains.
13:37He says for the baboons, they prefer the bottom meat. And which part?
13:50Dogs are waiting patiently to get some pieces of the leftovers.
14:02They start eating the hunted animal from the nails. They don't waste any part of it.
14:06They consume the meat along with soft bones. You can hear the pops and cracks with each bite they take.
14:19Let's eat this part.
14:20I'm honored that the Hadza people share their hunt with me, which they got with a lot of effort.
14:25But for those who really want to learn what Rock Hyrax meat is like, it's honestly quite rubbery.
14:30They spend their free time making new arrows to replace the ones they have lost during the hunt.
14:43They spend their free time making new arrows to replace the ones they have lost during the hunt.
15:00With each Hadza tribe consisting of around 30 people, the average lifespan is around 32 years.
15:05It's actually because of the high rate of infant mortality.
15:08Typically, a Hadza woman gives birth to four kids, but just one or two of them can survive.
15:14Honey is their liquid gold. Packed with energy and vital nutrients to keep them going strong in the wild,
15:19it is the most consumed food in the tribe.
15:22We are near a baobab tree. You see a hole inside the tree up there. That's where the honey is.
15:29They're going to cut a piece of wood to attach it. They use it as a ladder to climb up.
15:36There are like thousands of bees inside this tree.
15:42On one hand, another hunter is preparing a fire to make a smoking stick.
15:46He's checking if these sticks are strong enough to carry a body of a person.
15:51Now he puts the smoking stick into the hive to calm the bees for a short time.
16:10This loud buzzing is coming from thousands of bees.
16:13He still gets stung numerous times, but bears the pain to get to the honey.
16:17He must hurry because the bees will get out of the hive and we don't want to be chased by them.
16:23Of course, those are severaliac time brains.
16:24They make stupid noises.
16:26They make stupid noises.
16:35They turn to the one.
16:39Whatever.
16:41What are you doing here?
16:43I will have acapeoon will coassets!
16:46He poured the uddhi with a cane because they eaten.
16:49Which is the produce?
16:52There is very little honey in it, it's mostly wax, and there are some larvas inside, let
17:01me show you.
17:03For the Hadza, honey is not just food, but also their currency.
17:07They exchange it for sharp metal tools, glass beads, tire shoes, and corn flour.
17:12They don't use money or even a developed numerical system for counting.
17:16In Hadzane, one and two are the only numbers.
17:19Even today they don't keep track of time.
17:21Clocks and calendars have no place here.
17:23They don't have time-based events like birthdays or religious holidays.
17:27Does he know how old he is?
17:30Nowadays, some of them have learned the official language of Tanzania and have borrowed numbers,
17:36but most still can't count up to ten.
17:39To express numbers beyond five, like the eight in this case, he needs to combine them.
17:43They use general terms to express larger quantities as they are too abstract for them.
18:00Do they always have that baboon hunting in their mind?
18:03Do they always have that baboon hunting in their mind?
18:07ostone hunting and captured by the agent?
18:19After sleeping for a couple of hours, we're preparing for a bigger hunt as avenging.
18:23After sleeping for a couple of hours, we're preparing for a bigger hunt at 4am on the
18:38second day.
18:40This is our second day in the camp and we will go for antelopes and baboons.
18:45While we're tracking animals, one team member will be staying here and recording the camp
18:49life.
18:50The men who are not going hunting today are repairing their tools.
18:53They are out of poison.
18:54So first, this young boy and old man are walking a long road to get a bucket of water.
19:05Busy with their daily tasks, they still keep an eye out, taking advantage of any opportunity
19:09to hunt down something for today's meal.
19:13After several unsuccessful attempts, he finds a large snail on the way back to camp.
19:17They have a large snail on the way back to camp.
19:30You see those mountains?
19:32They say there are many hyenas there.
19:38Young people do not much like the taste of snails and offer them to the elders.
19:45In the past, when a tribe member grew old, the young ones would hunt a large animal for
19:49them, offering its meat as a final feast before abandoning the elders to starve to the end.
19:54Nowadays, they take care of old members and share their hunts.
19:58This bao belongs to the desert rose tree, which possesses the game changing ingredient for
20:02Hadza hunters in battling big catches.
20:08They begin by cutting the bao into small pieces, placing them all into a pan.
20:13Cold water is poured over the pieces and let the mixture boil.
20:18He dumps leaves to skim off any foam from the surface.
20:24After removing the pieces, they let the mixture simmer down until it thickens.
20:33With one last stir, he transfers the essence onto a rock and adds a splash of water.
20:39Finally, he adds a bit of ash into it and mixes it by crushing it with a stone.
20:46And there you have it, a black, sticky, poisonous paste.
20:50He carefully coats the arrow tip with it.
20:52Now this arrow is ready for action.
20:57He rubs his hands on the grass to clean the poison.
21:01While men search for meat and honey, women gather fruits, vegetables, and greens.
21:26Right now they unearth roots and tubers by using digging sticks.
21:34They are like nature's nutrient storage units.
21:37Here she found a wild potato.
21:47Living almost in isolation, Hadza women are not comfortable with being filmed by strangers.
21:52So many times they are watching the birds laying down the street, but they are not comfortable with seeing the soil.
21:58In this place, the trees have been condensed to the surface.
22:01When there's no uncertain, the leaves have been copied from the trees.
22:01The trees have been condensed to the place.
22:04As soon as possible, they'll die.
22:07This tree is hidden to the trees.
22:12When the trees have been hidden to the trees.
22:15I hope they'll go for a few other trees.
22:17They like the trees.
22:18Look, a pig digged here, another scratch on this tree.
22:34They heard a crackle and are now stopping to figure out where the sound is coming from.
22:38They're going to check if there's anything to investigate or anything to hunt.
22:55Nothing.
22:58Because of the rain, animals hide in their tunnels or shelters.
23:03Do you see the nests of a very small animal called Bush Baby?
23:07They are throwing rocks towards the tree to move the animal from where it hides.
23:16It's time to run.
23:22Missed.
23:25There is no missing from here.
23:28They are having fun.
23:35The animal has nowhere else to go.
23:38Look, look.
23:40Oh, why are you?
23:45Come here.
23:47Come here.
23:49Another one?
23:51The boy has spotted another Bush Baby nest.
23:54It's hiding inside.
23:55After the second attempt, it becomes unable to move.
24:02He's now clearing a path for himself to climb the tree.
24:09The boy has started to climb up to the bush baby's nest.
24:14He's getting closer and got it, right by the tail.
24:18The bush baby's eyes are full of worry and it's tightly holding on its nest, trying
24:22to protect itself.
24:26But no chance left for the little one.
24:41This animal is called bush baby, they're mostly active during nights.
24:46We got them during their sleep.
24:49On the head.
24:52Oh, they got it from the eyes.
24:55They went from here and came out from there.
24:58Look at the hands of the animal, they're related to monkeys.
25:02Meanwhile back at camp, two young ones are on the hunt.
25:05He whistles just exactly like the bird to trick it.
25:09So near, yet so far, he missed it.
25:21But on the third try, he got one right in the sky.
25:28But on the third try, he got one right in the sky.
25:45What happened to this dog?
25:46He's got a lot of scratches.
25:47He's got a lot of scratches.
25:52Yeah.
25:53Yeah.
25:54Yeah.
25:55Yeah.
25:57Since rain has stopped, the animals can now come out of their shelters.
26:03And Hatsa are ready to get them.
26:06It's got a beautiful bird.
26:16A good one.
26:17Okay.
26:18You're right here.
26:19Good boy.
26:20What's up?
26:21Do you have a fish?
26:23Do you have fish that way?
26:24There is no fish.
26:25No fish it is.
26:26No fish.
26:27No fish or fish.
26:28No fish.
26:28No fish.
26:29There's no fish that way.
26:30No fish.
26:31Dogs seem so sure. There is definitely something.
26:52Although they are often loyal, the dogs sometimes act faster than the Hadza hunters and take the hunt for themselves.
26:58He is trying to catch the bird with his hand.
27:05Sakuro and the other hunters are exhausted now. Taking a break from the hunt, we are heading back to camp.
27:16When is the last time he ate?
27:28What does he think about death? Where does he think he will grow when he dies?
27:35What does he think about death? Where does he think he will grow when he dies?
27:49What does he think about death?
28:01Young ones are still learning how to shoot an arrow and this is their class time.
28:06He is a warrior.
28:20What are their dreams for the future?
28:27What are their dreams for the future?
28:29What are their dreams for the future?
28:30Sometimes it's difficult to understand the question.
28:39You tell them to talk about the future.
28:41Yeah, they don't have a future concept.
28:44You tell them to talk about the future.
28:49You tell them to talk about the future.
28:53You tell them to talk about the future.
28:56You tell them to talk about the future.
28:59You tell them to talk about the future.
29:03Early again, we're on day three with the Hadza tribe.
29:06While we were sleeping, a group that had gone out for a night hunt has just made it back.
29:11They got an antelope. It's called Dick Dick.
29:30While we are getting closer to the baboons, those who stayed at the camp have started to build a hut.
29:35Right now, two men are heading into the bush to collect suitable branches and leaves.
29:41Baboons are smart animals. They keep moving around when they sense something.
29:50They don't like human contact.
29:52We have to keep up. Come on.
29:54They went to ask if they saw any baboons around.
29:58We are smart, but so they are. They can sense that we are closing in.
30:05We'll keep searching them.
30:07That means we've got to up our strategy. It's all about staying one step ahead.
30:13Those at the camp are now whistling to reach out to their friends who have gone on a morning honey hunt, wishing to join in and eat wild honey.
30:20Now they are enjoying the sweet treat.
30:24Now that all the materials are ready, it's time to lay the foundation of the hut.
30:28They start by bending and weaving the branches to create bars.
30:32To make it durable, they wrap additional branches around it.
30:36This cage-like structure forms the main part.
30:38Then they surround the base with one piece of wood.
30:39They are not going to work.
30:40They are not going to work.
30:41They are not going to work.
30:42Now that all the materials are ready, it's time to lay the foundation of the hut.
30:43They start by bending and weaving the branches to create bars.
30:58To make it durable, they wrap additional branches around it.
31:01This cage-like structure forms the main part.
31:04Then they surround the base with wild aloe vera plants and cover the top with leaves and grass.
31:16For the finishing touches, they tuck some white flowers.
31:19And there it is.
31:20Within a few hours, a new home stands ready, gifted to this young dad and his family.
31:25I am a man.
31:35I am a man.
31:36I am a man.
31:41Baboons get off those balls of trees.
31:44So, they are checking each and every tree.
31:47But our main objective is to get to those rocks.
31:51They say that baboons are living there.
31:54As we are walking along the path, we spot a group of rock hyraxes hiding into the rocks below.
32:00They got all the five rock hyraxes, now it's time to move on for baboons.
32:05They are hungrily eating the stomach, filled with an almost fecal-like mixture of half-digested food and stomach acids.
32:13Socoris says they checked all the areas and couldn't find any baboons, but we will try our luck during night.
32:20Baboons can learn from past experiences, avoiding places where they have faced threats.
32:25It seems they are abandoned here. The Hadza are adapting their strategy.
32:29They will chase baboons in another part of the region tonight.
32:34Both predators and prey are constantly learning and adjusting.
32:38It's like hide-and-seek, but in a wild setup.
32:41Now we are on baboon hunting. It's getting darker. Some of the tribe members detected where they are living.
32:47They are on a tree. We will be extra, extra, extra silent.
32:51Baboons are not nocturnal animals. They are active during the morning.
32:54And at night, they sleep in trees where they are protected from predators, mostly leopards, hyenas and humans.
33:01We will increase the ISO of the camera and we will be able to see with noise.
33:06I can't see an inch in front of me. We got to stick close to the hunters.
33:11Don't want to accidentally be shot by a poisonous arrow.
33:14We are heading deeper into baboon habitat.
33:18I feel like we disturbed the forest.
33:22Baboons live in large groups known as troops. As they look out for each other, alert the group to possible dangers and collectively defend against threats.
33:47They have to move. They have to move. They are not here.
34:14Baboons are extremely agile and can move quickly both on the ground and on the trees.
34:20They are trying to decide which way to go.
34:29Be careful. It's slavery.
34:33We are walking along the edge of the stream and there is a steep slope down below.
34:37It's so narrow even for just one person to pass through.
34:48It has been one and a half hours. We haven't seen any baboons.
34:52They are looking all over the place.
34:54Our last night's shoot doesn't offer a capture of a successful hunt.
34:58After three days of hard tracking and chasing, the Hatsa hunters returned home empty handed without a baboon for their family.
35:05However, during the editing process, we figured out a single frame reveals that a baboon was fleeing by jumping from branch to branch when the lights went out.
35:13They were aware of human's physical limitations and patiently waited for the lights to go out to quietly run away in the dark.
35:19This unexpected twist shows survival doesn't always favor the strong or the smart.
35:24It is about being the most adaptable.
35:26We came to the end of baboon hunting.
35:29We weren't successful. The animals probably hurt us.
35:32Hatsa people leave this world as we did thousands of years ago.
35:36One of the biggest threats to this community is, of course, modernization and losing this unique human culture.
35:42They are like a window to the past. They are the last of our first.
35:48Hi, in the beginning of last month, my YouTube channel was hijacked.
35:53And the hackers, the labor thieves, deleted all of my videos from my YouTube channel.
35:58Twelve years of my work was gone.
36:01This sudden act caused my monthly earnings to drop to zero in just one click.
36:05We have eventually saved all the videos from our backup files.
36:08However, the algorithm no longer favors our recovered videos.
36:13As a result, the number of views we get from these videos has significantly decreased, causing us to lose our passive income.
36:20Because of this, our expected financial loss for the entirety of this year is at least $75,000 and we can't afford to fall that far behind.
36:30We strive to increase our documentary's quality in each video we make and try to broadcast in 14 different languages.
36:38In this economic equation, we are struggling to make our documentaries available worldwide.
36:43Navigating the challenges of filming in remote and often hostile environments adds another layer of complexity to our endovers.
36:51To make it possible for you to watch this HAPSA documentary, a team of 314 people contributed their efforts.
36:57Including 278 voice actors and 28 translators from 14 different countries, along with 8 more crew members working in fieldwork and post-production.
37:06It took us 3 months to finish this entire project.
37:10If you found any value in our documentaries and if you want us to be able to continue producing these documentaries, we need you to now to click the super thanks button below this video.
37:21After clicking, you will see options regarding how much you can donate or you can type a certain amount as you wish.
37:26This is the first time I am asking for one-time support from you.
37:31This crisis we are experiencing right now poses an existential risk for the documentaries we are trying to produce.
37:37Every donation from viewers like you helps us continue, grow and create content that inspires and educates.
37:43We have amazing projects this year.
37:44For instance, we plan to visit the Kurbera cave with a scientific community, the deepest cave in the world, which is a region that has never been documented and extends 16 kilometers underground.
37:55There is a high chance that we may discover some new animal species there that have never been discovered before.
38:00I will also be featuring a credit role that includes your names in the community section of my YouTube channel as my way of saying thank you and recognizing your contributions.
38:11Before the hacking, our channel was going great.
38:13We were about to go global.
38:15But this sudden change cut us off immediately.
38:18We are out of competition now.
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38:25Our channel hopefully will rise again.
38:28Ruhi Chenet was here.
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