Does it really take three people to dig up one yam?

Finders - Keepers!

Interesting pictures - brings lots of questions to mind: Is the 'digger' being held up by someone's leg? How do they know to dig here? Wild yam, right? Surely no one would plant one here. Is he digging with his hands? Is he digging because he drew the short straw? etc.

Isn't that threatening object (upper left) held above the digger a digging implement - it looks dangerous because it appears to be pointed at the digger's head (presumably nothing bad will happen in this yam search!). I, too, would like to know the story of the digging party!

Yams must be pretty dangerous critters to require armed backup.

It's strange reading about the dig looking dangerous--looks not at all unusual to me. fiNT would know more obviously but it looks like communal food gathering and maybe the young being instructed by an elder in what look for and where to dig and how to dig without wrecking the yam.