|
Tribe Snapshots Igbo |
| Location: |
Southeastern Nigeria |
| Population: |
8 million |
| Language: |
Igbo (Kwa) |
| Neighboring
Peoples: |
Ibibio,
Ijo,
Ekoi, Igala, Idoma, Nupe |
| Types
of Art: |
Due to the diversity of the Igbo people, it
is impossible to generalize about a pure Igbo
art style, which has characteristically been representative
of numerous geographical regions. It could be
said, though, that most Igbo do carve and use
masks, but the function of these masks vary from
village to village. They are famous for Mbari
architecture. |
| History: |
It is believed that the Igbo originated in an
area about 100 miles north of their current location
at the confluence of the Niger and Benue Rivers.
They share linguistic ties with their neighbors
the Bini, Igala, Yoruba, and Idoma, with the split
between them probably occurring between five and
six thousand years ago. The first Igbo in the
region may have moved onto the Awka-Orlu plateau
between four and five thousand years ago, before
the emergence of sedentary agricultural practices.
As this early group expanded, so too did the Igbo
kingdom. The earliest surviving Igbo art forms
are from the 10th century (Igbo Ukwu), and the
fine quality of those copper alloy castings suggest
that Igbo society had already achieved a level
of technology rivaling contemporary Europeans. |
| Economy: |
The majority of Igbo are farmers. Their staple
crop is yam, and its harvesting is a time for
great celebration. They are able to produce yam
efficiently enough to export it to their neighbors.
With the assistance of migrant labor, they also
harvest the fruit of the palm tree, which is processed
into palm oil, and exported to Europe in large
quantities, making it a fairly profitable cash
crop. |
| Political
Systems: |
The Igbo are a politically fragmented group,
with numerous divisions resulting from geographic
differences. There are also various subgroups
delineated in accordance with clan, lineage, and
village affiliations. They have no centralized
chieftaincy, hereditary aristocracy, or kingship
customs, as can be found among their neighbors.
Instead, the responsibility of leadership has
traditionally been left to the village councils,
which include the heads of lineages, elders, titled
men, and men who have established themselves economically
within the community. It is possible for an Igbo
man, through personal success, to become the nominal
leader of the council. |
| Religion: |
As a result of regional and political fragmentation,
which is mirrored in the several distinct languages
traditionally spoken by the hundreds of different
village groups, it would be reductionist to attempt
to illustrate the traditional religious practices
of the Igbo as a whole. Before the influence of
Europeans and Christian missions, however, most
Igbo practiced some form of ancestor worship,
which held that in order to gain success in this
world, one must appease of the spirits of the
deceased. This might be accomplished in any number
of ways. One of the primary ways of showing respect
for the dead was through participation in the
secret men's society, Mmo, which is the name used
only in the northern part of Igbo land. In other
parts, similar societies exist under different
names. The second level of initiates was responsible
for carrying out the funeral ceremonies for the
deceased and inducting the departed spirits into
the ebe mmo, so that they would no longer cause
mischief in the village. |
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