kp had four major roles in pre-colonial . Mr. . The society is somewhat akin to a free mason group and does some unofficial law enforcement. EKPE SOCIETY The origin of Ekpe: Ekpe is said to have originated from Isangele Sub-Division, in Ndian Division, South West Province, Republic of Cameroon. Symbols including lovers, metal rods, trees, feathers, hands in friendship war and work, masks, moons, and stars are dyed onto ukara cloths. It is a male-only society, and members are bound by secrecy. Ekpe society among the Ejagham tribe found in CROSS RIVER STATE of NIGERIA and the MANYU DIVISION in CAMEROON. LOBE, CAMEROON - Edmond Motule, 40, is the president and chief of the Oroko community in Lobe, an estate in southwestern Cameroon. Situations, perhaps . It explores the longstanding cultural practice the cloth represents and the artistic process involved in its creation. The Ekpe Festival, which primarily features display by Ekpe masquerades from the Efik, Efut, Qua Ekpe lodges, has a long tradition as it has always taken place on Christmas day over the years. Cameroon: Case Study of the Ekpe Society of Manyu Division Stephen O. Agbor Nova Southeastern University,sa717@mynsu.nova.edu This document is a product of extensive research conducted at the Nova Southeastern UniversityCollege of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. It was invented by the Oroko people of the Isangele Tribe about three thousand years ago. Cuban Abaku music. Cameroon is known as Africa in miniature because of its multitude of ecosystems and associated biodiversity, cultures and traditions. The 2014 winner of the Eko Prize for Emerging Anglophone Writers in the poetry category, Ekpe Inyang holds an MSc in Advanced Professional Studies (Environmental Studies) from the University of Strathclyde, UK. 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. . ekpe society cameroon 133 Saratoga Rd, Glenville, NY 12302 ekpe society cameroon N. F. Awasom. Like other symbols, they served to reinforce the shared sense of group i. Time left: d. h. m. s. day. hour. Evaluating the Place of the Ekpe Traditional Institution as a Tool for Nation-Building in Pre . The Ekpe Society is a religious and cultural institution among the Efik people, it can also be found among the Annang and the Ibibios. Introduction In the context of rural communities with generations-long apprenticeship systems for It was technically part of Nigeria, according to history, which was the reason we had the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC). The masquerade tradition itself is most popular in Calabar and the Oron nation of Udung-Ukko, Mbo, Urue-Offong Oruko, Okobo, as well as the Eket and Uruan local government areas in Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria, and even western Cameroon. Society of Cross River Nigeria and Cameroon. a 2009 study of the history of the Cuban Abaku mutual-aid society and its sources in Nigeria and Cameroon. In Voice of the Leopard: African Secret Societies and Cuba, Ivor L. Miller shows how African migrants and their political fraternities played a formative role in the history of Cuba.During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, no large kingdoms controlled Nigeria and Cameroon's multilingual Cross River basin. Published by the Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College. THE ABAKU INSTITUTION : A CARABAL FOUNDATION IN CUBAN SOCIETY . Ours is a society of discipline, self restraint and decorum. Isangele) in southwestern Cameroon. Details about RARE Handmade African Drum, Cameroon, indigenous art object (EKPE Society)-show original title. He spent several years working for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and also served as a short-term consultant to the German Technical . Nigeria and Cuba [10]. Along with ethnic groups that flow across to the Cameroon, these Nigerian ethnicities are called the Ejagham group, whose "territory is concentrated within the large southwest bend of . Instead, each settlement had its own lodge of the initiation society called kp . Deep crisis is brewing in Calabar, as the unity of 600-year-old Ekpe society, commonly found in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, some parts of South East Nigeria, Cameroon and Cuba, is threatened. Sociology. It first spread North, South West, and across the Atlantic Ocean. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, no large kingdoms controlled Nigeria and Cameroon's multilingual Cross River basin. Ukara ekpe cloths are woven in Abakaliki, and then they are designed by male nsibidi artists in the Igbo-speaking towns of Abiriba, Arochukwu and Ohafia to be worn by members of the Ekpe society. This exhibition booklet examines the ukara cloth of the Ekpe secret society, a multiethnic all-male association in southeastern Nigeria and western Cameroon. Stephen O. Agbor. Through the trans-Atlantic slave trade, kp culture was recreated in Cuba, where it is known as Abaku. 2017. As a distinguishing feature of the broad Ejagham cultural group spread across Nigeria and Cameroon (Thompson, 1974), the nsibidi motifs inscribed in the ukara textile's surface function as both ideograms and pictograms (Onor, 1994, Kubik, 1986). Calabar, the main port city of this region, is the homeland of three distinct communities, known as Abakpa (Qua-Ejagham), Efil.t, and Efik, who call their society. hours. The elders in the community came in force as they drummed and danced to the African beat. In the days of old ekpe for men known as ekpe masquerade comes out or perform only during the funeral celebration of a prominent ruler or a traditional clan head. Sessekou Eddie Besong's funeral in Orlando, Florida. In Voice of the Leopard: African Secret Societies and Cuba, Ivor L. Miller shows how African migrants and their political fraternities played a formative role in the history of Cuba.During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, no large kingdoms controlled Nigeria and Cameroon's multilingual Cross River basin. In addition to ritual propitiation of forest spirits to ensure the well-being of the community, this graded secret male society made and enforced laws by fines, capital punishment, or boycotts; judged cases; maintained internal peace; and served as the . Posted by Shared with Public. The society is still active at the beginning of the 21st century, now playing a ceremonial role. CiteSeerX - Document Details (Isaac Councill, Lee Giles, Pradeep Teregowda): An initiation club for men in Havana and Matanzas, derived from the kp leopard society of West Africa. 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. They are well respected agents of wealth distribution in the community. In Voice of the Leopard: African Secret Societies and Cuba, Ivor L. Miller shows how African migrants and their political fraternities played a formative role in the history of Cuba. 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. "Ekpe" which literally means Lion, is a traditional secret society originated from the Ekoi tribe in Cross River State. Time left: 5d 07h . The economics of the society is based on paying tribute to the village . 1830S was derived principally from the male "leopard societies" of the Cross River region of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon. The gospel choir sang Negro spirituals that symbolized the . On his part, Motale has argued that in Bateka were several nations, among who were the Ngolo. Founding President and leader of Ekpe USA. From NigerianWiki. Abaku is an Afro-Cuban men's initiatory fraternity, or secret society, which originated from fraternal associations in the Cross River region of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon. Specific reference to a cult known as Ekpe na Mboko could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. Resolutions of the Ekpe Society meeting held on September 16th 2011 in DC. He has many years of experience, having worked, in different capacities, with the World Wide Fund for Nature, Wildlife Conservation Society, and Pan African Institute for DevelopmentWest Africa (PAID-WA) in Cameroon. Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to Pinterest. 6. Labels: Ekpe preparing to take the remains into the funeral home in Florida. It is located in the South-West region of Cameroon. An Ekpe chieftain however, could be allowed to initiate any of his daughters into Ekpe society but such initiation was usually "honorary and cosmetic" (Miller & Ojong, 2012). . Abstract The kp ('leopard') society represents an ancient African institution that had 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. . The anglophone problem in Cameroon yesterday and today in search of a definition. Representatives from Angola, Cameroon and Sierra Leone were present. In terms of finding information on the Nsibidi and the Ekpe society there is quite a bit online but these are a "secret . The Mount Cameroon origins of the Oroko people can best be seen from Knut Knutson's accounts of cultures around the Cameroon Mountain, recorded in Ardener (1996). The EKPE Society . Deportados igos cubanos en la prensa espaola / Presence of the Abaku society in Fernando Poo at the end of the 19th Century. Members of the Ekpe society are said to act as messengers of the ancestors (ikan) [15]. . Lamca file. "The Balondos [Orokos] are very important to the history of the Ekpe/Mgbe society of West Africa that went to Cuba during the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the 18th and 19th centuries," he says. These Ngolo created the Ekpe society and invented the Nsibidi writing system in . An account from the Qua said the origin of the Ekpe people can be traced to Cameron. Ekpe, also known as Ekpo (Ibibio: Leopard), is a Nigerian secret society flourishing chiefly among the Efiks of the Cross River State, the Oron, of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, Arochukwu and some parts of Abia State, as well as in the diaspora, such as in Cuba and Brazil. By Hilde Helson. Ekpe and Ngbe (or Mgbe), after the . The 2014 winner of the Eko Prize for Emerging Anglophone Writers in the poetry category, Ekpe Inyang holds an MSc. Ogoja, Obudu and Ugep. However, references to the Ekpe cult (Post Express 13 Mar. (Not to be confused with the . According to a few Manyu Patriachs who witnessed the ceremony, the EKANDIM is kind of a female Sesseku. English language is spoken in the South-Western part of Cameroon. Social norms and cultural services - community belief system and use of wildlife products in the Northern periphery of the Korup National Park, South-West Cameroon Change and Adaptation in Socio-Ecological Systems, 2014 The Ekpe society and its members were the leaders and directing minds of the community. 2015. authority as head of the Ekpe (Egbo), or Leopard, society. The masquerade tradition itself is most popular in Calabar and the Oron nation of Udung-Ukko, Mbo, Urue-Offong Oruko, Okobo, as well as the Eket and Uruan local government areas in Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria, and even western Cameroon. Deported Cuban aigos in the Spanish press. In Efik. For more information on research and degree programs at the NSU It was invented by the Oroko people of the Isangele Tribe about three thousand years ago. . Ekpe (Society) Organization Staff Only Found in 1 Collection or Record: Ivor L. Miller Papers . The Ekpe Society is a highly respected and an integral part of the Manyu culture that originated from the Cross . in Advanced Professional Studies (Environmental Studies) from the University of Strathclyde, UK. The cloth is made of plain cotton but . NSUWorks Citation. . which is the official apparel of the Ekpe society, is the most prominent surface on which . Cameroon every Mfor Mbge` (lodge leader) designates one of his daughters to serve as the Manyang Arong (female member) who participates in the lodge to assist her father.2 Ekpe` 'leopard' society in Africa and the Americas 3 Downloaded by [ivor miller] at 08:40 10 April 2012 The African origins of various areas of society are often overlooked and one noticeable area that is not thoroughly explored is the African origins of Freemasonry. Ekpe Inyang. Tuesday, January 24, 2012 . Ekpe, also known as Mgbe/Egbo (Ekoi language: leopard; derived from the Ibibio term for the same), is a West African secret society in Nigerian and Cameroon flourishing chiefly among the Efiks.It is also found among a number of other ethnic groups, including the Bahumono of the Cross River State, the Ibibio, the Uruan and the Oron of Akwa Ibom State, Arochukwu and some other parts of Abia . Ekpe Inyang hails from Korup and holds an MSc degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Strathclyde, UK. By Isabela de Aranzadi. Crest masks of this kind are associated with the Ngbe/Ekpe secret warrior society. The listing has ended It posits that the Ekpe (Mgbe) people migrated from Cameroon. the Ekpe society, nsibidi has maintained its relevance among the Efik for many centuries because of its ability to adapt to new . Efik society. The Nkim dance is usually perform at the end of every circumcision . . Instead, each settlement had its own lodge of the initiation society called . Abaku, known by its members as Ekrio Enyne Abaku (a group founded by a sacred mother that is called Abaku), is a Cuban mutual aid society for men, whose ceremonial activities occur exclusively in the . He spent several years working for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and also served as a short-term consultant to the German . It covers a surface area of approximately 9,565 km square and has a population of approximately 177,389 according to annuaire statistics du Cameroun 2006. . RARE Handmade African Drum, Cameroon, indigenous art object (EKPE Society) Item Information. Ladies and Gentlemen, On behalf of resident members of The Ekpe Society - USA, I would like to start by apologizing for the uncharacteristic exchanges from some of our members that flooded these forums recently. 2001; Chukwuma 2001, 127; Ijele 2000), Ekpe society (LAM n.d.) and Ekpe secret society (Express and Echo 7 Jan. 2003; WAR n.d.) were found among the sources consulted. The script is used by the initiated members of a secret society called the Leopard or Ekpe Society.During the precolonial era, Ekpe society functions were many and varied. Abstract Since September 2017, the English-speaking peoples of the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon have been subjected to unprecedented repression of genocidal dimension by the Biya. - Gives respect between members in the Ekpe society: prepare and share with other members: Traditional inherited practice - Widely used in all ceremonies: Abundant: Red-river hog Potamochoerus porcus: With the colonial intervention in the late nineteenth century, the emergence of modern individualism and western political systems has tended to . The masks are thus believed to symbolize the appropriation of enemies' power. Condition:--not specified. EKPE SOCIETY The origin of Ekpe: Ekpe is said to have originated from Isangele Sub-Division, in Ndian Division, South West Province, Republic of Cameroon. Crest masks belong to the ngbe/ekpe warrior secret society. The Abaku secret society has recreated the Ekpe society in Calabar (Nigeria / Cameroon) brought to Cuba by Calabar slaves. Many igos deportees brought back this memory to Africa to the . Apart from enforcing laws, its courts judged important cases and recovered debts for its members. 1. Abakua (Abaku) or Abakwa, sometimes called igo, is an Afro-Cuban men's initiatory fraternity or secret society, which originated from centuries old fraternal associations in the Cross River region of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon, where the organization was known as the Leopard Society. This art work is a reflection of the Ekpe ancestral juju,that comes out during the ancestral dance.This dance is organised only during the death of a member of the ekpe society or during coronations and cultural festivals.This dance is from the peoples of Manyu division,in the south west province of Cameroon.The ekpe juju is feared and respected by all.when the juju is dancing onlookers must . Ekpe Society at 3:25 PM No comments: Email This BlogThis! Even Cameroon has and practice prestigious Nsibidi sign writing or communication [6]. Ndibo Yevengo- Abakua & Ekpe events; Cuba-Calabar Radio . "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. part of the Balondos or Orokos in Ndian in Southern Cameroon) and Idombi (ie present town, called Bamusso in Ndian-Southern . Hood Quarterly, spring 2015. Cantos Abakua . She said as a member of the Ekpe Society of the Efiks, she participates in the Ekpe activities. "Ekpe" which literally means Lion, is a traditional secret society originated from the Ekoi tribe in Cross River State. It first spread North, South West, and across the Atlantic Ocean. Group belonging is built around shared symbols, including masks. 1. However, the event lost its vibrancy by the mid-1980s, and virtually died out by the end of . The Ekpe or Mgbe Society is wide-spread throughout the Cross River basin, covering several ethnic peoples from the Efik's, the Qua-Ejegham and Efut people, amongst others through to the variants in Igbo-speaking area's (known as the Okonko). Masks of this kind are usually covered in antelope skin, but rare examples covered in human skin have led researchers to hypothesize that warriors originally wore the heads of killed enemies. Keywords: Ekpe songs, song performance, ritual protocols, Ekpe institution, Efik. 2012. The Ekpe is a secret society that lives mostly in Nigeria and whose members are typically law enforcers and politicians. . Signs on the road, woods or stones were inscribe with Nsibidi Facial marks . "The . Abaku is a mutual-aid institution with initiation rites that was created in colonial Cuba by forced-migrants from the Cross River region of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon. Known generally as Ekpe, Egbo, Ngbe, or Ugbe among the multi-lingual groups in the region, these closed groups all used the leopard as a symbol of . Speaking at the ceremony, the head of Ekpe of Afap village, Seseku Daniel Laluh said with Prof Ayuk's commitment in the village, the Ekpe society thought it necessary to confer him the Seseku . The nsibidi script is used by the Efik, and Ekoi peoples who live in the Cross River region of Nigeria and western Cameroon. Instead, each settlement had its own lodge of the initiation society called kp . Abakua (Abaku) or Abakwa, sometimes called igo, is an Afro-Cuban men's initiatory fraternity or secret society, which originated from centuries old fraternal associations in the Cross River region of southeastern Nigeria and southwestern Cameroon,. Ekpe. Another historical account claimed that Efik people pioneered the Ekpe between 1720 and 1729 during the initial migration of Calabar. A delegation of kp 'leopard' society initiates, as well as family members, traveled from Mamfe, Manyu Division of southwest Cameroon, to Yaound, the Cameroon capital to honor and reclaim the body of their leader and father, who had recently transited to the ancestors. Posted on March 01, 2015 by Web Services Editor. The Ekpe Society of Southwest Cameroon were present to perform a traditional libation ceremony prior to the start of the event. Infact; there can be no-gainsay of the USAK-EDET People (ISANGELE) being the originators of this highly acclaimed Ekpe Society that the EFIKS, led by EFFA EFFIWAT later on used in subduing their subjects of EFUTS, (i.e. The highest title in the Ekpe given to a woman who has distinguished herself in the society with acts of service, Mobilization of groups, building skills, representation and humanitarian works to her people etc. 2020.