THE PEOPLING OF SIERRA LEONE
 |
| Courtesy of Wikipedia |
Because of the absence of earlier sources of information, it is difficult to tell the historical pattern that existed before the 13th and 14th centuries. Before this period, the information that had filtered to us had been form archaeological research. From such evidence, it is highly probable that this region was inhabited at least by about 2500 BC. The earliest evidence of identity to coastal settlement came from Portuguese records in the 15th century. The name Sierra Leone was derived from the Portuguese name Sierra Lyoa. A Portuguese sailor called Pedro Da Cintra gave the name in 1462 in reference to the country’s mountainous coastline. It was later given the Italian version of the name Sierra Leone.
If we want to trace the migration of the present peoples of Sierra Leone, we can begin by looking at their languages. If several languages are similar to one another, we can infer that the people who speak them were once closely associated. Perhaps, they moved originally from one common home land faraway to their present homes.
There are controversies among historians as to the exact number of ethnic groups in Sierra Leone. Whilst, others are claiming that there are 18 ethnic groups, others hold the view that, there are 17 ethnic groups. Whatever, views held by these historians, the fact still remains that certain ethnic groups existed in Sierra Leone during the pre-colonial period.
Today, there are at least 17 ethnic groups in the country. These groups have been divided into three main linguistic groups-Mande, Mel and Others. The Mende, Vai/Gallinas, Kono, Koranko, Soso, Yalunka and Mandingo belong to the Mande group. The Temne, Loko, Bullom/Sherbro, Kissi, Gola and Krim form part of the Mel group. The others are Limba, Fula, Krio and Kru. The two largest communities are the Mende and Temne.
Each group came from somewhere different and for a different reason from others. Each group came with its own languages and customs; such groups are called “ETHNIC GROUPS”.
The term “PEOPLING” refers to mixture or inter-mingling of people in the area of their culture and tribes in a particular settlement. Therefore, the peopling of Sierra Leone is nothing but the mixture, mingling, interrelation and interaction of the various Sierra Leonean people by way of birth, communication, migration and intermarriages
THE ORIGIN AND BRIEF HISTORY OF SOME INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF SIERRA LEONE
THE MENDE
The Mende constitute the largest ethnic group in Sierra Leone. They are believed to be the descendants of the Mane who arrived in the country in about 1550s from the Liberian hinterland dislodging people and settling in their homes. For example, the Kpa-Mende group is believed to have dislodged the Banta who originally inhabited the present day Kpa-Mende land. A Kpa –Mende state, with Taima as its capital was then created in the former Banta Empire.
Today, the Mende occupy almost half of the total surface area of Sierra Leone in the Southern and Eastern province. They occupy the whole or part of the districts of Bo, Moyamba, Pujehun, Kailahun and Kenema.
MENDE SUB-DIVISIONS OR GROUPS
The Mende are Sub-divided into four groups:-
(a)KPA-MENDE- These inhabit about 16 chiefdoms in the Moyamba, Bo and Kenema districts. Kpa implies “different”. They are distinguished particularly by their whole-hearted support and membership of the Wonde secret society (not found among other Mende groups), their strong military traditions and in the case of those in the Moyamba and Bo districts, a distinct dialect. The Kpa-Mende occounts for about 20 percent of the total Mende population in Sierra Leone.
(b) THE SEWA (MIDDLE) MENDE-They live near and along the Sewa River. They account for about 35 percent of the Mende population. They occupy Bo and parts of Kenema and Pujehun districts. They are called middle Mende because they occupy the middle position between the Kpa-Mende and Ko-Mende and consider themselves as the purest Mende- speaking group.
(c) THE KO(UPPER) MENDE- These inhabit the bulk of Kenema and Kailahun and parts of Pujehun districts.
(d) THE WANJAMA MENDE-These are found mainly in the Pujehun district.
THE TEMNE
The Temne are the second largest ethnic group in Sierra Leone. The Temne claim to have come from Futa Jallon, their original home land in present day Guinea.
Dr. Ijagbami has argued that the tradition of the Temne originating from Futa should be handled with caution, because it is the tendency of people to wish to associate themselves with pretigious origins and since the jihads of the 19th century had turned Futa into a prestigious place, people might wish to attach themselves to it. Whichever way one looks at it, Futa Jallon has a tremendous hold over the Temne.
Turay has argued with linguistic evidence, that the Temne like the Baga and Landuma belong to the mel-speaking people who originally lived in Futa Jallon.
Another tradition explains that the Temne arrived in Sierra Leone from the North-East by the late 15th century. A Mane warrior organized them into an important political group by the late 18th century.
By the end of the 18th century, the Temne had virtually occupied the Sierra Leone Peninsular and a large sections of the Northern province. The Temne are today found mostly in Tonkolili, Bombali, Port Loko and Kambia districts of the northern region of Sierra Leone. They number over a million. The Temne are sub-divided into two major groups- the Sande in the North and the Yoni in the South. It is believed that the Yoni was the older inhabitants. These groups are further sub-divided into minor groups such as the Kholifa, Koninke and Koya Temne.
BULLOM/SHERBRO
The Bullom are among the earliest inhabitants on the
coast of Sierra Leone and one of the first groups of people to be influenced by the Europeans. They appear to have no tradition of migration into Sierra Leone and insist that they inhabited their present homeland from time immemorial. It has been suggested that they arrived in Sierra Leone by Sea.
VALENTIN FERNANDES, writing in 1570 made the point that the Bullom and Temne, the former essentially a coastal people inhabited Sierra Leone. It has been observed that in the southern sections of the upper Guinea Coast, the single dominant element along the Coast were the Bulloms extending roughly between Cape Verde and Cape Mount.
By the end of the 16th century, the Temne originally an inland people under Farma Tami pushed their way towards the coast and in the process the Bullom were “cut” into two parts”. The northen branch today are occupying parts of Kambia and Porloko districts while retaining the name Bullom. They were subsequently absorbed by the Temne and Soso with whom they lived. The Southern branch much larger than that to the North came to be known today as Sherbro, a name according to the Dutch Surgeon, DAPPER was derived from Serabola, a Mame warrior who imposed his rule on the Bulloms. The contact with the Mane element gave rise to the Sherbro language slightly different from that of the Bulloms.
The Sherbro today occupy parts of Bo, Bonthe and Moyamba districts. The Sherbro have to a very large extent being absorbed and influenced by the Mende in many respects. Some have now adopted the politics, cultural traits and language of the Mende.
THE KRIM
The Krim are a coastal people akin to the Sherbo and live to the South-East of the Sherbro. They speak a variant of the Sherbro and culturally appear to be very close to them. The Sherbro call them AKIMA, meaning those who ran away. They did not travel much after they arrived in Sierra Leone, so they are still in the Southern province of the country today.
THE KISSI
The Kissi claim that they migrated into Sierra Leone from the upper Niger before the 15th century. They were attacked by the Koranko who pushed them towards the eastern border with present day Guinea.
THE KORONKO
The Koronko are related to the Mandingo and speakers of both languages could understand each other. The Koronko began to arrive in Sierra Leone from Guinea by the 16th century. The original group was led by Mansa Morifing of the Mansa clan; they originally settled in Morifindugu (Morifing’s country), now a section of the Mango chiefdom of the Koinadugu district.
It was from Morifindugu that others began to penetrate deeper into Sierra Leone. Another major Koranko migration led by Masa Kama of the Kargbo clan also influenced large areas of present day Temne country. He first founded Koinadugu district. From Koinadugu, he fought his way to the coast before returning to settle at Rowala where he died. Rowala is now in Tonkolili district and most of that area was formerly a Koranko country. Later, the Temne moved eastward from the Koya area and became the predominant group at Rowala. The Temne of Tonkolili were however heavily influenced by the Koranko and took over Koranko institutions such as the Regbenle secret society which the Koranko call Doweh.
Other Koranko of the Koroma clan moved further into the interior of Sierra Leone and settled in present day Diang and Nieni chiefdoms in Koinadugu district.
THE LOKO
The Loko are akin to the Gbandi of Liberia and the Mende. It is believed that the Loko were a product of the Mane invasions. One of the Mane armies (a Tawa Gbande force) invaded Port Loko and subsequently established the Kingdom of Minthomo there in the 1550s. This force was probably prevented from returning to its base by the Temne, so the Loko stayed around the present Port Loko territory. Some later settled further north, in the Freetown area and at Rotifunk. They were heavily influenced by the Temne. Most writers agree that the Loko represent elements of the Mane (the Gbande) fused with the Temne.
THE VAI/KONO
The Vai and the Kono are related people who split up some centuries ago. The traditions of these people state that there was a shortage of salt in Konosu, the original home of the Kono, which is somewhere in present day Guinea. These people therefore decided to go in search of salt water. After travelling for so many months, some of them got tried and decided to settle in what is now known Kono homeland, where they subsequently found three states-LEI, SANDO and SOA. Another group of the Vai continued the journey in search of salt water and told the others to wait for them as they departed. The Vai term for wait for us is “Omaa Kono” and the Vai sometimes refer to the Kono as those that moved towards the coast never returned but called their land “Kanina” (those that will return). They became known as the Vai.
It has been suggested by some writers that the Portuguese called these people Gallinas because bush fowls abounded in Vai country. And the term Gallinas in Portuguese language means hens. This is plausible but it is also possible that Gallinas is a corrupt term of Kaninas.
THE SOSO AND THE YALUNKA
The bulk of the Soso people are to be found in Guinea where they form one of the oldest tribal groups. In Sierra Leone, the Soso and Yalunka could be found in parts of Kambia, Port Loko and Koinadugu districts and are kept apart in Koinadugu district by a small wedge of Limba. These two tribes, it has been suggested are a branch of the same people and speakers of both languages could understand each other.
Soso and Yalunka tradition maintain that they arrived in Futa Jallon sometime after the Temne and Baga had created a powerful state in Solima and Sankarah, and in the process intermingled with Fula and other tribes. Because of increase in population, the Soso began to spread out into North Western Sierra Leone in about the 17th century. In Futa Jallon, there were occasional clashes between the agricultural Soso and Yalunka and the pastoral Fula, culminating in the subjugation of the Yalunka by the Fula. It was in the early decades of the 18th century that the Yalunka threw off Fula Yoke and moved South to their present territory. Peace between the Yalunka and Fula was concluded at Falaba (Palava town), now the headquarters of the Solima chiefdom, Koinadugu District.
THE MANDINGO AND THE FULA
The Mandingo and the Fula started to migrate into Sierra Leone in the 17th century. The first immigrants were mostly Islamic teachers and traders. The Fula came from Futa Jalon and Senegal while the Mandingo came form the Sankaran region in Guinea.
THE KRU
The Kru started to migrate into the colony of Sierra Leone from Liberia in 1793. They were mostly Seamen. As their population increased, land was acquired for them near the shore beyond Sanders Brook in the westend of Freetown. The Kru started a settlement on this land which they called Kru Town. Some Kru later went as far as the hinterland to work at the timber factories.
THE KRIO
The Krio live mainly in the western area. They came into being as a result of the linguistic and cultural blending of such desperate groups as the original settlers, Nova scotians, Maroons, Recaptives and immigrants from the Sierra Leone hinterland.
THE GOLA
The Gola were among the earliest inhabitants on the coast of Sierra Leone. They occupy some land East of the Gallians on the present Liberian border with Sierra Leone. The bulk of them are to be found in the Liberian hinterland.
THE SAPES-THE EARLIEST
COASTAL PEOPLE
Records of Portuguese sailors visiting the coast of Sierra Leone in the 15th century have indicated that those people who lived along the coast before indigenous people like the Temne or Limba ventured coast-wards, in other words before the 15th century, were people referred to as the sapes or capez. This group of people included such large group as the Bullom and other smaller groups like the Baga, Nalou, Gola and Krim. The Baga and Nalou today live in the Republic of Guinea. Others are still part of the ethnic groups in modern Sierra Leone. One common feature about these groups was that they shared similar languages and customs.
Comments
Post a Comment