“Like Water and Honey”

In precolonial Irqwa Da'aw, local communities, or aya, were independent of one another, and individuals had rights and responsibilities within, and to, that specific community. Ritual and religious beliefs developed these political units as moral communities in which there should be harmony. Ideally, residents in Iraqw communities should get along together "like water and honey," blending together in a harmonious union. Upon entering Irqwa Da'aw, it is difficult to discern what boundaries or levels of spatial organization may exist beyond that of the household. In Irqwa Da'aw, a person's reputation is formed in part by how he or she behaves within his or her household. In belonging to specific villages and neighborhoods, Iraqw have certain responsibilities to others who share that space, but residence also secures certain rights. In Irqwa Da'aw, the independent government of Tanzania, like the colonial government before it, drew upon traditional and colonial boundaries and units.