Definition: The Tutsi are a mostly Roman Catholic, French-and-Bantu-dialect-speaking people numbering about 2.5 million and populating Rwanda, Burundi, and portions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Tutsi monarchy existed from the 15th century, when the Tutsis came to the region from Ethiopia, until it was abolished by Belgian colonizers in 1961. While Tutsis share much in common with the Hutus, they are each distinct from the third major ethnic group in the region and the longest inhabitants of the area, the Twa pygmies.
Pronunciation: TOOT-see