Mbuti people bartering forest products. Epulu, Ituri Forest, Congo (Democratic Republic)

"Relations between the Mbuti and the Bantu and Sudanese farming communities rely on a subtle balance of pillage and bartering forest products against those of the fields. In certain regions, the demand for forest game provided by the Mbuti has been so great that it has been almost totally depleted. These Mbuti will soon be reduced to becoming settlers of a second zone, in the service of peasants or palm and coffee planters. The more settled they have become, the more likely they are to live in the vicinity of villages." [Meurant G., Farris thompson R., 1995: Mbuti Design, Thames and Hudson Inc.]. During his trip to Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo), Elisofon visited the Mbuti people at Epulu, South East Ituri Forest region. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for National Geographic Film and traveled to Africa from January 19, 1972 to mid April 1972.