- [Narrator] People who have wandered

Central Africa for centuries.

Today they live in the humid rainforest

of southeastern Cameroon.

This ancient place is
immensely rich in wildlife.

But for all its biological riches,

it is a difficult
environment in which to live.

(speaking foreign language)

Few people have the knowledge

and ingenuity to survive here.

Only the Baka have developed the skills

to exploit its wealth.

A wealth that yields
medicines from leaves.

- [Narrator] And compounds
from bark and seeds

to make poisons for arrows.

- [Narrator] The Baka
have this extraordinary

knowledge of the forest,
but it's their personality

enriched by the forest itself

that makes the Baka even more remarkable.

(gentle music)

- [Narrator] These are the Baka,

The people of the forest.

This is their story.

(dramatic music)

- [Announcer] To better
understand our world.

Ourselves.

And our future, this
program was made possible

by the people of Chevron.

Chevron, giving thought to television.

- [Announcer] Additional funding provided

by the Corporation for
Public Broadcasting.

(singing in foreign language)
(gentle music)

- [Narrator] The heart of Africa.

Below the clouds lie the
rainforests of southeast Cameroon.

This is the home of the Baka.

The Baka left camp this morning.

For the last three months they have been

on a journey through the
forest hunting and gathering.

Traveling with the group
is Laykano and his family.

(speaking foreign language)

His son Yaya is eight years old.

- [Narrator] Ali is four.

At 40, Kaykano is the second
oldest of all the men.

- [Narrator] His wife
Deni is in her early 20s,

and she's expecting their next child.

- [Narrator] Their three month journey

through the forest has been tiring.

Today's camp will be the last
before the Baka reach home.

(gentle music)

Within an hour or so the
frameworks are ready for roofing.

- [Narrator] The shelters will only

be used for a night or two,

but they're strong enough to
keep out the heaviest storm.

It's always like this.

The women establish camp
after a few hour's walk,

while the men look for food.

Close by, Laykano and the other men

are breaking open a termite mound.

They're after winged termites

that have gathered in
the top of the mound.

(speaking foreign language)

The smoke stops the termites
from retreating underground.

(speaking foreign language)

They're not all edible.

The bites of the defending
termites are painful.

Thing winged termites are plump
and full of fat and protein.

They taste like raw egg.

(speaking foreign language)

These temporary camps
are always established

within easy reach of rivers.

(speaking foreign language)

Many of the trees and vines
of the forest contain poisons.

The Baka have an intimate knowledge

of these plants and how to use them.

(speaking foreign language)

The chemicals in these
vines are called rotenones.

To release them the creepers
have to be beaten into a pulp.

(speaking foreign language)

By rinsing the pulp in
the fast-flowing water,

the chemicals are
dispersed into the river.

The river flows into a
small patch of savanna.

It's too wet for rainforest to grow here,

so these open areas
are dominated by palms.

The chemicals that have dissolved

in the river are not poisonous.

Instead they deprive the fish of oxygen.

Unable to breathe, they
float to the surface.

- [Narrator] At the camp the women

are setting off to gather fruits.

Only during the rainy season do the Baka

travel this far into the forest.

They have come in search
of the feki fruit.

The seeds are rich in oil.

Every rainy season for hundreds of years

the Baka have come to collect
the fruit in this way.

(speaking foreign language)

It's almost the end of the rainy season

and much of the feki fruit
has already been gathered.

Those fruit still left on the trees

are a rich source of food for gorillas.

To get at them, they will climb

100 feet or more into the canopy.

Adults like these may weigh 400 pounds,

and these are the animals the
Baka fear most in the forest.

Elephants also roam the forest here.

Many fruits like feki must
through an elephant's stomach

to have a better chance of germinating.

Large mammals and large birds
like these giant horn bills

give the rainforest here
its special character.

They too are essential.

Dispersing the seeds that will become

the next generation of the forest.

In the camp, the women are already

preparing the feki fruits.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Narrator] The seeds are crushed

to provide a precious oily paste.

This will be used for cooking
in the months to come.

(speaking foreign language)

For centuries the Baka have been

called pygmies by the outside world.

It's a name they dislike
and feel is derogatory.

Most of the people here
are under five feet tall,

but in the forest, and to the Baka,

their size is irrelevant.

(gentle music)

(singing in foreign language)

- [Narrator] Such tales
told only deep in the forest

are important for the
children's education.

(speaking foreign language)

(thunder crashing)

(speaking foreign language)

- [Narrator] The dry season in beginning.

Ahead like 10 hours of hard
walking before reaching home.

(gentle music)

- [Narrator] Laykano was
told this by his father.

All stories are handed down in this way.

- [Narrator] Home is a permanent village.

Still deep in the forest and 10 miles

from the nearest dirt road.

Deni and Laykano spend
most of the year here,

and share this village
with 20 or so members

of their extended family.

Local villages of the Konabembe tribe

bring metal goods and clothes
from the outside world.

These are traded with the
Baka for meat from the forest,

and for occasional work they do

on the nearby Konabembe plantations.

Although they speak different languages,

they can easily understand each other.

(speaking foreign language)

The Baka have never been truly isolated,

and have always relied
on these local villagers

for material goods.

The Konabembe also come
to the Baka for medicines.

Usa is well known for
her cure for infertility.

This Konabembe woman has
been unable to conceive

and has come for treatment.

- [Narrator] Usa has
successfully treated friends

of this woman in the past.

(speaking foreign language)

The medicine is from a
small plant called njaya.

Elsewhere in Africa it is
used to treat gonorrhea.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Narrator] Deni is preparing medicine

from the heartwood of the ingeli tree.

It's to make Ali grow up big and strong.

Sand is used as an abrasive
to create a red paste.

- [Narrator] Soap comes
naturally from certain leaves.

- [Narrator] Washing is important

before applying the medicine.

- [Narrator] It's important to look after

children in the forest.

Illness and death can strike suddenly.

Many a child is lost in infancy.

(speaking foreign language)

Occasionally the Baka will
go into the forest at night.

This is often the best
time to look for honey.

Honeybees are active at
the nest well before dawn.

The earliest foragers lead
by the light of the full moon

in search of flowers high in the canopy.

The first bee has arrived.

Below, Laykano and Babu have been

waiting for the flowers to talk.

A tree talking is a
tree humming with bees.

By listening to the sound
of the returning bees,

they can discover the
direction of the nest.

- [Narrator] The light of dawn

reveals the site of the
nest, high in the canopy.

Two more men arrive from the village.

Mewunga is Lakano's
brother-in-law and he is to climb.

The nest is 140 feet
above the forest floor.

Very few Baka would
attempt a climb like this.

- [Narrator] Mewunga is using a strong

pliable vine to help him climb.

By cutting tiny foot holes he will

slowly inch his way up the tree.

The climb will take several hours.

Not far from the village,

a golden cat has killed an antelope.

The cat is elusive and
seldom seen by the Baka.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Narrator] The women left the village

at dawn to come dam fishing.

It's only the women who fish in this way.

(speaking foreign language)

Below the damn, the remaining water

is scooped further downstream.

Dams must be constantly reinforced.

Deni is nine months pregnant,

but that doesn't stop her from working

as hard as the other women.

As the water recedes, the
fish retreat under rocks.

- [Narrator] During the dry season

other fish lie dormant deep in the mud

below the banks of the river
and have to be dug out.

- [Narrator] The cat poses
no real danger to the women,

but it's a relief when it's gone.

- [Narrator] They're off to
find out how the climb is going.

- [Narrator] Mewunga is already

some 70 feet above the forest floor.

(gentle music)

(speaking foreign language)

In the nest, tens of
thousands of stinging bees

pose a serious threat to Mewunga's life.

Before he climbs any higher,

he must have the protection
of a bundle of smoking leaves.

- [Narrator] At this height
a single slip means death.

Two men were killed last year
climbing trees for honey.

(gentle music)

(speaking foreign language)

(bees buzzing)

Mewunga stuffs bark scrapings containing

cyanide compound into the nest.

Followed by smoking leaves.

This stuns the bees, which in their panic,

gorge themselves on honey
and become lethargic.

Mewunga is not stung once.

- [Narrator] The nest
has to be hacked open

to get at the comb inside.

- [Narrator] Mewunga
is completely confident

working at this height.

The honey basket has to be
hauled up 140 feet to his perch.

- [Narrator] 30 pounds of honey

are lowered to the crowd below.

(speaking foreign language)

Honeyguides feed on beeswax,

and are never far away
when there's honey around.

- [Narrator] Honey is the
ultimate gift of the forest,

and very little of it will
return to the village.

(speaking foreign language)

(gentle music)
(singing in foreign language)

The bees descend immediately to the

scattered combs tossed aside by the Baka.

All available honey is taken back

to the shattered remnants of the nest.

Forest bees are often reluctant
to desert a raided nest.

In time, this one will
be completely rebuilt.

(gentle music)

Other animals also take advantage

of the spoils of the honey climb.

A honey badger is quick to
seize such an opportunity.

Although it's quite capable of tackling

a bee's nest with his massive claws,

it readily scavenges on
these combs left by the Baka.

(speaking foreign language)

Unexpectedly Deni has felt
her baby change position.

- [Narrator] This medicine,

which contains plant estrogens,
is always used during labor.

- [Narrator] Ali blesses the medicine.

(speaking foreign language)

Her hands are no larger than a thumbnail.

Her shoulders from tip to tip,
the size of a little finger.

(speaking foreign language)

Ali is distraught.

The baby has taken his place beside Deni.

- [Narrator] Ali's sister, born
into the world of the Baka.

The first sounds she hears
are those of her people.

Her village.

Her forest.

Her people are the
people of the rainforest.

(gentle music)

(singing in foreign language)

Several weeks later and Ali is adjusting

to his new place in the family.

(singing in foreign language)

(both humming)

(speaking foreign language)

(singing in foreign language)
(gentle music)

- [Announcer] WonderWorks presents

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You whole family will enjoy

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Friday night at 8:00 on WonderWorks.

Next the season open of Frontline

looks at the career of President Reagan

and assesses the legacy
of his administration.

Frontline is next on
KCPT, public television.

(gentle music)

- [Narrator] 18 months have now passed

since Kamila was born.

- [Narrator] During this
time Laykano and Deni

have been teaching her about the forest.

(gentle music)

- [Narrator] For all
children growing up here,

the last 18 months have been a mixture

of fun and gradual adjustment

to the responsibilities of Baka life.

(children babbling)

- [Narrator] Takala has asked
to have his teeth sharpened.

Not everyone has it
done, for those that do,

it reinforces their sense of being Baka.

- [Narrator] For some
boys life after today

will never be quite the same.

Six boys have been confined to this hut

for the last few days.

They are approaching puberty,

and are preparing to
be initiated by Jengi,

the forest spirit.

Jengi was summoned to
the village by Ikundum.

As the oldest man, he alone has the power.

Jengi is constantly guarded in
his lair beyond the village.

- [Narrator] Torches for
Jengi's nightly dances

are prepared from tree resin.

- [Narrator] The tooth sharpening

has proved to much for Takala.

(children laughing)

- [Narrator] The ripe banana
skin warmed by the fire

acts as a poultice.

- [Announcer] We will
return to Baka Growing Up

on the Discovery Channel.

- [Narrator] Children
learn from the earliest age

how to find and prepare
medicines from the forest.

(speaking foreign language)

The bark of the mayimba tree is used

to treat coughs and colds.

This medicinal knowledge is easily

acquired through shared experience.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Narrator] The children have been

left to their own devices while Deni

and the other mothers
have gone dam fishing.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Narrator] Jengi, the most
important forest spirit,

arrived at the village some weeks ago.

His presence is called
upon every few years

when enough boys are ready
for initiation into manhood.

He has decided to initiate
the boys this afternoon.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Narrator] The news is relayed

to the initiates waiting in the hut.

Jengi will be coming for them.

- [Narrator] Ali and his friends

are too young to be initiated

and have little interest in Jengi.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Announcer] We will
return to Baka Growing Up.

(rhythmic music)
(singing in foreign language)

- [Narrator] The boys are nervous.

As they're led across the courtyard,

they must run the gauntlet of Jengi

who is threatening to kill them.

(speaking foreign language)

The boys are taken towards Jengi's lair

where they are to be initiated.

They have no idea what lies in store

for them beyond the gate.

(rhythmic music)
(villagers cheering)

(singing in foreign language)

The initiates are finally carried

through the gate into Jengi's lair.

Jengi is now at his most dangerous.

He storms after them, slashing
the gate to the ground.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Narrator] No flies
must land on the blood

before Jengi's found and persuaded

to bring the boys back to life.

(speaking foreign language)

- [Narrator] Now the initiates

take their place in the barrier of men.

Playing their new role in
protecting the women from Jengi.

(singing in foreign language)
(rhythmic music)

Jengi leaves the village
for the last time.

His presence has again reinforced

their spiritual link with the forest.

(speaking foreign language)

(singing in foreign language)

- [Narrator] In a few
years Jengi will return

to initiate Ali into manhood.

(gentle music)
(singing in foreign language)

- [Announcer] Life in the
rainforest is difficult,

but growing up in many African
cities isn't much easier.

Children there must also
struggle for food and a home.

That's true of the
members of Bernard's gang.

Their story is next.

- [Announcer] The Falklands
War, The Untold Story--