Chewa People
The Chewa are a Bantu ethnic group primarily found in Malawi and Zambia, with few populations in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The Chewa are closely related to people in surrounding regions such as the Tumbuka. As with the Nsenga and Tumbuka, a small part of Chewa territory came under the influence of the Ngoni, who were of Zulu or Natal/ Transvaal origin. An alternative name, often used interchangeably with Chewa, is Nyanja. Their language is called Chichewa. The Chewa are mainly known for their masks and their secret societies, called Nyau. The Chewa ( Mang'anja) are a remnant of the Maravi people. There are two large Chewa clans, the Phiri and Banda, with a population of 1.5 million people. The Phiri are associated with the kings and aristocracy, the Banda with healers and mystics. History Oral records of the Chewa may be interpreted to refer to origins in Malambo, a region in the Luba area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, from where they emigrated into north ...
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