Wild Spirit

my perspectives and approaches to handling situations

I must admit that I am super excited to talk about my origines here, and actually proudly doing so .

I am Tetela, proudly from my father’s and mother’s tribes—the same tribe that brought Africa two of its greatest heroes: Patrice Lumumba (activist politician first pre-minister of congo) and Papa Wemba ( One of the biggest artits in Africa).

Where do you find the Tetelas?

Right in the heart of the Democratic Republic of Congo, smack in the middle of the world map. The Tetelas made their home in the southeastern part of the Congo River basin, mostly in the Sankuru province and the western part of Maniema province. We’re spread across Lodja, Lubefu, Lusambu, Lubao, Kole, Lomela, and Katako-Kombe.

Who are the Tetelas?

Our story starts way back between 2500 and 500 B.C. when the Sahara Desert began to expand. This pushed people south towards what is now Congo, creating a big wave of migration. The group I'm talking about is the Mongos, who are still a big ethnic group in Congo today. They came into Congo from the northeast and split into three groups: one went towards Congo Brazzaville and Cameroon, another settled in central DR Congo, and the last moved to the Sankuru province. The Tetelas, my clan, are part of the Mongo group, all belonging to the big family of Ana Wa Mongo, which means the descendants of Mongo.

Our lineage goes back to Onkutshu Membele, a Mongo descendant. Onkutshu had three sons: Ngando, Ndjovu, and Watambolo, who had many descendants. Ngando’s descendants include Opombo, Kodi, Olemba, Mondja, Djinga, and more. Ndjovu’s descendants include Songo, Eghonga, Ntanda, Kondo, and others.

What does the name Tetela mean?

There’ are three main theories.

• One says the Tetela people are known for being stubborn and brave, just like me.

• The second theory is that 'Tetela' comes from the Swahili word 'Utetera,' which means stubborn.

  
  

• The last theory, which I find less compelling, ties the name Tetela to the colonial era. Facing the tenacity and bravery and fights back of the Tetela people, colonizers often encountered resistance and called us "les entêté là," meaning the stubborn ones in French. Over time, this term evolved into the name 'Tetela,' or Otetela in our language.

It's cool to know our grandparents were not just victims but resilient and courageous people who fought against the colonizers. Their spirit of stubbornness and bravery lives on in us, And It is truly amazing to embrace that heritage.. The strong-willed, resilient, and unyielding qualities of my ancestors have deeply influenced me. Just like their warrior spirit, I tackle projects with determination and a willingness to venture beyond my comfort zone. By acknowledging and celebrating my heritage, I also honor their remarkable legacy, which is cool!