Long before leaves and animal skin were formed into clothing, it is said that humans walked about naked, unabashed and without fear of being criticized, mocked, or stereotyped. Modernization came with the introduction of clothing and the wearing of them up to the point fashion stands globally now. Walking naked now raises eyebrows.
That cannot be said of the Kambari tribe in Nigeria’s Niger state who in spite of the many evolutions in clothing still go about their daily lives naked in defiance of country’s laws on nudity.
The Kambari tribe in Nigeria is one of the few tribes that still practice nudity as a culture, and live independent of the Federal government. They are a remote community located in Birnin Amina in Rijau Local Government Area.
Nudity was passed down from their ancestors to them as a culture. However, when they have to make trips to the market to sell their produce, the women cover the bottom half of their bodies with a wrapper. The men do same.
While nudity is predominant, the men say that it is not an attraction for them, but the hairdo of the women, their manners and the tattoos the women have is what entices them.
Suffice to say, they are a tribe that is not recognized, but they are comfortable with their way of life and the lack of support from the government.
In modern times, there are laws that govern nudity all over the world. These laws are seen as the measure of decency. Anything short of what is stipulated by now is in contravention of the law and is punishable.
Public nudity is forbidden by laws against public sex acts and public nudity. It is against the law to be naked in public, according to nudity statutes. Globally, there are many different rules about clothing. There are typically no restrictions that specify what must be worn in terms of attire. However, by punishing people who dress in ways that are not considered acceptable by the community, the community standards of attire are indirectly defined. People who don’t cover themselves enough may be charged with a variety of offenses such as indecent exposure, public indecency, nudity, or other terms. In most cases, these offenses leave it up to the judge to decide in each situation what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable clothes to constitute the offense.
There are certain exceptions to the rule when it comes to clothing restrictions, which mostly address which body parts cannot be visible as is prevalent among the Islamic communities.
In Nigeria, where the Kambari tribe exits, it is illegal to expose one’s genital parts or a significant portion of them with the goal to torment another person or to encourage those who may be
persuaded by it to conduct a crime. The Kambari tribe lives independently of the laws that guide nudity in Nigeria.
While technology and modernization have changed the viewpoint of many on nudity, there are still some African tribes that practice nudity as their culture and there are countries that on a daily basis tighten their laws on nudity.
Religion and law are the premises on which nudity is frowned upon and for many nudity is relative. For religion, exposure of any part of the body; any part that is not covered is said to be indecent and nude. The law sees the absence of clothing and the exposure of genitals as nudity, which is a punishable offence.
The Kambari tribe exists in times where nudity is suddenly becoming controversial and religion is doing its best to ensure that its members stay decent, but when it comes to the Kambari tribe, the law seems to be blind to them while it shines its lantern and torchlight on other indigenes.
Irrespective, nudity laws are not going anywhere and will continue to be with the world while the Kambari tribe shines forth in its nude way of life.
