According to Compton’s Encyclopedia Online the Hutu were also called Bahutu or Wahutu, and are one of the three ethnic groups that make up the populations of Burundi and Rwanda. The Hutu number between 12 million and 13 million and represent about 90 percent of the population in Rwanda and about 85 percent of the population in Burundi. However when the Hutu first arrived in Central Africa in the 1st Century AD, they found it inhabited by the Twa. The Twa were Pygmy hunters who were forced to flee by the Hutu.
Hutu life was based on the clan, with petty kings also know as bahinza ruling over limited domains. When the Tutsi arrived in the 14th or 15th century, the Hutu were subject to political and economic domination. Also according to Compton’s Encyclopedia Online, in 1959 antagonism between the Hutu and the Tutsi, who still held the power erupted into violence in the region. In mid 1990s, a civil war broke out between the two groups and thousands of people were killed or forced to flee the country. The Hutus overthrew Tutsi rule, and elected the first Hutu President Greg wa Kayabanda.
The majority of the Hutu population lives in rural areas in round grass huts on family farms, which are dispersed throughout the hills of Rwanda and Burundi. The farm work is divided equally between both women and men, and a persons reputation for hard work is prized within the Hutu culture (Mountain gorillas). Hutus are also dependent on cattle herding for a source of food and income.
According to the Anthropology Explorer web site, about one-fourth of all Hutu follow native tribal religions, however most of the Hutu are Roman Catholic, which was a result of the work of European missionaries in the region beginning in the late 1800s. The Hutu speak the native languages of Kirundi in Burundi and Kinyarwanda in Rwanda. Those involved in trade also speak Swahili. Those with a high school level education also speak French, but this is a relatively small proportion of the Hutu population. Traditional activities include basket making, woodcarving, and metal work. Proverbs and songs also play an important part in Hutu culture (Anthropology explorer).
References:
Anthropology Explorer, www.iversonsoftware.com/anthroplogy/hutu.htm
Compton’s Encyclopedia Online, www.comptons.com/encyclopedia/ATRICLES/00075/00907264_A.html
Mountain Gorillas, www.coft.edu/ete/modules.mgorilla/mgethnic.html
by, Erica Stevens