The Tokaleya people are indigenous

Indigenous peoples of Africa

The indigenous people of Africa are those people of Africa whose way of life, attachment or claims to particular lands, and social and political standing in relation to other more dominant groups have resulted in their substantial marginalisation within modern African states The indigenous people...

 to the area surrounding Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls

The Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe.-Introduction:...

 in Zambia

Zambia

Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....

 and Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...

. They comprise two related groups, the Toka (Batoka) and the Leya (Baleya), and they speak dialects of the Tonga language

Tonga language

Tonga refers to four different languages:*Tonga language – a Bantu language spoken in Zambia and Zimbabwe*Tonga language – a Bantu language spoken in Malawi...

.

The Tokaleya have a long history in the area. For them the Falls are a sacred and essential element in their culture. Victoria Falls forms an integral part of their way of life and they have inhabited the area for hundreds of years. The Batoka give their name to the gorges downstream of the Victoria Falls.

An example of a Tokaleya village is the Songwe Village, located 5 km downstream from the Victoria Falls. Many specialist Botswana wilderness safaris take visitors to a traditional Tokaleya village.