A Tour through Nigeria in the 1890s: the Ibo Culture

1
A Tour through Nigeria in the 1890s the Ibo
Culture
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
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• Instructions for using Socrative
• Open a computer, smartphone, or iPad
• 2) Go to levelyenglish.com and open the Things
  Fall Apart PowerPoint so that you can access the
  hyperlinks
• 3) Go to m.socrative.com
• 4) Enter the Room Number 945859
• 5) After completing your name, answer each
  question as it arises by researching the
  appropriate site

3
The Food

• Activity What foods can you think of that are
  specific to a holiday or custom in your family?
• Research Scroll through this site to find the
  answers to the questions provided
• http//www.foodbycountry.com/Kazakhstan-to-South-A
  frica/Nigeria.html

4
The Language

• Igbo
• Igbo is one of the four official languages of
  Nigeria and is a member of the Niger-Congo family
  of languages. It is spoken by about 18 million
  people in Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea.
• Sample text in Igbo
• A mu?ru? mmadu? nile n'ohere nakwa nha anya ugwu
  na ikike. E nyere ha uche na mmu?o? ime ihe ziri
  ezi nke na ha kwesiri i?kpaso ibe ha agwa n'obi
  nwanne na nwanne.
• Translation
• All human beings are born free and equal in
  dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason
  and conscience and should act towards one another
  in a spirit of brotherhood.
• Activity look up the meaning for your own name.
• Research The names in Things Fall Apart can be
  both interesting and frustrating to pronounce.
  Use the website below to look up the meanings of
  Okonkwos name.
• http//www.babynology.com/meaning-unoka-m0.html

5
Proverbs

• Proverbs are wise sayings that are meant to offer
  a advice about life. They are common in the Ibo
  language, and they are used to pass on traditions
  and moral values.
• Activity look up proverbs from your own
  heritage.
• Research Explore some Ibo proverbs using the
  link below.
• http//www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00fwp
  /igbo/proverbs/index.html

6
The MusicThe Ibo people have a melodic musical
style, into which they incorporate various
percussion instruments the udu (a clay jug) an
ekwe (a hollowed log) an ogene (a bell designed
from iron) and the opi ( a wind instrument
similar to the flute).
Originally, this clay udu pot was only used for
carrying water, but then women began to use it as
an instrument. Different amounts of water can be
put inside to adjust the sound.
The ekwe is used to call meetings and signal
emergency. This instrument is a form of
communication in the village.

• Activity name five different uses that we have
  for music in our culture.
• Research Listen to the following traditional
  West African music by Yaya Diallo
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vPYbhXW9JVqQ

The ogene is the most important instrument used
in ceremonies.
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The Eqwuguw Masks

• The Masking Tradition
• In Things Fall Apart, the egwugwu come out in a
  ceremony that performs the function of a judicial
  court. Later, the egwugwu appear at an important
  mans funeral.
• On some level, the people of the village know
  that these characters dressed in costume are men
  from their own village people that they know
  very well. But people also get wrapped up in the
  experience of the moment. The drumming affects
  them powerfully.
• The egwugwu are dressed in masks designed to
  appear terrifying and awe-inspiring.
• The spirits even speak their own language.
• These egwugwu ceremonies or masked performances
  are powerful because they are so
  multi-dimensional sound, dancing, costume,
  sculpture (in the form of masks), tradition,
  personal religious belief, group emotion and
  conviction, and group participation all come
  together.

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Family

• The Ibo culture is polygamous. A man earned
  status by having multiple wives. Each wife and
  her children lived in a different hut called an
  obi that was part of a familys compound.
• The husband was permitted to beat his wives and
  children, except during the Week of Peace. Sons
  were favored and men have much more power in the
  villages.
• Activity how are the gender roles defined in
  your family?
• Research Consider the gender roles in
  traditional Igbo society by reading here
  http//www.shmoop.com/things-fall-apart/gender-the
  me.html

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Religion
Activity From an outsiders perspective, what
religious practices might seem particularly
interesting or unique in various
religions? Research Read about the oracles and
their importance in Igbo society.
http//books.google.ca/books?idIk2rBG5i8XQCpg
PA185lpgPA185dqtheoracleigbonigeriasource
blotslzcvubaaVbsigS0IuXBgfXGexqN42XepO1f4tOWw
hlensaXeiwyuJUpe2EefX2QXty4DwDgved0CDYQ6AEw
AzgUvonepageqthe20oracle20igbo20nigeriaff
alse
The Kola Nut The Oracle Twins The Evil Forest The Earth Goddess

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Chinua Achebe
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Sources

• Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe
• http//www.foodbycountry.com/Kazakhstan-to-South-A
  frica/Nigeria.html
• http//images.google.com/imgres?imgurlhttp//cult
  ure.chiamaka.com/images/woman_child_nigeria.jpgim
  grefurlhttp//culture.chiamaka.com/igbonames.html
  h420w620sz67hlenstart2um1tbnidbUImcm
  2QyN3vfMtbnh92tbnw136prev/images3Fq3Dibo
  2Bnigeria26um3D126hl3Den26safe3Dactive26rls
  3Dcom.microsoften-us
• http//www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00fwp
  /igbo/proverbs/index.html
• http//umunna.org/instruments.htm
• http//www.motherlandnigeria.com/pictures.htmlCul
  ture
• http//www.bookrags.com/notes/tfa/TOP2.htm
• http//www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/authors/abo
  ut_chinua_achebe.html