|
Tribe Snapshots We |
| Location: |
Côte
d'Ivoire |
| Population: |
100,000 |
| Language: |
We (Kwa) |
| Neighboring Peoples: |
Mano, Guro, Bete, Dan, Diomande |
| Types of Art: |
n/a |
| History: |
Although there are few sources available on
We culture, much has been written about Dan peoples
who live to the north of We territory and share
many cultural and artistic similarities. Oral
traditions describe We society of the 19th century
as lacking any central governing power. Social
cohesion was fostered by a shared language and
a preference for intermarriage. Generally, each
village had a headman who had earned his position
of advantage in the community through hard work
in the fields and luck as a hunter. These headmen
usually surrounded themselves with young warriors
for protection from invading neighbors and exchanged
gifts with other chiefs in order to heighten their
own prestige. |
| Economy: |
Young people strive to make a name for themselves
by lavishly spending at community feasts to demonstrate
their wealth. Rice, yams, taro, manioc, maize,
and bananas are the primary crops grown. Although
farming and hunting have been largely replaced
by laboring in the diamond camps or working at
the rubber plantations, the establishment of a
hierarchical social order is still based on the
individual's ability to succeed. |
| Political Systems: |
We political systems consist largely of non-centralized,
fragmentary political groups, in which decision
are made on behalf of the community by councils
of elder men. Masking often served as a means
of social control, enforcing the rules established
by the elders. We initiation is not tied to Poro
societies, as is the case of their many neighbors,
but masks do appear at initiation. Performances
also occur during funerals and for purposes of
entertainment. Although described as primarily
entertainment, such performances also contain
social and political commentary that serve to
demonstrate to the community the wisdom of the
elders. |
| Religion: |
We cosmology holds that everything can be divided
into two separate and clear categories. The primary
dichotomy is between village and bush, in other
words, things that have been controlled by man
and things that have not. Crossing over the dividing
line is dangerous business, and whenever it is
done, whether to clear new fields or simply crossing
the forest, the bush spirits must be appeased.
In order to take part in village life, the bush
spirits must take corporeal form. |
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