Tanala

Tanala, a Malagasy people living in southeastern Madagascar who are separated from the coast by the Antaimoro and other ethnic groups. They are divided into two subgroups: the Tanala Menabe in the mountainous north and the Tanala Ikongo dwelling in the more accessible southern part of the Tanala homeland. Tanala Menabe villages are isolated; they are built on mountain tops and are hidden in the dense forest. The Tanala speak Malagasy, the West Austronesian language common to all Malagasy peoples. At the time of the French conquest in 1895, the northern Tanala were under Merina domination while the southern Tenala still held many independent fiefdoms.

Tanala (“People of the Forest”) are skilled woodsmen, food gatherers, and hunters. They trade beeswax, honey, and other forest products and engage in slash-and-burn agriculture, growing rice as a staple. The central government is encouraging the Tanala to use more modern agricultural methods in the cultivation of rice and coffee. The Tanala observe patrilineal descent and often live in large compounds consisting of a father and his sons or of a group of brothers.