Abuja – Africa has a rich history and a variety of ethnic tribes that share remarkable sets of cultural practices, beliefs, and traditions. Each group shows their diverse and rich communal engagements in their own unique way. They represent a distinct value of African life that has been passed on from generation to generation.
For instance, the Hausa of West Africa is the largest ethnic group in Nigeria. The group is widely distributed geographically and has intermingled with many different people. With growing access to and dissemination of information, many global organizations and individuals are learning about their interesting and colorful lives.
History
More than 20 million of the Hausa currently live in West Africa. However, their arrival to the area was only noted in the 14th century. With the arrival of Islam, the tribes also came with their own set of practices. Then, by the turn of the century, the communities have grown and even formed a number of independent Hausa city-states.
The Hausa people were known throughout the land as they competed for the control of trade across the Sahara Desert, natural resources, and slaves. People from various tribes learned to be wary of them as they gained power. Despite their great influence, they experienced living as a British colony. Nevertheless, even during those times, the city-states maintained some autonomy. Then, in the 19th century, a jihad (Islamic holy war) unified the region, which became known as Hausaland.
To this day, the people living in different places in the northwestern part of Nigeria and southeastern Niger call the large portion of the area as Hausaland. This helped preserve the Hausa traditions until late in the 20th century.
Folklore
One particular tradition that the Hausa kept close to their communities is their folklore. The historical accounts and migration of the ethnic tribes based on research also have their own counterparts in the Hausa tradition.
It is believed that the mythical ancestor of the Hausa, Bayajidda, migrated from Baghdad in the 9th or 10th century AD. The story narrates the ancestor’s journey to the kingdom of Bornu, where he fled west and helped the king of Daura slay a dangerous snake. With his victory, the queen of Daura was given to him as a reward. Later, his son founded the city of Biram, where he had six sons who became the rulers of the city-states.
Aside from this story, the ethnic group’s folklore includes tatsuniya, which are stories that have moral lessons. These tales involve young women and men, animals, as well as heroes and villains. The narrated events and scenarios provide a distinct view of the communities, the people, and the rituals. Moreover, many of the known pieces include proverbs and riddles that represent the rich cultural values of the group’s many activities.
Politics and Control
As the group with the largest population in the region, the Hausa have the upper hand in terms of politics. They have the most number from both an ethnic group and a religion bloc. This is due to the consistent personalities of the tribe members, even in terms of local and West African countries. Most of the political leaders are calculative and strategic planners. Their contribution to the development of the communities is also an excellent means of protecting their group’s history, practices, and culture.
Image from Gianluca Di Santo, https://www.flickr.com/photos/janchan/155440774
