The kp ("leopard") society represents an ancient African institution that provided the supreme functions of governance in the communal societies of the forest regions of the Cross-River basin and the hilly terrain to the east, in what is called today southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Jeffreys also stated, "There is reason to believe that a considerable portion of a small Ibibio clan called Ebrutu or Eburutu was the earliest stock of the Efik; for, when the missionaries settled in 1846 at Old Calabar amongst these people for the first time, it was found that they called themselves not Efik but Ebrutu or Ebrutu Efik. Imhotep was a revered personality as he was believed to be with super powers of healing and influencing people and affairs of the community. In the culture we have discussed, the term dalilu refers to: an individual's personal power, knowledge, or ability, inborn but enhanced and developed through training and experience. The Ekpe-men are ranked in seven or nine grades, for promotion to each of which fresh initiation ceremonies, fees and oaths are necessary.[1]. The most popular migration account within the Nigerian space asserts that the Efik people lived at Ibom in the present-day Arochukwu and migrated from Ibom to Uruan. [57] The diary of Antera Duke, an Efik, is the only surviving record from an African slave-trading house. Ekpe masquerade mimic the form of a lion or leopard moves. The Ekoi in Cameroon are found in the South Western region of the count. Written March 01, 2015 by Web Services Editor, Guarini School of Graduate & Advanced Studies, Copyright 2023 Trustees of Dartmouth College. These secret societies were used to uphold the legal decisions of the Council of Elders or of the community as a whole, they also ensured conformity in certain rituals and in social behaviour and undertook certain public works for the community (n.d.). (1985). At its peak, it permeated the social, economic and political life of the Efiks but lately its dominance has been eroded as urbanization and modern political administration expanded. The kp 'Leopard' Society of Africa and its Cuban Diaspora: A Individual symbols may also have multiple meanings, rendering context important and interpretation inevitable in the "reading" of the body of represented signs. Hope Waddell, Foreign commerce soon brought Calabar affairs into such a state, that the want of a bond of union among the different families, and of a supreme authority to enforce peace and order between equals and rivals, became apparent; and the Egbo institution was adopted. . The Ekpe society, the regulatory society in Manyu Division also fixed a heavy fine on any defaulter. [52] The missionaries respected the native law but the European Captains acted rashly and desired that an example be set on Obutong. The Neegee or Crocodile Society is considered evil by the Poro and Sande groups. Each ukara is highly individualized and clearly produced to be worn by a specific Ekpe member or to mark a specific Ekpe lodge. the exhibition explores the long- 4. Several accounts have been narrated on the migration of the Efik before their arrival at Old Calabar. Modern Efik society is a melting pot of people of diverse origin. [10] The original seven clans are scattered between Cross River state and Akwa Ibom state and consist of Iboku (Duke town, Henshaw town, Creek town and Cobham town), Obutong, Adiabo, Mbiabo (Mbiabo Edere, Mbiabo Ikot Offiong, Mbiabo Ikoneto), Enwang, Usukakpa and Abayen. [11] The last three clans had greatly dwindled in number and many of their members are believed to have been miscegenated into other Efik clans. We thank you too much for what thing you come do for keep thing right. PDF The Origin of Ekpe Masquerade and the Nsibidi symbols in Southern [32] Another theory states that there was a disagreement between an Efik woman known as Abasi and an Uruan woman. (PDF) Evaluating the Place of the Ekpe Traditional Institution as a [46] On their exit from Obutong, they are believed to have sought the permission of Oku Atai to use the Ntinya. [33][35] The Efik came to her defence and the dispute escalataed[34] Legend has it that this was the last straw that led to the Uruan-Efik war (known in Efik as Ek Abasi-Anwan) which led to the exit of the Efik from the Uruan country. Ekpe members request nsibidi designs of personal or communal significance. The Ekale Dancers from South-West Cameroon - YouTube Efik people - Wikipedia Refworld | Nigeria: A cult known as Ekpe na Mboko Finding links between Africa and the Americas Posted on March 01, 2015 When the threads are cut, the nsibidi designs stand out, white against a deep blue background. To be a member, one must be a part of Yoruba nobility. There are two distinct but related societies. [27] A number of reasons have been given on why the Efik left Uruan. In the culture we have discussed, the term badenya refers to: the relationship between the mother and child, and full siblings - implying closeness, trust, cooperation, unselfishness, and acceptance of rules. And it's a symbol in both. ekpe society cameroon - workex.jobs [17] Some oral accounts by early Efik men also support the Igbo origin of the Efik. [37] When the Efik realised what was going on, they rose to their feet and fought back. Only males can join, boys being initiated about the age of puberty. Festival organised by Global Music Exchange (ht. The cloth is made of plain cotton but transformed into a ritual object when nsibidi symbols are inscribed onto it through indigo dyeing. authority as head of the Ekpe (Egbo), or Leopard, society. Hugh, Goldie. [32] The Efik having pity on these men gave them food and showed them hospitality. Origin and Early History of The Ibibio People of Nigeria Due to the Obutong massacre of 1765 and several other incidents, the Ekpe society of Old Calabar was transformed into the Abaku cult in Cuba, the Bonk cult in Bioko and the Abakuya dance in mainland Equatorial Guinea. kp lodges ruled local communities while also managing regional and long-distance trade. http://Ekpesociety.blogspot.com; www.ekpe.org; http://Ekpesocietyusa.blogspot.com; http://ndiboyevengo.blogspot.com, Ekpe Society 1st Conclave from Sept 16 to 17 2009, Ekpe DC Sessekou relaxing during the conclave, Ekpe Society members with Justice Hilman Egbe at a MECA DC meeting, Ekpe Chief Maurice Enoh's funeral in Dallas on January 27th and 28th 2012, Maurice Enoh: The 1st Manyu Ekpe USA Sessekou to die in USA, Maurice Enoh returning from his crowning ceremony as Ekpe Chief in Kepelle Village, Ekpe-USA received at the Smithsonian Museum. This exhibition examines the ukara cloth of the Ekpe secret society, a multi-ethnic all-male association in southeastern Nigeria and western Cameroon, exploring both the longstanding cultural practice the cloth represents and the artistic process involved in its creation. The Efik are an ethnic group located primarily in southern Nigeria, in the southern part of Cross River State. [49] Several events at Creek town later led to a wave of migration from Creek town to Duke town. The remains will then be taken to Kepelle Village in Cameroon for burial after that. The Efik are an ethnic group located primarily in southern Nigeria, and western Cameroon. Efik society consists of various clans which were originally known as "Esien Efik itiaba" (English: Seven clans of Efik) and later known in the 21st century as "Esien Efik Duopeba" (English: Twelve clans of Efik). In the culture we have discussed, the term nyama refers to: the power which exists in all things, which can be controlled only by special persons. [30][31] Another reason given by Etubom Ededem Ekpenyong Oku asserts that the Uruan accused the Efik of wizardry and of being responsible for the frequent seizure of their children by crocodiles. [74][75] Essentially the leopard is a sign of royalty all over Central West Africa and the Calabar zone, and it's a symbol of their political autonomy. You been do very proper for we, and now we want to keep proper mouth. This village was originally named Ta Set Maat. They are well respected agents of wealth distribution in the community. The designs are part of a dynamic language known as nsibidi, which uses image and gestural performance to communicate knowledge guarded by society members. The process of creating this richly symbolic cloth is laborious. Instead, each settlement had its own lodge of the . The Efik speak the Efik language which is a member of the BenueCongo subfamily of the Niger-Congo language group. LEFT Ekpe cage during Ikot Ekpe ritual in 2009. Black Spirituality Religion : - Ekpe Society | Destee - Black [69] The society is divided into five main grades such as Nkanda, Oku akama, Nyamkpe, Okpoho and Ebonko. This is evident in a testimony by Isaac Parker, a ship-keeper who lived at Duke town in 1765 for 5 months. Although Duke town is believed to have been occupied since the 15th century by the Enwang, it was not until the 17th century that the Efiom Ekpo families moved in large waves to the site. Sunjata's aunt, Tenenba Conde, childless herself, must raise the child Fakoli, son of Kosiya Kante, after Kosiya sacrifices herself for her brother's sake. This exhibition, on view from April 18 to August 2, was organized by the Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, and generously supported by the William B. Jaffe and Evelyn A. In the case of the latter, in the heat of the confusion, villagers would be kidnapped and sent to Calabar were they were sold. They use a variety of masks to execute social control. Cuban Abaku Chants: Examining New Linguistic and Historical Evidence [45] Eyo Ema's people occupied Otung in the south of Creek Town, Adim Atai and Ukpong Atai occupied the east and Efiom Ekpo's family occupied the Adakuko in the west. I was very poorno job and I has no money to even feed and take care of myfamily I was confuse in life I dont know what to do I try allmy possible best to get money but no one work out for meeach day I share tears, I was just looking out my family nomoney to take care of them until one day I decided to jointhe great Illuminati , I come across them in the internet Inever believe I said let me try I email them.all what theysaid we happen in my life just started it was like a dream tome they really change my story totally . The indigenous drums of the Cross River region of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon are distinctive for their "wedge and ring" method of tightening the skin. The Ekpe Masquerade - SlideShare Laws were passed to halt several practices regarded as unchristian. The economics of the society is based on paying tribute to the village ancestors. The Efik people are well known for a diverse number of cuisines. Aye, Originally Ekpe Fraternity was for religious purposes, but as the Calabar community became complicated owing to the new wealth which the early trade with Europeans brought it was. These artists sew the white cloths with raffia thread so that parts of the ukara (in a pattern of nsibidi symbols) will not be exposed during the dyeing process. The Osirica is a black Egyptian masonic order that existed in ancient Egypt. Powered by, Ukara cloth detail, Etara community, Cross River State, Nigeria, Cross River Cultural Heritage: reports from home and from the African Diaspora, Introduction: Spirit Dancers, Water Deities & Mystics in the Cross River Basin and in Cuba, Upcoming film project: Seven year kp ritual cycle, Ntufam Bob Oku literature, music and drawings, Calabar Mgb International Journal / Revista Internacional, Calabar-Cuba Radio with Ene Ita and Ivor Miller, Manyu kp Funeral Rites in Yaounde, 2019, Ivor Miller research archive at Amherst College, Manyu kp procession in Yaound, March 29, 2019, Poster for funeral of Seseku Stephen Tataw (1948-2019), Tortoise shell instrument is played in the funerary procession, kp mask purifies the hearse before the procession begins, Funerary shrine representing the sacred forest of kp, kp members surround the shrine for the final rites. The missionaries who arrived in 1846 contributed to the changes in women's attire in Efik society. [15] This theory appears to be isolated as other Ibibio writers do not narrate that such terms were used by the Ibibio. It described the religion, social, economic and political structures of the society as progressive and dynamic. Among the Southern Igbo, the Ekpe society, introduced from the Cross River area, uses contrasting masks to represent the maiden spirit and the elephant spirit, the latter representing ugliness and aggression and the former representing beauty and peacefulness. That it was through the Qua [an Ejagham or Ekoi stock], that the secret of Ekpe cult diffused to Calabar. Copyright Dr. Ivor L. Miller. The Role of The Ekpe Traditional Institution in Dispute Social importance is attached to the highest ranks of Ekpe-men, called the Amama. I bought a $140,000 mobile home in a million-dollar LA neighborhood and love it. EKPE SOCIETY: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DC EKPE LODGE - Blogger Historians and archaeologists have worked to piece together the human story from prehistory up to today. For instance any member wronged in an Ekpe district, that is one dominated by the society, has only to address an Ekpe-man or beat the Ekpe drum in the Ekpe-house, or blow Ekpe as it is called, i.e., sound the Ekpe horn, before the hut of the wrong-doer, and the whole machinery of the society is put in force to see justice done. National Museum of African American History and Culture. [52] A number of people were hanged, shot and buried with the late chief according to the custom. The Ekpe society requires that its initiates sponsor feasts for the town, which foster the appearance of the redistribution of wealth by providing the poor with food and drink. There is not even one single manyangero mentioned on all the write up on any of the ekpe/mgbe stories. [32] Oku adds that the Uruan were adverse to the Efik custom of burying strangers with their dead and did not share in the practice carried out by the Efik. the Ekpe society. Cameroon's multilingual Cross River basin. Colonial Anthropologist M.D.W. The Internet has shone light on manysecret societies, rendering them not so secret. Efik traders could speak, write and read the English language. During the colonial era, The Efik language was the only language taught in schools in many parts of the present-day Cross River and Akwa Ibom state. [5] The Efik refer to themselves as Efik Eburutu, Ifa Ibom, Eburutu and Iboku. Her behavior at the board meeting was obsequious\mathit{obsequious}obsequious; for example, she actually offered to wash the company president's car! of Old Calabar by the Ekpe secret society, which was controlled by the towns merchant houses. It is uncertain when Obutong was founded but most Efik scholars hypothesize that it was founded in the 16th century. Sunjata's sister, Kolonkan, angers her younger brother Manding Bori when she: uses her powers to take the internal organs from animals he and his brothers killed, without cutting the animals open. At Old Calabar, traders had slowly started transitioning completely into the lucrative palm oil trade. One theory propounded by Okon and Nkpanam Ekereke asserts that the term "Efuk" was a word of defiance and an expression used by the Ibibio man when in a fit of rage. [38] The Efik bard Adiaha Etim Anua recites in her 1910 ballad that "Mkpana Ndodoghi Edik. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). It became a truly multi-group society, finding its' way to almost all groups in the region and gaining dominance in . "[35] Simmons assertion which was made in his 1958 dissertation is similarly reiterated at the Hart's enquiry in 1964 by chiefs such as Chief Efiom Obo Effanga of Obutong. Other narratives at the Hart's enquiry do not make mention of the Efut. [59] According to Rev. The year 1841 marked the official signing of papers by Efik kings to stop the exportation of slaves from Old Calabar. I Am Niki Buroro Agbor Ekpe Jerome a holder of a professional Masters in Forestry and wildlife Engineering with focus on Protected Area Management, Masters of Science in Forest Governance and policies from University of Dschang and Professional Masters in Environmental Science (ESIA) university of Yaounde 1. Prior to 1905, Old Calabar was a term used to describe the Efik settlements of Duke Town, Creek Town, Old town, Cobham town, Henshaw town, Adiabo and Mbiabo (consisting of Mbiabo edere, Mbiabo Ikot Offiong and Mbiabo Ikoneto). . Here's a look inside. Nigeria Has Never Exercised Rule Over Bakassi Even in Traditional Society Goldie describes Eburutu as a country that consists of various ethnic groups. Ukara are made exclusively for members of the Ekpe society, an interethnic men's association found throughout southeastern Nigeria and western Cameroon. The group believes that when they eat human flesh, they gain the ability to transform into a crocodile. They give me thesum of $1,200,000 and many thing. Cameroon: Manyu Cultural Counsellor Honoured - allAfrica.com Here are 8 prominent cults and secret societies in Africa One theory states that the Efik and Uruan had separate religious customs and the Efik refused to worship the Uruan deity Atakpor Uruan Inyang. Many believe this groups village at present day Deir el-Medina was the original location where freemasonry began. Many families sent their children to European captains to teach them English and the processes involved in the international trade. quickly adapted to fulfil other economic and civil functions. It proved to be the source of supreme authority in all Efik towns, and its institutions provided, in the past, the highest court whose verdicts transcended all else. Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations "Hakuna Matata" (No More Worries) - Integrating Indigenous Systems of Conflict Resolution into the Formal System of Government Administration in Cameroon: Case Study of the Ekpe Society of Manyu Division Stephen O. Agbor, Nova Southeastern University Follow Date of Award 2017 History The Ekoi people, while all speaking the same language, have not tended to live in complete unison. Members of the Ekpe society are said to act as messengers of the cherryblossom wrote on WARRIOR's profile. They are well respected agents of wealth distribution in the community.. expectations of the members to prioritize the group over their own families. Hope all is well. A reconsideration of kp and Abaku suggests an agenda for the study of kp in diaspora from a different perspective. Ibibio - People in southern Nigeria - Native Breed.org The Ekpo/Ekpe society is a significant part of the Ibibio political system. [9][38] The Adiabo group is believed to have left to their present location after the Mbiabo exodus. The ethnic group to which most of the characters belong is the __________________people. Hood Quarterly, spring 2015 This exhibition examines the ukara cloth of the Ekpe secret society, a multi-ethnic all-male association in southeastern Nigeria and western Cameroon, exploring both the longstanding cultural practice the cloth represents and the artistic process involved in its creation. Photo by Eli Bentor. Additional Touches Members are bound by oath of secrecy, and fees on entrance are payable. a Mande tradition based on orally transmitted history. This theory asserts that the Efik migrated from Palestine or somewhere close to Palestine. Ekpe society | African secret society | Britannica Due to the rise of Calabar as a commercial centre since the 18th century, Efik settlements experienced a high rate of inward migration consisting of Sierra Leoneans, Lebanese, Cameroonians, Jamaicans and several other communities. In the culture we have discussed, the term fadenya refers to: the relationship between father and child, and half siblings - requiring self-assertion, independence, innovation, and competition. According to E.U. [32] The men were wet and complained of hunger and fatigue.
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