The Aka forest foragers that I work with live in the southwestern portion of the Central African Republic, within the tropical rainforest of the Congo Basin. Aka and Ngandu horticulturalist live in association with one another, sharing economic, social, and spiritual relationships. Cooperation, age- and sex-egalitarianism, and sharing are strongly emphasized among the Aka, and children have extensive autonomy. Although Aka feel strongly that the forest is a provider, there is extensive extrinsic risk, including high rates of infant and childhood mortality, high disease and pathogen risk, and deforestation due to economic development in the region. 

Aka children at camp
Aka camp
Aka adolescents at a dance
Four young Aka boys
Several Aka individuals at camp
Aka grandmother with her grandson and granddaughter
Aka girl at camp
An Aka woman and me at a camp
Aka girl seated on a log
Aka toddler wearing a grass skirt
Aka girl pounding greens
Three Aka men at camp
Young Aka girl holding her brother on her back
Aka toddler wearing a grass skirt and holding a machete
Aka toddler holding a metal knife
Dzengi, a forest spirit, at an Aka dance
An Aka grandmother holding her grandchild