Ethnography of Noise: Normative Dimensions of Mòtɔ́kɔ́

Abstract

BaYaka forest hunter-gatherers of the Northern Congo-Brazzaville refer to anything that threatens community wellbeing as ‘negative noise’ mòtɔ́kɔ́. People utter ‘stop the noise’ whenever behaviours of others are wrong and encourage them to conform to the norms of the group. If not ceased, noise might lead to unhappiness, hunger, illness, and death. This ethnography demonstrates how noise instigates people to conform to the group’s norms on one hand and describes its role in children’s learning to contribute to community wellbeing by norm enforcement. Noise (akami) was introduced by Colin Turnbull in his work with the Mbuti hunter-gatherers of the Ituri Forest. Based on ethnographic research, this paper illustrates a similar concept amongst the Mbendjele BaYaka of Nothern Congo-Brazzaville.