1. Unit 3: Sub-Saharan Africa Today’s Topic: African Tribalism & Animism
In your notes . . .
Unit 3: Sub-Saharan Africa Today’s Topic: African Tribalism & Animism

2. Ancient African Kingdoms
Africa had empires that ruled vast territories for centuries.
Nile and Kush in Northeast
Mali and Songhai in the West
Otherwise, African culture is DIVERSE – TRIBES!

3. 1000 different languages; 1000+ different tribes

4. African Tribalism
Stateless Society: Outside of north and western Africa, there are fewer organized kingdoms.
Tribal culture changes dramatically from village to village – DIVERSITY.
Most tribes rely on waterways such as the Nile, Congo, or Niger for survival.

5. The Bantu Migration Bantu originally came from Equatorial Africa.
Over thousands of years, Bantu people migrated south from West Africa.
Today, most Sub-Saharan black Africans have some connection to the Bantu people: language, religion, customs, etc.

6. Common Traits or Characteristics of Traditional African Tribal Life
The good of the group comes ahead of the good of the individual.
All land is owned by the group.
Strong feeling of loyalty to the group.
Important ceremonies at different parts of a person’s life.
Special age and work associations.
Deep respect for ancestors.
Religion is an important part of everyday life.
Government is in the hands of the chiefs [kings].

7. Structure of African Society
Kinship – Relationship to individual relatives
Family – Related members of a group
Clan – Group made up of related families
Tribe – Group made up of related clans

9. Family & Lineage Most tribes are structured around the extended family
parents, children, grandparents . . .
Lived in small villages
Families were combined into larger communities known as lineage groups/clans
Your lineage says a lot about your place in society.
Extended family has struggled as many rural Africans have begun moving to cities – urbanization.
Tribes are either patrilineal or matrilineal (trace heritage through father or mother’s family).
In many tribes, women make the important decisions.

10. Social Structures Common Features
Many societies developed village-based cultures
At heart, extended family living in one household
Families with common ancestors formed clans to which all members loyal
Age-Sets
In some areas, people took part in type of group called age-sets
Men who had been born within same two, three years formed special bonds
Men in same age-set had duty to help each other
Specific Duties
Loyalty to family, age-sets helped village members work together
Men hunted, farmed; women cared for children, farmed, did domestic chores
Even very old, very young had own tasks; elders often taught traditions to younger generations

11. Traditional Societies: Family Descent
Patrilineal  trace ancestors through fathers
Matrilineal  trace ancestors through mothers
20% of African societies are matrilineal today

12. Inheritance and Descent
The Ashanti people believed the child’s blood came entirely from the mother
Uncle is more important than the father
Matrilineal
Oldest son is the head of the family
Oldest son was the inheritor
Patrilineal

13. Community & Education The group is more important than the individual.
Age Sets: Based on one’s age, a tribesperson has different responsibilities.
Men: hunt, protect, farm
Women: raise children, prepare food, clean
Different villages had different methods of raising and educating children:
Congo – boys and girls were raised by mom until age 6. Learned language, family history, songs, etc.
After that they were separated, girls to the “house of women” and boys to the “house of men”
Traditions are handed down orally from generation to generation.
Griots of West Africa serve as storytellers using poetry, dance, and rhythm to pass on history.

14. The Age Grade System Definition
Includes all boys or girls born in the same year
This same age group works together for their entire lives
Purpose
To Learn about community and shared duties
Together they take part in special age ceremonies
Effect
This group usually thinks similarly and works together quite well

15. Status of Women Societies that valued women
Women could be leaders
Women were the teachers of the family
Were respected because the bore children
Bride Wealth paid to brides family
Societies that did not value women
Women did the planting, weeding, and harvesting
In some societies men married many women [polygamy]
Viewed a wife as property of the husband

16. Many traditional African societies are polygamous
Marriage customs
Many traditional African societies are polygamous
Polygamy: having more than one spouse
Men may only have multiple wives if he can support them
Bridewealth- payment a man gives a woman’s family before marriage (land, cattle, cloth, tools)
Dowry- payment a woman’s family before marriage (land, cattle, cloth, tools)
Some tribes allow divorce, some do not

17. Problems of Tribalism Today

18. Problems of Tribalism Today
1. The tribe is more important than the nation.
2. Communication problems.
3. Inter-tribal warfare  civil wars.
4. Tribal favorites for government jobs:
Nepotism
Breaks down tribal traditions.
Urbanization:
Tribal intermingling on the job.

19. Problems Facing Modern Tribes
National unity is difficult when many Africans show more loyalty to a tribe than the nation.
Communication problems centered on language.
Tribal warfare, much of which is connected to European Imperialism.
Tribal control of government and government positions: Nepotism
Urbanization is challenging traditional tribal practices and breaking up lineage groups/clans.

20. Tribalism problem
Tribalism is often a stronger force than nationalism.
Political parties based on tribes
Problem of creating nationalism artificially.
Globalization & Diversity: Rowntree, Lewis, Price, Wyckoff

21. Griots of West Africa

22. Griots, pronounced "greeohs", are storytellers of West Africa who use poetry and rhythm to teach villagers about their history. Their home is the territory of the Mandinke people in the country of Mali where their tradition is alive to this day.
"Griot" is the French term for this class of musicians; the local term is jeli.

23. Griots
Many early societies did not develop systems of writing
Maintained sense of identity, continuity through oral traditions
Included stories, songs, poems, proverbs
Task of remembering, passing on entrusted to storytellers, griots
Music and Dance
In many societies, music, dance central to many celebrations, rituals
Carving, wearing of elaborate masks part of these rituals as well
Early Africans excelled in sculpture, bronze as well as terra cotta
Traditional music performed with variety of wind, stringed instruments

24. The griot profession is inherited, passed on from one generation to the next.
Griots are very different from the rest of society, almost a different ethnic group.
They are both feared and respected by people in West Africa for their wisdom and talent with words.

25. West Africans have preserved their history through storytelling and the written accounts of visitors.
Writing was not common in West Africa. People passed along information through oral histories, a spoken record of past events.
West African storytellers were called griots. They helped keep the history of their ancestors alive for each new generation.
In addition to stories, they recited proverbs. These were short sayings of wisdom or truth. They were used to teach lessons to the people.
Some of the griot poems are epics that are collected in the Dausi and the Sundiata.

26. Proverbs
Griots passed on more than stories, they also recited proverbs
Proverbs are short sayings of wisdom or truth

27. West African Proverbs “It takes a village to raise a child.”
“Talking doesn't fill the basket in the farm.”
“Rats don't dance in the cat's doorway.”

28. Religion in Tribal Africa
North Africa: Islam dominates
Sub-Saharan Africa is more diverse.
For the majority of its history, Africa has been dominated by Animism & Ancestor Worship.
Animism: the belief that all things have some kind of spirituality
Ancestor Worship: having deep respect for wisdom of dead ancestors
Islam has spread beyond the Sahara.
Christianity was introduced to many parts of Africa by Europeans (1500s – 1900s).
Today, many Africans combine Christianity with tribal beliefs.