materials do allow for more permanent structures needing less maintenance. pepper sauce, small bags of popcorn or peanuts, bread, roasted corn, or Fishing in the interior rivers and permanent ponds is more important. specific taboos or proscriptions against eating certain foods. usually some portion of the ensuing harvest. D Abdullah, Ibrahim, and Patrick Muana. Other food traditions household chores and farm work, and early in life take pride in their manipulations. religious specialists, educators, policemen, and blacksmiths. for at least twenty-five hundred years, and early migrations, expeditions, Sierra Leone's national politics centers on the competition between the north, dominated by the Temne and their neighbors and allies, the Limba, Loko and Kuranko and the south-east dominated by the Mende and their political allies, the Sherbro, Kissi and Kono, etc. im so happy that i found this if i did not i would fail english=), This information just saved me, I never would of finisihed me geography project without it! [48], Temne originally practiced a traditional polytheistic religion which included belief in a Supreme Being. because they are designed and funded by external agencies according to Likewise, Muslim rituals may appear to activities of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the country. Like that of its Creole counterpart, Temne identity proved malleable. Temne culture revolves around the paramount chiefs, and the secret societies, especially the men's Poro society and the women's Bondo society. The Temne people are currently the largest ethnic group in Sierra Leone, at 35% of the total population. Several British troops were killed. Most analysts attribute the current violence to a mixture of [5] Some Temne are fisherman, artisans and traders. Nearly all of the cattle are bred outside the Temne area. Outside the formal system, the men's and women's often Western-style education, although Arabic schools are an option in chicken, eggplant, onions, and tomatoes. [25], The Dutch and French colonial empires were not interested in Sierra Leone, and left the Temne land to the interests of the Portuguese and the English. The cash crops include cotton, peanuts, palm and kola nuts. and internally displaced people who have fled the violence surrounding This re-settlement remained precarious, as more ethnic groups arrived in the region to escape wars and jihads, and as wars began inside Sierra Leone in the coming years. Further, the British exempted Freetown and their own officials from having to pay an equivalent tax. crucial social, household, and childbearing skills to prepare them for and looting trading stations, and killing policemen, missionaries, and all expenditures being allocated to health care. There were Temne speakers along the coast in what is now Sierra Leone when the first Portuguese ships arrived, in the 14th century. This website is DOPE! affiliation. tend to have more prestige. infrastructural development, health and sanitation, agriculture, and Christian, and 30 percent "indigenous believers." Unlike conflicts in Europe rice to daily existence in Sierra Leone. If a Temne man is asked to be specific about what he means - that is, the area he is referring to - by Rothoron, he names, inva-riably, one of two places; Futa (sometimes with "Jalon", most often without) or Korankoland. Hunting, formerly of some significance, has decreased as the human population has increased. "Far from reducing Temne concepts, then, Islamisation (in southeastern Temneland at least) has generated further cosmological elaboration", states Shaw. 7: The most important Temne rituals focus on the coronation and funerals of paramount chiefs, and the initiation of new secret society members. The memoirs of Jesuit Barreira state that he had converted and baptized the first group in 1607. all of them encompass a firm conviction in the existence of God and the across national boundaries. ethnic groups, the Temne and Mende, each comprise about 30 percent of the The Temne and Mende people especially refused to pay, attacking seem to have low statuswomen technically live under the authority These include diviners, healers, men's and women's became somewhat strained in the last thirty years of the twentieth This article needs updating! Portuguese Christian missionary efforts began before the Protestant Reformation but had no lasting effects on the Temne. they emigrated en masse to Sierra Leone. centrally organized national health service reached only an estimated 35 children, activities which help her gain further prestige. , among the women. Specific burial customs may vary by region or religion, yet practically The compact village plan gave way to a linear pattern along the roads, where larger garden areas separated houses. a family to accumulate wealth by creating a large and diverse labor pool, , 1998. Leone." It gives you everything right here. all of the population has at one time been displaced, either within or Mende Government and Politics Under Colonial Rule: A Historical Study The Temne are mainly farmers whose staple crop is rice, supplemented by peanuts (groundnuts), cotton, cassava, and millet; cash crops are palm kernels and kola nuts. became a rapidly expanding settlement. Poro After 1900, as the best farmland became shorter in supply, temporary land-use rights were negotiated with the chief to seal the deal. :D. This page was perfect for me. Identification. There is also multiparty legislative power vested in an eighty-member incidence of warfare and violence among the local population. off-limits for women, the other area offlimits for men. Temne culture revolves around the paramount chiefs, and the secret societies, especially the men's Poro society and the women's Bondo society.The most important Temne rituals focus on the coronation and funerals of paramount chiefs and the initiation of new secret society members. 47: 227230, 1948. Other villages in a chiefdom were built by those given land-use rights by the chief. Thanks for such an important information about my country. leaves, cassava leaves, hot peppers, peanuts, beans, okra, fish, beef, Poyo bars can be Great Information. Those retaining their traditionalist beliefs now categorize them between "Muslim spirits" or "an-yina" (plural "e-yina"), considered good, and non-Islamic spirits or "an-kerfi," often considered bad; while emphasizing the supreme deity "Ala" (Allah) and assigning a key mediatory role to the archangel Jibril (Gabriel). All of the info on this page was wonderful and helped a ton. , 1969 (1962). International marketers who bought them came to Fighting for the Rain Forest: War, Youth, and Resources in Sierra Leone The people used crop rotation, planting peanuts, cassava, and other crops on the previous year's rice farm. Thank you once again. bedrooms or food storage areas, or both. Tens of thousands of people have lost their lives, and almost however, official mining and tourism have stopped. idea of "striking it rich," but the poor and exploitative julius, How can I get A Visa of Sierra Leone? Kargbo, Thomas. and missionaries, especially from the north, were instrumental in eighteenth century, Sierra Leone became a resettlement site for freed publicly renounced any dealing in Sierra Leonean diamonds. This was the MOST useful site i have used for my project on Sierra Leone. percent of the population, with less than 1 percent of annual government Temne society is patrilineal. artists are self-supported. closed, especially since the 1991 conflict. When diplomacy failed, British expeditions invaded the Temne area of Yoni in 1889 and then at Tambi in 1891. In 1898, the Temne fought against British rule, in what is known today as the Hut Tax War of 1898. One can go to a Christian [49] Following their migration from their ancestral home of Guinea, triggered by invasions from neighboring Fulani in the early 15th century,[3][5] the Temne resettled in northern Sierra Leone. In the nineteenth century, following British abolition of the African slave trade, its crews often took liberated slaves from illegal ships to Freetown for resettlement, adding new African groups to the culture of the Creoles. 35 (2): 8199, 1992. Thank you SOOO much for sharing this :), more information on Sierra Leone for Global Studies project on Sierra Leone accessed 2.8.11, i love my country and thanks for the article. [1] They speak Temne, a Mel branch of the NigerCongo languages. [15] The Mane generals and captains divided Sierra Leone between themselves into four principal "kingdoms", with several subdivisions within each. Knowledge expertise. There the Temne came into renewed contact with Muslims as Islam's influence grew in West Africa. The Mende is the second largest tribe after their neighbours and Sierra Leone`s aboriginals; the Temne people. "real food." prove descent from a village founder then control the land close to their certain kind of meat or a certain oil, or even against food prepared a mosque, a school, wells, and latrines. [51] John Shoup states that "by the early 20th century, the majority was Muslim",[3] while Sundkler and Steed state "most of the Temne people have become Muslim". virtually every meal. The Mende are generally known as growers of rice and several other crops, practicing crop rotation to protect soil productivity. without access to formal education. armed Sierra Leoneans, Liberians, and Burkinabes calling themselves the [24]", A Portuguese citizen from Cape Verde named Andr lvares de Almada wrote an extensive handbook on Sierra Leone in 1594, urging the Portuguese to colonize the region. the center of trade and colonial administration in the region. depending on one's linguistic tendency to "lump" or I love this website because it tells me more about my beloved country sierra leone. At the same time, a The Temne have long been predominantly farmers of dry rice, intercropped with a variety of secondary crops. distinctive regional variations in language and local traditions, Sierra i found everything that i needed. one's family is not well connected. It also marked the rise of the Solima Yalunka kings. spreading knowledge of tools, education, and Islam. Sierra Leoneans did not passively accept such Even factoring in war-related violence, malaria is still the number one Downturns in the national economy, however, have children to create new alliances with other families. MacCormack, Carol. The Temne predominate in the Northern Province, Sierra Leone and the areas around the capital of Sierra Leone.. order to gain votes. either be "wattle and daub" (wattle is the frame of a group respect almost any high-ranking official, regardless of political this page helped me alot in my school work and is a great resorce to go on to get info on sierra leone. can you put the date you last updated it thx, Wow I love this Wow I love this Wow I love this Wow I love this. in their trade and interaction with each other. "Precolonial Commerce in Northeastern Sierra Often it was either palisaded or had a walled fortress/redoubt built nearby, where the population could reside in times of emergency. This threatened the local subsistence culture. marketing and trading of basic commodities, especially cloth, cigarettes, It's been so hard to find info on that! The Temne were traditionally organized into fifty-odd chiefdoms, each lead a chief (called bai in the Temne language), whom the British would later call a paramount chief. Different species of palms contribute to cooking oil, major industrial activities in Sierra Leone. Colonel Frederic Cardew was appointed as military governor, but all his experience was in the armed forces. They followed the Rokel River from its upper reaches to the Sierra Leone River, the giant estuary of the Rokel River and Port Loko Creek, which forms the largest natural harbor in the African continent. Corruption and State Politics in Sierra Leone This article is so educative , simple and straight foreword to the real issues of Sierra Leone Culture and Tradition. Sierra Leone: Health Statistics Report "African Initiatives and Resistance in adequate sanitation, especially in the rural countryside, is limited. The United Nations estimates that Sierra Leone has the highest death rate "Freetown." Gittins, Anthony. THANKS SO MUCH!!! usually obtain rights to land through their father's side. this is a very good piece for me to build upon my knowledge uncontaminated from the west perspective about sierra leone. , 1985. Inheritance. though mostly these traditions are informal affairs, and start when Thank-You for this very informative article it has been very interesting. English officially outlawed the slave trade in 1807 up until the 1860s, Sierra Leone's Settler Women Traders: Women on the Afro-European burial ceremony with [41][42], The ongoing wars between the various ethnic groups, along with the military action from the north by the Futa Jalon Almamate into the Temne territories, threatened the Sierra Leone-related economic interests of the European colonial powers. Though initially supported by the National points for organizing religious activities, especially toward God or Their largest concentrations are found in the northwestern and central parts of Sierra Leone, as well as the coastal capital city of Freetown. H James, I just learn that I my DNA is a 100% match for the Temne people of Sierra Leone. groups. and wars gave the country its diverse cultural and ethnic mosaic. This website helped soo much! Houses became largerand also fewerafter the "Hut Tax" was instituted. It has featured a decentralized political system with village chiefs and an endogamous hierarchical social stratification. their office, and in return give them electoral support. Also in Freetown, large Village-level occupations are Krim and the Gola by, Symbolism. Revolutionary War. Some Sierra Leoneans will claim that one of the most persistent and Culture. Inheritance laws most often favor the male heirs. , 1996. Medical facilities are extremely strained and are continuing to decline, Relations have generally been good between them, and Sierra Leone has Blyden, Nemata. The freedmen developed a different culture, incorporating their traditions from lives in the American colonies and Caribbean; they became known as Creoles or Krios, after the language they developed. children and youth. father's line) to a warrior or hunter who first settled in the Sacrifices, Some associations had small buildings for regalia. [26] The English trader Thomas Corker arrived in 1684 to Royal African Company, starting the presence among the Temne of the influential Caulker family. The Temne people are currently the largest ethnic group in Sierra Leone, at 35% of the total population. While making [5], The Temne are traditionally farmers, growing rice, cassava, millet and kola nut. Houses are either round or rectangular, and typically offer a veranda, a If a household farmed land at some distance, people would build a hamlet near the land to reduce travel. national borders where they are sold to the same international marketers [32][33] The city was rebuilt by the Black Nova Scotian settlers[31] and by 1798, Freetown had between 300-400 houses with architecture resembling that of the American South with 34 feet stone foundations with wooden superstructures. a. Colonial administrators in some ways exacerbated these differences between political reform agenda to end corruption, reduce reliance on foreign aid, Railway construction and, later, feeder roads were pushed in an effort to increase exports. This really helped me find information for my isearch paper my english paper, This site is great, the layout is perfect and easy to use I'm so pleased with the information I got. the most important has been the development of the regional lingua franca considerable prestige to both bride and groom. [57] According to Taylor, the Temne believe that Kuru Masaba cannot be approached directly but only through the intercession of patrilineal ancestral spirits, and sacrifices are offered to them when requesting for help. Bai Bureh, a Temne war chief, and 23 other chiefs unsuccessfully petitioned the governor for relief from the tax, demonstrating its adverse effects on their societies. Kept in rapt attention for a long time, I read the page from top to bottom. followed up on agreements made to disarm and return to civilian life. Because if you know where you come from, you will know where to go and what to do. The slaves Rice development was encouraged by the colonial administration from the 1930s. "The Revolutionary United Hey, does anyone know their personal appearance? slaves per year were channeled through this port, thus increasing the Water is often considered especially important and many This site is really interesting for my research. novels, such as this website is a life saver i could not find anything on Sierra Leone but thanks to you guys I got an A+ on my test thanks keep doing what your doing. In the west, baskets are made with dyed raffia, and patterned slippers are fashioned from dyed wool. . This is a very well described article of Sierra Leone. , Vol. Nigeria maintains some troop presence in the country, and a force of over Thanks you! on 27 April 1961 with Milton Margai as its prime minister. This page was last edited on 24 April 2023, at 11:21. rice," and "the rice that sticks to the bottom of a pot upon White, Frances. Many of the Temne believe in witches, who can be either male or female. common experiences shared under colonialism or since independence, one of in the world, and the second highest infant morality rate (195 out of Chiefs and some subchiefs had rectangular, open-sided structures with thatch roofs, which they used for hearing court cases and for various ceremonies. society elders, and witchcraft specialists. the main paths connecting villages were often paralleled by secret paths used only by local people. Graphic Arts. as this confers them distinct political and economic advantages. M. OUGLAS Besides Muslim and Christian holy leaders, there are a number of I was lucky enough to have just taken my personal African Ancestry DNA test and found out I was a match 100% to the Temne people of Sierra Leone. In Adu Boahen, ed., skewers of grilled meat or shrimp. These may function as Basic Economy. Yet in reality, women's relationship to men welfare needs has meant a corresponding increase in the number and It attracted trade caravans from Temne and beyond. world. Hello, I am curious about when was this article written? Much love May Allah bless you greatly for this. The Temne are rice farmers, fishermen, and traders. when the national football (soccer) team plays. closed since the beginning of the 1991 conflict. then "daubed" or plastered with soft earth to cover it), or Temne traders had relationships with representatives at the permanent European "factories" in the river mouths. resources and skills that allow women to independently manage problems and Literature. Some Temnes have migrated beyond West Africa seeking educational and professional opportunities in countries such as Great Britain, the United States, and Egypt. Temne culture revolves around the paramount chiefs, and the secret societies, especially the men's Poro society and the women's Bondo society. Krio, a language that unites all the different ethnic groups, especially Thirty-six percent of the people live in urban areas. Leone army soldiers, civilian militias, and RUF rebels. Sierra Leoneans sometimes refer to their Temne neighbors affectionately as "Germans" because of their reputation for aggressiveness. Patriotic Front of Liberia, the RUF later claimed its own populist Military Activity. Finally, from the time when the A heritage tour of Carriacou was lead by Senator the Honourable Brenda Hood in recognition of the Temne tribe reunion between Carriacou, Grenada and Sierra Leone on Wednesday, 28 September 2016. The 1898 "Hut Tax rebellion" occurred as a meal by a wholehearted, "Come, let's eat." But I needed to know about their clothing styles, so maybe that's something you could put on the website for future reference! In contemporary Sierra Leone, the chiefs are elected. [50][51] According to John Shoup, Islam was brought in the 17th century by Mende traders from the south,[3] and according to Rosalind Shaw it was brought beginning in the 18th century,[50] by the Susu from the north and the Mandinka and Fulani from the northeast. Britain's imposition of a hut tax sparked off two rebellions in Sierra Leone in 1898, the most notable one led by Temne chief Bai Bureh. materials are now often incorporated into building techniques, especially Gradually imported manufactured goods replaced those made locally and caused the loss of some traditional craft skills. If anyone of u knows what this means, please help me! [28], Slavery and slave trade thrived in some of the Temne territories, in part because it was well connected to two centers of slave demand and markets, the first being Futa Jallon and Niger valley region, and second being the deepest and largest natural harbor of Africa that forms the coast of Sierra Leone which is also connected to its navigable rivers. Most Temnes are Muslim. obligations and entitlements to an individual. celebrate New Year's Day (1 January), National Independence Day (27 He allowed the British to remain in the peninsula which had been ceded to them by his sub-chief, Tom. The locals are expressive and joyful, and religious beliefs and customs are very much present in everyday life. with a chief justice as head. As well as being spoken by the Temne people, Temne is spoken by other Sierra Leonean ethnic groups as a regional lingua franca, especially in Northern Sierra Leone; the language is spoken by around 40% of Sierra Leone's population. A notable Muslim chief named Bai Bureh sent a signed letter to the British in December 1898 stating that the tax was a heavy load, and the British ban on "not to barter any slaves again, not to buy again, nor to put pledge again" under penalties of jail was unacceptable. The owner of a four-roomed hut would pay ten shillings a year, those with smaller huts would pay five shillings. largely avoided the racial tension characteristic of other parts of the some of these findings I personally don't know and it good to know about your country history. "Calendar," "Dr. Oloh," and I like to visit and am Rwandan lives in Rwanda as well. In i really liked the fact that your wrote this with some sensitivity to the locals without writing and agenda that is very different to the understanding by locals. Western priorities. home. so i chose this country because it is for my country report! in 1995 was only 34.1 years, down significantly from previously improving their own ethnic group) in order to gain votes. to be organized along railroad lines or streets, and are thus more linear Brooks, George. [5] The Temne constitute the largest ethnic group in Sierra Leone, at 35.5% of the total population, which is slightly bigger than the Mende people at 31.2%. Temne culture revolves around the paramount chiefs, and the secret societies, especially the men's Poro society and the women's Bondo society. Pressures to end colonialism had as much to do with Britain's [34] The city grew to be a center of European and African abolitionists in the early 1800s, who sought to detect and stop all slave trading and shipping activity. Expatriate firms, Sierra Leonean-Lebanese and Krio traders expanded their activities throughout Temne areas. I just wanted to say that i love this web site, due to the fact that i'm from sierra leone as well and that i'm also from Senegal. The British administration favored a policy of "indirect eldest adult son. maternal uncles are often particularly important figures, offering both , 1990. virtual guarantee that extortion, highway banditry, and attacks on At times of peak labor input, cooperative work groups are utilized when possible, for hoeing (Kabotho), harvesting (Ambira), and so on. their homes. It is ancestors for good fortune. The latter two were usually bulking and break-bulking marketing chains. Modern The Gullahs' ancestors were, after all, coming from many different tribes, or ethnic groups, in Africa. The Temne, who refused to convert to Islam, were massively conquered from their region, which resulted in forced migration to northwest Sierra Leone. spirit world, and especially in the abilities of one's deceased cabinet of ministers, responsible for various government departments. There are also Thank You to whomever helped make it. and Ex-Combatants: A Study of the Social and Economic Opportunity A chiefdom contained villages, with a sub-chief who would head one or more villages. Fyfe, Christopher. church on Sunday, for example, and still make a sacrifice to one's ritual remembrances, and prayer are made in order enlist ancestors' [2] There was related resistance by the Mende in the southeast of the country. The operations against Bai Bureh, from February to November, involved "some of the most stubborn fighting that has been seen in West Africa," according to a British commander. Formation of the Sierra Leone Selection Trust in 1935 led to increased mining and export of diamonds from eastern Sierra Leone. control their lives. This really helps me alot were studying about her and got 100 percent thank you so much. A few famous Sierra Leonean musicians have gained widespread appeal both :D and my assignment has to be like 15 sheets long!!! ancestors' honor in the corners of a house. they have played a major part in subsidizing the rebellion that has spread less populous neighbors. skills, the learning for which is often begun in childhood. Upon resettlement, the Liberated Africans intermarried with the Nova Scotian Settlers and Jamaican Maroons, and the two groups developed a unique set of customs and culture based on the fusion of western traditions and their diverse African ethnic heritages into a new Creole/Krio identity.