The Igbo tribe, who are located in southeastern Nigeria, and the Chewa tribe who are found in Malawi are both similar economically. The first similarity that both tribes’ posses is they both rely on farming a lot for food and to trade with other tribes. Every family in the Igbo tribe would help farm for the tribe. “After the Week of Peace every man and his family began to clear the bush to make new farms” (Achebe 32). The types of food that the Igbo grew were: yams, cassava, and taro, maize, melons, okra, pumpkins, and beans. Then the Chewa tribe heavily depended on farming and agriculture for their tribe. “Their economy is based mainly on shifting agriculture” (Chewa). The Chewa’s staple crop that they grew was maize. The next similarity that the Igbo and the Chewa tribes had was that they both hunted. In the book Things fall apart the main character Okonkwo gets really mad and demands someone to hand his gun to him so he can go hunting. “His anger thus satisfied, Okonkwo decided to go out hunting” (Achebe 38). The Chewa tribe not only depended on farming as a source of food and trade but they also hunted and fished. “Considerable hunting and fishing are done” (Chewa). The Igbo and the Chewa are both similar economically. They both farm, fish, and hunt for their food. Now how is this possible? Since both tribes farm and grow similar vegetables does that mean they have similar soil? Also since both of these tribes hunt is land where their tribe is located easy for animals to survive? Or did both of these tribes encounter each other during pre-colonial times and learned from each other the techniques to hunt and farm. These tribes are very similar economically because they both farm and hunt for food.
Works Cited
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor, 1994. Print.
"Chewa." Encyclopædia Britannica. 1 Apr. 2011.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Pre-Colonial Paragraph
Alice Nemoto
Humanities 1c
The Igbo and the Hutu, the original inhabitants of Rwanda, were both similar and different in their political aspects because of their traditional court systems. Both the Igbo and the Hutu had a type of court system that was similar to each other, in example, they both had a type of jury system. The Igbo used a group of people that represented each of the clans, and that group of people were leaded by one main person. The author of Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe, writes, “Each of the nine egugwu represented a village of the clan. Their leader was called Evil Forest” (Achebe 89). This quotation shows that the Igbo did have a sort of a jury that was lead by a main person who was called Evil Forest. Similar to the Igbo people, the Hutu people also had a jury system. The Hutu people had a group of elders that acted like a jury. In Paul Rusesabagina’s book, he writes, “If somebody had a problem with a neighbor he… brought it to the attention of a group of men who we called elders” (Rusesabagina 8). This quotation shows that similar to the Igbo, that the Hutu had a jury system. The Hutu and the Igbo had this jury system in common, but they had a few differences and in particular with the actual verdict. The Igbo people had a part in their court system that was basically the same as verdict. Also in the book, Things Fall Apart, Achebe writes, “Go to your in-laws with a pot of wine and beg your wife to return to you” (Achebe 93). This quotation is only a small example of how this jury of their court system, actually came to a verdict. Like the Igbo, the Hutu also had a type of verdict in their court system, but it was slightly different. The Hutu also came to a verdict, but instead of one person making the decision of what the punishment was, it was a collaborative effort from the elders. Rusesabagina writes, “After the two enemies had finished speaking, the elders would give their opinions, one by one, on what should be done to remedy the problem” (Rusesabagina 9). This quotation shows that the Hutu, unlike the Igbo, made a group decision of what the punishment should be. The Igbo and the Hutu have a court system in common, with the fact that they have a jury system and also a verdict. However, they are different in some aspects because of the way they come to the verdict, which is that the Hutu make a group effort while the Igbo have Evil Forest make the decision. Overall the fact that they had a court system shows that these two pre-colonial societies had political aspects that were similar to each other.
Works Cited
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 1994.
Rusesabagina, Paul. An Ordinary Man. New York: Penguin Group Inc., 2006.
Humanities 1c
The Igbo and the Hutu, the original inhabitants of Rwanda, were both similar and different in their political aspects because of their traditional court systems. Both the Igbo and the Hutu had a type of court system that was similar to each other, in example, they both had a type of jury system. The Igbo used a group of people that represented each of the clans, and that group of people were leaded by one main person. The author of Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe, writes, “Each of the nine egugwu represented a village of the clan. Their leader was called Evil Forest” (Achebe 89). This quotation shows that the Igbo did have a sort of a jury that was lead by a main person who was called Evil Forest. Similar to the Igbo people, the Hutu people also had a jury system. The Hutu people had a group of elders that acted like a jury. In Paul Rusesabagina’s book, he writes, “If somebody had a problem with a neighbor he… brought it to the attention of a group of men who we called elders” (Rusesabagina 8). This quotation shows that similar to the Igbo, that the Hutu had a jury system. The Hutu and the Igbo had this jury system in common, but they had a few differences and in particular with the actual verdict. The Igbo people had a part in their court system that was basically the same as verdict. Also in the book, Things Fall Apart, Achebe writes, “Go to your in-laws with a pot of wine and beg your wife to return to you” (Achebe 93). This quotation is only a small example of how this jury of their court system, actually came to a verdict. Like the Igbo, the Hutu also had a type of verdict in their court system, but it was slightly different. The Hutu also came to a verdict, but instead of one person making the decision of what the punishment was, it was a collaborative effort from the elders. Rusesabagina writes, “After the two enemies had finished speaking, the elders would give their opinions, one by one, on what should be done to remedy the problem” (Rusesabagina 9). This quotation shows that the Hutu, unlike the Igbo, made a group decision of what the punishment should be. The Igbo and the Hutu have a court system in common, with the fact that they have a jury system and also a verdict. However, they are different in some aspects because of the way they come to the verdict, which is that the Hutu make a group effort while the Igbo have Evil Forest make the decision. Overall the fact that they had a court system shows that these two pre-colonial societies had political aspects that were similar to each other.
Works Cited
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 1994.
Rusesabagina, Paul. An Ordinary Man. New York: Penguin Group Inc., 2006.
The Similarities and Differences of the Igbo and Mende tribe
Ben Gerstein
Colin Williams
Humanities
The Igbo people of Southeastern Nigeria and Mende of Southern Sierra Leone have similar methods of using Iron and differences in their educational practices. In Pre-colonial times the Igbo were able to mine iron which they used to create useful tools. In his introduction to Things Fall Apart, Ohadike states,” Igbo people have smelted and forged iron for centuries…over time, the Igbo improved their technological skills and began to produce sophisticated metal tools such as spearheads, arrowheads, swords, hoes, knives” etc.( Don C xxii ). The ability to mine iron gave the Igbo an opportunity to make tools and other artifacts which made life easier. Like the Igbo people, the Mende were able to mine iron and put it to useful work. In his article about the Mende people Chrishom says,” The region’s inhabitants were working iron by 600 C.E.”(Sierra Leone). The Mende people, like the Igbo, also worked with iron that they utilized to create everyday tools. In Pre-Colonial times, the Igbo of southeastern Nigeria and Mende of Sierra Leone had different ways of educating their people to enable their tribes to achieve success and growth. In the Igbo society, children learned how to act, behave and carry out duties by learning under their fathers or mothers. In Things Fall Apart, by Achebe Chinua, Okonkwo encourages Ikemefuna to follow him around while he tends to the crops and during social events (Achebe 53-55). Children in the Igbo society would follow their father or mother around to learn their duties and act properly. Unlike the Igbo way of education, the Mende had two main educational systems that taught children. The educational systems were split up by gender the Poro for boys and Sande for girls. According to one scholar “the primary role of both is to teach individuals about the expectations of the community. Such organizations function to institute community morals and act as a very efficient means of social control” (Mende Information). The Poro and Sande education systems taught children how to socially act, community morals and spiritual guidance to enable the positive development of the culture. While some people believe Africa is a universal country the Mende and Igbo share some characteristics of having Iron however, they have completely different education systems.
Works Cited
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor, 1994. Print.
“Mende Information.” Art and Life in Africa. 3 November 1998. Web. 4 Apr. 2011
Ohadike, Don C. “Igbo Culture and History.” Introduction. Things Fall Apart. By Chinua Achebe. Oxford: Heinemann, 1996. xix-xlix. Print.
"Sierra Leone." Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience,
Second Edition. Eds. Kwame AnthonyAppiah, Henry Louis Gates Jr. Oxford: Chisholm, 2010. Oxford African American Studies Center. Web. 31 Mar. 2011.
Colin Williams
Humanities
The Igbo people of Southeastern Nigeria and Mende of Southern Sierra Leone have similar methods of using Iron and differences in their educational practices. In Pre-colonial times the Igbo were able to mine iron which they used to create useful tools. In his introduction to Things Fall Apart, Ohadike states,” Igbo people have smelted and forged iron for centuries…over time, the Igbo improved their technological skills and began to produce sophisticated metal tools such as spearheads, arrowheads, swords, hoes, knives” etc.( Don C xxii ). The ability to mine iron gave the Igbo an opportunity to make tools and other artifacts which made life easier. Like the Igbo people, the Mende were able to mine iron and put it to useful work. In his article about the Mende people Chrishom says,” The region’s inhabitants were working iron by 600 C.E.”(Sierra Leone). The Mende people, like the Igbo, also worked with iron that they utilized to create everyday tools. In Pre-Colonial times, the Igbo of southeastern Nigeria and Mende of Sierra Leone had different ways of educating their people to enable their tribes to achieve success and growth. In the Igbo society, children learned how to act, behave and carry out duties by learning under their fathers or mothers. In Things Fall Apart, by Achebe Chinua, Okonkwo encourages Ikemefuna to follow him around while he tends to the crops and during social events (Achebe 53-55). Children in the Igbo society would follow their father or mother around to learn their duties and act properly. Unlike the Igbo way of education, the Mende had two main educational systems that taught children. The educational systems were split up by gender the Poro for boys and Sande for girls. According to one scholar “the primary role of both is to teach individuals about the expectations of the community. Such organizations function to institute community morals and act as a very efficient means of social control” (Mende Information). The Poro and Sande education systems taught children how to socially act, community morals and spiritual guidance to enable the positive development of the culture. While some people believe Africa is a universal country the Mende and Igbo share some characteristics of having Iron however, they have completely different education systems.
Works Cited
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor, 1994. Print.
“Mende Information.” Art and Life in Africa. 3 November 1998. Web. 4 Apr. 2011
Ohadike, Don C. “Igbo Culture and History.” Introduction. Things Fall Apart. By Chinua Achebe. Oxford: Heinemann, 1996. xix-xlix. Print.
"Sierra Leone." Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience,
Second Edition. Eds. Kwame AnthonyAppiah, Henry Louis Gates Jr. Oxford: Chisholm, 2010. Oxford African American Studies Center. Web. 31 Mar. 2011.
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