Communication on the move among the Baka people

Abstract

This article investigates the movement and communication of hunter-gatherers during the group moving activities, based on participant observation and interaction analysis of visual and audio materials recorded in the field. The communication aspects are multimodal while people are on the move. Based on this, diverse knowledge is generated and transmitted. However, there is limited understanding of how the hunter-gatherers encounter each other and begin communication while on the move. In particular, the physical situation during the group moving activity in environments with visual obstacles, such as the rainforest, is not clear. This article provides the case of the Baka hunter-gatherers, living in the rainforest of southeastern Cameroon, to reveal aspects of the beginning of communication during the extended group moving activity. It shows that in the tropical forest, with its restricted visibility, participants’ physical situation is dynamic. Although this limitation of visibility constrained participants’ face-to-face communication, it diversified their distant communication, which does not require seeing each other. Such non-face-to-face communication provided participants with a wider range of communication while walking together.