Open letter to would be repatriates to Nigeria, by Oluyemi Olawaiye

NB Commentary: This is a very interesting article that I am reprinting. Leave your comments below.

Open letter to would be repatriates to Nigeria, by Oluyemi Olawaiye

Written by Dr. Oluyemi Olawaiye

I have battled with the idea of writing this article for over 3 years, but only got the needed incentive yesterday in the form of an extremely shallow, misinformed, inaccurate, deceptive and downright misleading documentary I watched on You Tube about how Nigeria was this drastically rising economic super power within the continent of Africa, and was going through this massive commercialization phase that every Nigerian in the diaspora needed to be a part of and how we all need to move back home to do great things with our foreign accents.

While this is largely true in this new era where online businesses are booming, our artists are making more money than ever before through worldwide recognition, performances and endorsements, comedians are charging N2million naira per table at sold out shows and bloggers are able to afford property in the most exclusive parts of the country, Nigeria has admittedly undergone a facelift in terms of realizing its greatest asset, its people, and investing in them enough to where it almost seems like we have finally gotten it right and are on the right track to self sustenance and reliability as a nation.

The reality however is a little different and if you ask me, worse off than it previously was as the advantages you thought you had as a REPATRIATE have diminished greatly and continue to fade by the second.

That is why mini-documentaries like the one I watched agitate me, why you ask? Simple, I watched a similar video four years ago, got flabbergasted by the unparalleled show of affluence (effizzy) and like a castrated buffoon I plunged myself into the most hellish years of my life.

The truth is, things are more difficult now than ever before for returnees, and there are quite a number of questions that need to be answered before you embark on your post youtube video exodus into new horizons. They address most of the reasons why almost every repatriate I know has moved back to their foreign country of origin.

REALITY CHECK

Most potential returnees who watch these videos have pretty much forgotten the reason why they left naija in the first place. They are now so immersed in the American way of life where you can pretty much be whatever you want (equal opportunity employment), go to the same school as societal elite (thanks to student loans), drive pretty much whatever car you desire (thanks to auto loans), and live in very nice houses (thanks to mortgages), so much so that they forget that we are from Nigeria, where man pass man.

So we watch these videos and delve down an all too familiar rhetoric; “I must enter naija meeeeeehn”…”naija is where its happening”…”f__k all this foreign country shit mehn im done”…”im going to naija to take over son”…”my boy lives in lekki and drives a range rover, what am I still doing here” amongst other popular pseudo-euphemisms. Well…SON…here are a few reality checks:

Where do you plan on staying when you land in naija “meeeeehn”????: Where did you live before you left naija? The diversity lottery opened doors for quite a number of migrants. Many of whom were not resident in lagos before the left Nigerian shores. All the videos you see depicting naija upscale living are based in Lekki/VI/Ikoyi. You have probably visited naija a few times for a week or two, spent your hard earned savings (which seems like a lot cos you’re only in town for such a short period), stayed on the island by virtue of the people you know and its quite ok cos you are just on holiday and will be blowing back out as soon as the December flex fest is over. At this point you can tell people that your job in America involves technical maintenance of the moon and stars and they will believe you.

It is however a different scenario entirely when you are there to stay. Your grace period before the yankee / uk induced euphoria wears out is typically about one month by which time the naija sun will have destroyed all the freshness you acquired over the years, you are starting to become aggressive by virtue of everyone you deal with on a day-to-day basis, your accent and swag are fading, and your hosts are finally starting to realize “oh shit…we are housing someone who used to live in Ilorin eeeewwww!!!!”1 At this point your fall from grace will only be comparable to that of satan when he was cast out of heaven. Your American passport is not visa free to the island. And for those who were actually resident in lagos before travelling, good luck living the Nigerian You Tube returnee dream in Amuwo Odofin or Mushin.

EMPLOYMENT

Back in the days, most of our parents returned to find jobs waiting for them as well as multiple programs in place to facilitate smooth transitioning for returnees. The same was applicable in the recent past when a lot of corporations were springing up left and right and most craved the added knowledge, expertise and general ambiance you got from a confident good looking young man/woman walking down your hallways looking sharp and talking with an American or british accent.

Well guess what my fellow repatriates, they are on to you!!!! You cannot bamboozle your way through interviews with your mastery of a foreign tongue anymore. The days of passing off a community college education as an undergrad degree are over. They have realized that they can pay less to locally trained individuals and get more value. Again, your accent cannot save you, everyone has one.

First of all everybody is a foreign graduate now, even the ones who schooled in Cotonou, you all fall under the same class according to NYSC. Secondly, I reiterate that everyone has an accent now, all you have to do is watch “Keeping up with the Kardashians”. So if you think you will charm anyone at your interview by sounding like you swallowed a rattle snake then you have another thing coming, And naija interviewers go out of this world!!!! After you are done with your written test, 5 people now sit you down and ask you GMAT questions that have nothing to do with the position applied for.1

I myself was a victim of this. After 6 months of searching I finally secured an interview with one of the indigenous Oil companies. I appeared there in my suit looking like a million dollars and by the time I left I was in tears feeling like N25 naira. This baboon that interviewed me did everything in his capacity to make all my answers sound retarded to a point where I felt like I never went to school. My painstakingly acquired American accent disappeared mid-interview out of frustration. Bear in mind I finished with a first class. I’m guessing Einstein would have been a more adequate candidate. Which brings me to my next question; DO YOU HAVE A GODFATHER? Believe me you need one of these if you are ever to make any head way in Nigeria.1 A friend confided in me that he was unable to answer any of the questions posed to him during his interview and still got the job and a promotion a week later. True story.

Fast forward to 2 years later (yes 2 years without income!!!) I finally secure a job with another indigenous Oil company and set out to prove that I was the man for the job, impressing my bosses with my work ethic and even getting promoted within the first 4 months. It was smooth sailing until this senior consultant who was a friend to the Chairman was hired. For whatever reason he didn’t like me and I went from superstar manager to incompetent employee. I eventually found out he was sleeping with one of my employees who conveniently took over my position after I resigned. Which brings me to my next question; CAN YOU DEAL WITH THE POLITICS OF THE NIGERIAN WORKPLACE?

NYSC

Believe it or not 90% of the Nigerians I speak with abroad do not have any intention of doing the mandatory 1 year NYSC exercise, and this was when they still gave foreign graduates the option of picking either Lagos or Abuja as their choice locations. That is long over now. Long story short, I was posted to a remote village in ekiti where I:

·      Had to use bushes as my toilet

·      Was pursued by hunters while pooping

·      Caught bronchitis

·      Almost got bitten by a snake

·      Ate unimaginable food

·      Wasn’t allowed to redeploy

The rest is better left to the imagination.

SECURITY

You hear all these stories of armed robberies in Nigeria and I distinctively recall thinking to myself that literally everyone I knew in Nigeria had experienced some form of encounter with armed robbers. I kept wondering when it would be my turn. Sure enough one faithful October morning on my way to work at about 6:30am I was confronted by a robber who had a sawed off double barreled shotgun pointed at my head in early morning traffic. A month later I was chased by armed robbers on okada motorcycles from Lekki phase one to my office in Parkview ikoyi. Few months later my driver was stabbed multiple times when my car broke down along airport road due to lack of fuel. At least four close friends who moved down after me have also been attacked. This is the reality here in Nigeria, there is absolutely NO security, so going around with that “I can move around as I please” mentality you flew in with might get you in trouble if you do aren’t careful.

HEALTHCARE

Lets just say pray that you do not need to critical medical attention. Cos in a country where every affliction is treated as malaria, na OYO you dey. And God forbid you get into an accident. Emergency healthcare is not in our character, people would rather snap pics and send to Linda Ikeji as if in addition to being a super blogger, she also possesses the super power to heal the injured.

POWER

Non-existent. Was a lot better when the new government came in, but now we are back to the norm. No good roads either so whatever car you ship down will be beat up in a matter of months, that is a promise. Up naija.

BUSINESS

The best strategy is to always have a secondary source of income. So just in case you are unable to secure gainful employment as quickly as anticipated, it is well advised to have your hustle hat close by and you will be well advised to find a local hustle. We are not an export driven economy, but an import driven one. So if your business is purchase based, how do you survive when your N280,000 naira only gets you $1000 dollars?

CONCLUSION

I could go on about the realities that are to be expected when moving back to our GREAT country, ultimately home is still home. You will better understand what we are dealing with when you sit and think about the trillions of dollars that have flowed through our economy since the oil boom of the 1970’s and our country still looks the way it does while a country like Dubai has managed to replicate heaven in the same timeframe.

We must move back with the intention to effect real change and not continue to live out the delusions of grandeur. We are fighting an uphill battle and it is very important for us not to get carried away by a few nightlife and party scenes and the general mediocrities that are being passed off as development while we continually provide ample comedic relief for other African countries and are being laughed at as the greatest joke on the continent.

This article does not serve to dissuade, but better educate readers by giving a more realistic view of what is obtainable when embarking on a move back to Nigeria and assist in adequate preparedness and decision-making.

So unless you can sing like Wizzy or crack jokes like Basket mouth, you are well advised to curb your enthusiasm and take everything with a grain of salt. Remember we Nigerians are masters of illusion and know how to put up the appearance of affluence like no other. Be strategic in your planning and cover all bases as best as you can. Most of the people who encouraged you to move down WILL NOT assist you when you do.  Remember why you ran away from here in the first place.

SOURCE:

Tribe Meets White Man for the First Time: (Video)

Tribe Meets White Man for the First Time: (Video)

NB Commentary: It is always worth the time to take a moment and look into the comments posted under a YouTube video. This is what I found when following one of the links listed there. You should read the whole article but this is a quoted comment under the article.

EXTRACTS FROM BELGIAN filmmaker Jean Pierre Dutilleux's first contact with a tribal people known as the Toulamis have recently been posted on Youtube.

This claimed first contact was said to have been as recently as 1976 and the extracts can be seen here  and here.

The footage is moving and poetic and appears to be authentic. More information about Dutilleux's films can be found on his website here.

His film was first aired on French TV in the mid1990's.  Perhaps because it has not been widely shown to English-speaking audiences, it has aroused keen interest and many favourable comments since its recent Youtube posting.

This controversial film also has been the subject of much scholarly debate in the Francophone world, and even threats of legal action.

It was severely criticised by French anthropologist and PNG specialist Pierre Lemonnier in his academic paper A la chasse à l'authentique (In pursuit of the real thing) published by Terrain, the European ethnological review in 1999, which is available here.

In this paper, Lemonnier points out that the Toulambis of the film are really the Ankave-Anga people from near Menyamya.  The records indicate that these people were visited by at least six Australian government patrols between 1929 and 1972: 1929 Middleton; 1950 Chester, 1951 Mathieson; 1965 O'Brien; 1967 Police patrols; 1972 Meikle.

In fact Meikle found the people talking basic Tok Pisin learned at Menyamya.

Historical sources reveal that the so-called Toulambis had steel tools and western implements more than 40 years before their encounter with Dutilleux, and were regular visitors to the administrative center of Menyamya the early 1970's - which was only a few days walk for them.

This familiarity with the outside world is confirmed by ethnography, and in particular one Toulambi man spent two months in prison in Menyamya in the early '70's.  Admittedly some remote groups may not have had regularly contact with the Australian administration before the 1960's, but they certainly did by the time Dutilleux encountered them.

When Lemonnier viewed the film for the first time he exclaimed: "I'm outraged!" He described the Dutilleux production as "untruthful, racist, revolting". Apparently Lemonnier recognised immediately the place where the fake "first encounter" had been filmed. The stream is known as New Year Creek, and the members of the "unknown tribe" probably walked for about a day from their settlement to reach the appointed well-lit meeting-place.

This had been conveniently cleared for the filming, with a few logs thrown into the creek so that the people could emerge confidently from the jungle (most unusual behaviour) and move naively towards the camera crew.

Lemonnier adds: "At that spot, they were about a four-day walk from an administrative centre with a schoolteacher, airstrip, radio, nurse and Seventh-Day Adventist preachers. Nearby, the navigable river Vailala enables the Papuans to reach the coast, where they exchange bark capes for tools."

For his criticism, Lemonnier faced a court case for slander in 1997, but the historical records support his case.

So how was the film made?  Simple - the locals were paid for their performance and rehearsed in how to act their parts.  In fact they were enterprising enough to have done this for several other 'first-contact' filmmakers before and after Dutilleux.  SOURCE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JXcWwHxCBE

lovemadness writes
"Human beings lived in an unbelievably brutal, savage world for at least 99 percent of the time we have been on earth. We have only just recently enjoyed living in a semi-safe, clean/semi-civilized world. This is why we need to get out of the animal realm while we can. To do it, we have to do the exact opposite of what we did in the past to be successful. We have to completely change a mind that has been evolving for millions of years in a very short period of time to be successful now. Google TruthContest read the Present Changing your mind is the last step in evolution. It is the step from mankind into spiritkind."

Here I felt the need to comment on this person's statement under this video.

+lovemadness I do not agree. If you are sighting 99% of humanity's time on earth was savage and brutal and then say that industrialized society is more spirit-filled, I have to strongly disagree. That 99% of the time may not have given humanity the so-called creature comforts of gadgets, apathy, laziness, weakness, and ten thousand other types of disease; it certainly did not connect them to spirit. Quite the contrary.. the more modern, the less spiritual.

The Ancients didn't need skyscrapers, rockets and nuclear weapons. They did not need to pollute the air, water and streams with ill regard to its impact on nature, they did not need GMO foods and pesticides or the ability to control the weather. They lived in the rhythm of the planet and learned to intuit and therefore be more in-tune with nature. That is the higher calling, as you can see worn out tired folks retreating back to the woods, and back to nature.

Comparing the life of an indigenous person, untouched by modern man and then saying they should be taken from their environment and thrust into a modern environment is genocide, homicide, suicide and nutricide.

Your ignorance calls it an unbelievably brutal, savage world. You true knowledge would tell you otherwise.

Just look at the modern world and tell me that it is NOT unbelievably brutal and savage, as we step over the homeless, throw people into the streets, raise taxes on the working class, allow the 1% to rule and control from their gold plated toilets, and decimate the planet through wars of aggression over natural resources. How brutal is it to experiment on animals and/or raise them in unnatural animal farms? How savage is it to lock animals away in Zoos and carnivals for human gratification? How savage is slavery of one human being by another? How savage is the exclamation that one religion is better than another to the point of mass murder? How savage and brutal is Empire building?

Yep, we need to change our minds, not as the last step but as the first step to accepting this Planet as our home and taking good care of it and its inhabitants by respecting their right to live as they chose without the imposition of bigoted suppositions that their way of life is savage and brutal!!

The Power of Women in West Africa: Queen Mothers

The Power of Women in West Africa: Queen Mothers

NB Commentary:

I am sharing this piece for the information that it contains. All too often we tend to use rhetoric, stereotypes and innuendos when talking about our African brothers and sisters in the Homeland. Many of us have been conditioned to see and believe that African peoples are and have been primitive with no real social order, familial structure, civilization, rules or customs. Those of us who have traveled there come to see a different world and a very different people who live in it.  We also come to realize that we know very little about the African and how they live and are in for quite a surprise when we are exposed to them. For some of us, it takes a huge amount of adjusting and an even larger amount of humility to interact with them without offending them with our pre-conceived notions.

The following article will offer some insight into a long held tradition of African Queen Mothers and their function and role in the West African society.

Wives of the Oba of Benin (Photograph by Joseph Nevadomsky)

For West Africa, one aspect remains consistent: the African people have a very different approach to power among women than the traditional western conception implies. When people in the West consider the concept of equality between the sexes, they think of men and women sharing equal roles in society. However, in traditional West African culture, power actually lies in the dynamic differences between the roles of men and women. It is within these unique characteristics that are distinctively male or female that the power emerges.

This analysis of the power of women concentrates primarily on the cultures of Benin and the widespread Yoruba people. The power of women is evident in much of the art of the Benin and Yoruba people. Royal, spiritual, and feminine aspects are all described here in the short analysis of Benin Queen Mothers, the Yoruba Gelede spectacle, and the roles of women in relation to men in Yoruba society. Queen Mothers are the epitome of power. They are women who have reached one of the highest positions of power. The Gelede ritual celebrates the power of women and offers some remarkable insight into the lives and natures of powerful women. The nature of women is also investigated in the art depicting women in gender roles. All of these provide a mere glimpse into the concept of the power of women in West Africa and the art that depicts it.

Benin is located between Nigeria and Togo in West Africa. The Yoruba are found primarily in Nigeria, and scattered in places throughout the regions of Benin and Togo.

Queen Mothers of Benin

One of the primary examples of female power in Africa is the queen mother. Queen mothers have an extraordinary amount of power in Africa. They have sovereign power over their subjects, are independent, have their own courts, and help the kings make decisions regarding the ruling of the kingdom. The queen mother is like a high ranking chief.

The future king is usually chosen from the sons of the current king’s wives, so there is considerable competition to become queen mother. According to tradition, the woman who gives birth to the king has unique magical powers that she uses to aid her son during his rule, helping him defeat his enemies and have a prosperous reign. (1) Although the queen mother is not identified until her son is chosen as king, it is believed that she was selected and predestined to become the mother of the king even before she is born. (5)

Idia: A Benin Legend

Pendant Mask: Iyoba, 16th century

Queen Mothers were not established in the kingdom of Benin until the end of the Fifteenth century when a great conflict between two sons over the ascension to the throne threatened to destroy the empire. Oba (king) Ozula died and left the throne open to his two sons, Arhuaran, who controlled the city of Udo, and Esigie, who controlled Benin City. It is said that the mother Idia used her magical powers to help Esigie win a war against his brother and also the neighboring Igala people, who wished to take advantage of the Benin kingdom’s state of weakness and attack them. From then on, the mothers of the kings were honored and given powers and prestige in the government of the kingdom. (1)

From the story, several of the traditions that surround the Queen Mother can be derived. Prior to the reign of Esigie, it was customary to behead the mothers of the kings to prevent them from threatening the kingdom by using their magical powers to either initiate a rebellion and take over the throne, or harm the people in some way through the use of witchcraft. Esigie asked the Edo people (the people of Benin) to let his mother live so that she could help him defeat his brother and save the kingdom, and they agreed to let him establish her as queen mother only if he was to never see his mother again. This eliminated direct contact between the king and the queen mother and resulted in the removal of the queen mother to her own palace outside of the capital city in a village called Uselu. (1)

This ivory pendant mask pictured here is actually an image of Idia, the first queen mother. It was usually worn by the king during ceremonial occasions. The mask is hollowed out in the back, making it a perfect container for holding medicines that can protect the king while worn around his neck. The material used and the ornamental images carved around the face all represent the elegance and wealth of Benin royalty. The symbols of the Portuguese boast of the wealth of the Benin kingdom, and also of their good relations with foreigners and with ancestor spirits, because the Portuguese were thought to come from the world of the dead, as they crossed a body of water and had white skin. Also the symbols of the mudfish, which were thought to be very powerful and spiritual because of their ability to both swim in water and “walk” on land, decorate the mask, and associate the royalty of the Benin kingship and power of the queen mother with that of the spirit world. (2)

Palace and Attendants

18th Century Ivory Attendant carving, from the Court of Benin, Edo Peoples

Each queen mother in Benin has her own palace, specially built for her. She also has many court attendants, men and women called ibierugha, that serve her. They build their dwellings nearby her palace so as to be in close proximity. The young female attendants are actually women who are given by their families to be cared for and raised by the queen mother. They are later given in marriage to either the Oba or to important chiefs or political leaders to form alliances or strengthen political ties. These women generally are depicted as naked, wearing nothing but a coral beaded belt and jewelry and a certain hairstyle that mark them as virgins eligible for marriage. This position is, in a way, a rather powerful one, because these women are educated and refined from living under the queen’s care, often marry powerful men, and even have the chance to become queen mother. This ivory statue is of a female attendant to the queen mother. She is wearing coral necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and waistband.

Commemorative Altars

When a queen mother dies, her son the Oba, commemorates her with an altar, usually set up in a special compound or area dedicated to the queen mother. On this altar are placed items like cast brass heads and altar tableaus that depict the queen mother in procession. The current king makes sacrifices to his mother at this altar during private annual ceremonies. These altars honor the high ranking queen as she held a position of powerful authority and was vital to the survival of the kingdom in her role as protector. (1)

Although this altar pictured here is for a king and not a queen mother, it resembles the altars typically set up to honor queen mothers. Both altars contain similar objects. The altar tableau can be seen in the center, and it is surrounded by the brass commemorative heads of the king. (2)

Palace Altar to King Ovonramwen, (r. 1888-97), Benin (Nigeria)

Brass Heads

The head is very important in Benin culture. The head is thought to represent an individual’s ability of realizing their own potential destiny. (5) The cast brass commemorative heads are identifiable as representative of the queen by the elaborate “chicken beaked” crown of coral on the head, and also the coral necklace chokers. These heads change in style and structure over time.

The early commemorative heads have coral necklaces just around the neck and a more naturalistic rendering of the face, but the later commemorative heads have coral necklaces that extend to cover the chin up to the mouth and more disproportionate features. Also, the older heads are lighter and have thinner walls, whereas the later heads have thicker walls and are heavier to accommodate the extra necks dedicated to the coral necklaces. (1)

Queen Mother Brass Heads, Benin, Nigeria

Descriptions

Left: Queen Mother Head, c.1500-50, Benin (Nigeria), Brass, height 15 1/2″ (39 cm), British Museum, London

This is an earlier brass commemorative head, which possesses more natural facial features as it has a smaller neck and proportionate facial features. Its walls are cast thinner than those of the later brass heads. This particular head is thought to be of Idia, the first Benin Queen Mother. (1)

Centre: Head of a Queen Mother (Iyoba), 1750–1800, Nigeria; Edo peoples, court of Benin, Brass; H. 16 3/4 in. (42.54 cm), Bequest of Alice K. Bache, 1977 (1977.187.36)

This is a later Benin brass commemorative head, and like its predecessor it has the similar “chicken-beaked” coral crown and coral necklaces. However, it has a thicker cast and unlike the earlier version, it has a longer neck and is covered in these necklaces up to the mouth. The facial features are also less naturalistic, with things like the eyes being emphasized. (1)

Right: Head of a Queen Mother, Nigeria, Edo; Court of Benin, 18th-19th Century, Brass, iron; h. 20.5 inches

This head is an even later commemorative head. It still possesses the same crown and necklaces, but the style is changed even more. It has an opening in the top so that elephant tusks may be placed there. The neck is even longer and the figure possesses even more coral beaded jewelry as shown by the number of necklaces and the style of the headdress. (1)

Altar Tableau: Queen Mother and Attendants, 18th century Nigeria; Edo peoples, court of Benin, Brass

Altar Tableau

This altar tableau, also called an urhoto, depicts the queen mother and her attendants. These tableaus were made to be displayed on the altar of a deceased queen mother. It is made of brass and portrays many symbols of the queen’s power.

Motifs like the elephant trunks and mudfish show the power of the queen as the animals are associated with strength and with the spirit world. Also, her attendants carry the ceremonial sword and staff, the queen mother’s insignia.

The queen is larger in scale than her attendants, emphasizing her importance, and also wears a crown and shirt made of coral beads, which is significant because only royalty can wear such valuable clothing. There is also the symbol of hands depicted on the tableau, which is significant because in Benin culture, hands are a symbol of power. (1)

Altar of the Hand (Ikegobo), late 18th century Nigeria; Edo peoples, court of Benin, Bronze; H. 8 1/4 in. (20.96 cm), The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979 (1979.206.218)

Altar of the Hand

The right hand is a very important symbol of power in Benin culture. The personal actions of an individual, as embodied in the symbol of the hand, are a key component to the path or fate of the individual, as it affects the degree of success someone may achieve. (5)

The altars of the hand, also called ikegobo, therefore celebrate this concept of success and power related to the symbol of the hand. The material the ikegobos are made out of varies according to rank. Bronze is reserved for royalty, meaning only the Oba (king) and the Iyoba (queen mother) can commission artwork in this medium. Other members of society may commission altars of the hand to be made in wood. (5)

This Altar of the Hand is one commissioned by a queen mother in the 18th century. It depicts the queen mother in the center, larger in scale than the other figures, and flanked by her young virgin attendants. Two of the attendants are carrying vessels upon their heads, perhaps with offerings within them. This piece of artwork shows the power that the queen mother has through both the depiction of her and her attendants, and the powerful symbolism of the hand that it embodies. (5)

Source: 

Works Cited:

(1) Ben-Amos, Paula ed., and Arnold Rubin ed.  The Art of Power, The Power of Art: Studies in Benin 

           Iconography. Regents of the University of California, 1983.

(2) Blier, Susan Preston.  The Royal Arts of Africa: The Majesty of Form.  Hong Cong: Prentice Hall, 

           Inc., 1998. 

(3) Drewal, Henry John, and Margaret Thompson Drewal.  Gẹlẹdẹ: Art and Female Power among the 

           Yoruba. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1983.

(4) Drewal, Margaret Thompson.  Yoruba Ritual: Performers, Play, Agency.  Bloomington and 

           Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1992.

(5) Kaplan, Flora S.  Queens, Queen Mothers, Priestesses, and Power: Case Studies in African 

           Gender.  New York: The New York Academy of Sciences, 1997.

Pictures:

http://www.betterafrica.org/Photos/TripsB_41.htm

http://dickinsg.intrasun.tcnj.edu/diaspora/religion_photos.html

http://www.e-village.jp/opc/03evc/03culture01/32/

http://iga.igg.cnr.it/img/africa.gif

http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/oracle/figure16L.html

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pwmn/hob_1978.412.302.htm

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pwmn/hob_1979.206.218.htm

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/08/sfg/ho_1978.412.323.htm

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/09/sfg/ho_1977.187.36.htm

http://www.randafricanart.com/Benin_bronze_hip_masks.html

http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/

Source: