Ijo, also called Ijaw, people of the forests of the Niger River delta in Nigeria comprising a large number of formerly autonomous groups. 18 percent, the Ijaw with 10 percent, the Kanuri with 4 percent, the Ibibio with 3.5 percent, and the Tiv with 2.5 percent. IJO CULTURE AND TRADITIONS The Ijaw People, also spelt IJO, IZON, are a major Ethnic Nationality of Nigeria, whose ancestral homeland and territory covers most of the Niger Delta in Southern Nigeria. There are nine closely cognate NigerCongo languages. Owafiya ( or Beans Pottage) - is a thick soup made with beans, palm oil, fish or game meat, with yam or cooking bananas. According to the tradition of the Ijaw man, it is a taboo for one to bury a man with his secret. The culture is gradually phasing out, though. height: 1em !important; The Ijaw people are the most populous indigenous inhabitants of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. 3. He serves as the family priest and spiritual leader and teacher of Igbo culture and traditions to members of his household. While water spirits, known as Owuamapu, figure prominently in the Ijaw pantheon. [31], Deadly conflicts had rocked the South-South region, especially in Delta State, where intertribal killings had resulted in death on both sides. Central to the festivities is the role of masquerades, in which men wearing elaborate outfits and carved masks dance to the beat of drums and manifest the influence of the water spirits through the quality and intensity of their dancing. Being the first to find a settlement in the Lower Niger and Niger Delta, it is possible that they may have started inhabiting this region as far back as 500 BC. Our country Nigeria is rich in culture with diverse traditions in all 36 states. Here is the top-5 list of the most popular dishes: READ ALSO: Hausa culture and traditions in Nigeria: top facts to know. Long before the colonial era, the Ijaw people traveled by wooded boats and canoes to Cameroon, Ghana and other West African countries. Each year the Ijaw hold festivals in honor the spirits, which can last for a few days. [24], Marriages are completed by the payment of a bridal dowry, which increases in size if the bride is from another village (so as to make up for that village's loss of her children). Most of the dishes are very hot: they put a lot of pepper, onion, and tomatoes in them. Actually, etibo is an informal version of a tunic without buttons, and Uoko is an official one with three buttons and an aglet. Amaechi's dressing is a common dressing in Rivers State and Abia State.Infact I have noticed a high similarity in dress style between Bonny,Opobo and Abia people from Abiriba down to Ngwa and Ndoki. We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Ijaw Traditions Funeral ceremonies, particularly for those who have accumulated wealth and respect, are often very dramatic. Some of these foods are:[28]. Boston College Green Check, We are sure you are already curious about it. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). Traditions of the Egbema in the Benin River area do, in fact, contain accounts of wars and treaties with Itsekiri settlements such as Jakpa, Itebu and others. Get our Top Stories delivered to your inbox, 8 of the absolutely worst-tasting fruits in the world, Meaning of 'Japa' and how it became a popular slang for relocating out of Nigeria, History and culture of the Itsekiri people. . Sometimes taro is mixed with yam, manioc or bananas. "!==a&&k.push(a)});c=k.join("/"); [citation needed], Veneration of ancestors plays a central role in Ijaw traditional religion, while water spirits, known as Owuamapu figure prominently in the Ijaw pantheon. Biography and Net Worth of the Billionaire Militant", "Tammy Bakumo-Abraham - Premier League Attacker - News, Stats, Bio and more", American Museum of Natural History: The Art of the Kalabari Masquerade, The Warri Crisis: Fueling Violence Human Rights Watch Report, November 2003, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ijaw_people&oldid=1141606161, Progressive Youth Leadership Foundation(ND-PYLF), Ijaw Nation Development Group (Ijaw Peoples Assembly), National Association Of Ogulagha Clan Students (NAOCS), Human Rights Watch, Delta Crackdown, May 1999, Ijaw Youth Movement, letter to All Managing Directors and Chief Executives of transnational oil companies operating in Ijawland, December 18, 1998, Project Underground, "Visit the World of Chevron: Niger Delta", 1999. }; In Ijaw, women's national clothing consists of a large piece of cloth wrapped around the hips and a blouse. Nigerian clothing style mostly depends on the event it is used for. Orus (their ancestors) were and are still believed to be devine. Regular everyday Nigerian native wears for Ijaw men consist of a shirt and trousers. Many different dishes can be prepared from its tubers containing starch. As an ethnic group, there are so many factors working in its favour. Briefly, the Ijaw is the major ethnic group that populate the Niger Delta of Nigeria. Another contributing factor to this human capital flight is the abject poverty in their homeland of the Niger Delta, resulting from decades of neglect by the Nigerian government and oil companies in spite of continuous petroleum prospecting in this region since the 1950s. c.length&&b(c,function(){});b.runnerBox.runElement(document)},0)}a({paths:d});l(window,"load",function(){v(48,"window.load");g();setTimeout(function(){v(48,"window.load -> 10s");g()},1E4)});"complete"===document.readyState&&(v(48,"isComplete"),g());"loaded"===document.readyState&&(v(48,"isLoaded"),k());l(document,"DOMContentLoaded",function(){v(48,"DOMContentLoaded");k();l(document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0],"pageshow",function(){v(48,"body pageshow");g()})});l(document,"readystatechange",function(){var a= About half of the population living in the north are Muslim; another 40 percent, in the south, are Christian. As early as the 15 th century , the Ijaw people were linked to areas of sea trade routes. They are also devotees of spiritual culture that made so much use of water. Submit your stories now via social or: Welcome to the Pulse Community! In addition, the Ijaw practice a form of divination called Igbadai, in which recently deceased individuals are interrogated on the causes of their death. The father represents and speaks on behalf of the family in public forums. Bayelsa State has one of the largest crude oil and natural gas deposits in Nigeria. Hiking in the Rockies The Best Hiking Trails in Salt Lake. In fact, the Bayelsa State Ministry of Culture and Ijaw National Affairs has a broad mandate, which among others things, to unleash the potential of arts, culture and heritage sector as a contributor to the economic development of Bayelsa State and the cohesion of the Ijaw people, as well as to restore the culture of the Ijaw people. 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