Slovak Anthropologist Spent Year Living with Hunter-Gatherer Community in Congo

Slovak anthropologist Daša Bombjaková spent more than a year living with the BaYaka hunter-gatherer community in a remote part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The journey to reach the community took several weeks, including days of travel by canoe and walking through forests. Bombjaková had to exchange money for small bills in every city, creating what she described as "a suitcase full of money" needed for travel through villages along the way. During her fieldwork, she observed that the BaYaka community considers boasting about or hoarding possessions to be embarrassing and unnecessary, reflecting their traditional values around material wealth.