The name of the Teke people reveals what their occupation was in former times. The word teke means ‘to buy,’ indicating they were traders. The current economy of the Teke is mainly based on farming, but they are also hunters and skilled fishermen.
For the Teke, a large family is very important as the head of the family gains prestige as family members increase. The Teke are a very spiritual people and believe in practicing African traditional religion, which involves the veneration of ancestral spirits. They are also known for their fetishes, including figurines and masks. There is usually one tribunal chief who has the right over the life and death of all family members. This chief decides the fate of those who do wrong or break the law.
“The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31)
