Gio Tribe
Encyclopedia
The Gio or Dan people is an ethnic group
in north-eastern Liberia
and in Côte d'Ivoire
. The Dan are an ethnic group located in the West African countries of Liberia
and Côte d'Ivoire
. There are approximately 350,000 members of the group, united by the Dan language
, a Mande language. Neighboring peoples include the Guere, Guro and Mano.
-speaking peoples migrated from East Africa to the present-day Mali
and Guinea
several hundred years ago and then into their current locations in Liberia
and the Ivory Coast, invading the coastal region, replacing some of the Atlantic tribes and pushing back the Kru
. Their waring skills were and strategies were more superior to those tribes they conquered from East Africa to today West Africa-specifically, Nimba County, Liberia. In the midst of migration, as some members of the Dan tribe also known as Beta Israel, many cultural practices changed over time.
Some of their chief warriors were: Grougbay Zobaneeay who fought and pushed the tribes that once live in the present day Nimba County
, to as far as Loguatuo in Côte d'Ivoire. Also, there were those like Kipko Toh'ah-Gbeu who drove the Kru men from what is now called Tapitah, Nimba County (prior to the arrival of Chief Tapeh); his last major war with the settlers was in Sanniquellie
. He retired when he got wounded in the Sanniquellie war. Kipho gave his daughter Lhe'kpahseu in marriage to Grougbay Zobaneeay. Bho'Yaah, who lived in today's Garplay, Nimba County- in an alliance with Kipho Toh'Gbeu, made a truce to quit fighting the settlers. He was actually one of the last chief warriors of the Gios to have resisted the Americo-Liberian military push into Nimba. Gonsahn Ghe'Gbeu was from Miampleu Yeezleu, Nimba County, and who also drove the Kphelehs from Eastern Liberia, but lived and died in the early 1900s.
After Liberia became a nation in 1847, the new government in Monrovia
began pacifying these warring peoples. By the early 1900s, peace had been achieved, and administrative controls had been established.
Oral traditions describe the Dan society of the 19th century, like many ethnic groups in the region, as organised at the settlement level, with shared Dan identity coming from language and a preference for intermarriage.
Contemporary Dan forest areas are also economically dominated Diamond and gold mining, and rubber, and palm plantations and cocoa and coffe plantations.
The Dan are primarily farmers of cattle, and other cash crops; annually clearing the forest land to grow their crops. They cultivate staple crops such as rice
, cassava
, sweet potatoes, and a variety of maize and so on. Today, they also grow cash crop
s such as cocoa, coffee
, and rubber
. Women are given a small plot of ground on which to grow their own vegetables to use in the households or to sell in the market. Greens are gathered from domestic and wild plants in the forest. Palm oil
is extracted from the many wild palm oil trees and then used for such things as fuel and cooking.
Dan men do most of the agricultural work, but women help with the harvesting and weeding. Men also do all of the hunting and most of the fishing, while women tend to such domestic duties as caring for the children and preparing the meals. Children help by chasing cattle, or wild animals and birds away from the crops. The Dan also raise livestock such as cattle, cow, sheep, and goats, fowls, and chicken. Some of these animals (white ones) are eaten only on special ritual occasions involving much feasting, or to perform sacrifices for the forgiveness of sin.
is a Mande language
.
The Dan are primarily farmers with knowledge nomadic and of clear-cutting agriculture. Like other peoples of the Atlantic, they grow rice, maize, cassava and yams; and they also have a love of palm oil. The Dan also largely raise livestock. They also believe and practice male circumcision. Young males are trained for war, farming, and morals to prepare them for the future. In the system of leadership among the Dan people, an elder is or group of elders with one most senior elder makes decision on cases, domestic matters, rituals involving sacrifices for the pardon of sin and so on.
After a great period of migration from the Middle East, and East Africa the Dan tribe adopted the fraternal order in order to pass on the order of history, respect, morals, and their traditions to the generations to come. Thus, even though they have lost some key cultual practices, the still believe in offering sacrifices for sin, the believe in one true God, and the belief of the existence of of Satan.
Individual villages, even those unified under the Leopard society, still maintain a high degree of political independence.
chief titles can be given to non-tribe members who have assisted the tribe in charitable means. For example, U.S. Diplomat, John F. Moss (working for VOA
), was bestowed by a Gio tribe in Liberia as an honorary chief after he commissioned a bulldozer to help them build a road through the jungle.
board games.
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
in north-eastern Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
and in Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
. The Dan are an ethnic group located in the West African countries of Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
and Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
. There are approximately 350,000 members of the group, united by the Dan language
Dan language
Dan is a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia . There is also a population of about 800 speakers in Guinea. Dan is a tonal language, with three main tones and two glide/contour tones....
, a Mande language. Neighboring peoples include the Guere, Guro and Mano.
History
According to tradition, the Dan and other MandeMande
Mande may refer to:* Mandé peoples of western Africa* Mande languages* Manding, a term covering a subgroup of Mande peoples, and sometimes used for one of them, Mandinka* Garo people of northeastern India and northern Bangladesh...
-speaking peoples migrated from East Africa to the present-day Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
and Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
several hundred years ago and then into their current locations in Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
and the Ivory Coast, invading the coastal region, replacing some of the Atlantic tribes and pushing back the Kru
Kru
The Kru are an ethnic group who live in interior of Liberia. Their history is one marked by a strong sense of ethnicity and resistance to occupation. In 1856 when part of Liberia was still known as the independent Republic of Maryland, the Kru along with the Grebo resisted Maryland settlers'...
. Their waring skills were and strategies were more superior to those tribes they conquered from East Africa to today West Africa-specifically, Nimba County, Liberia. In the midst of migration, as some members of the Dan tribe also known as Beta Israel, many cultural practices changed over time.
Some of their chief warriors were: Grougbay Zobaneeay who fought and pushed the tribes that once live in the present day Nimba County
Nimba County
Nimba is a county in the north-central portion of the West African nation of Liberia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has six districts. Sanniquellie serves as the capital with the area of the county measuring , the largest in the nation...
, to as far as Loguatuo in Côte d'Ivoire. Also, there were those like Kipko Toh'ah-Gbeu who drove the Kru men from what is now called Tapitah, Nimba County (prior to the arrival of Chief Tapeh); his last major war with the settlers was in Sanniquellie
Sanniquellie
Sanniquellie is a city and the capital of Nimba County and Sanniquellie-Mah District, Liberia. It is located in the north-east of the country at coordinates 07°21'49" N 008°42'40" W...
. He retired when he got wounded in the Sanniquellie war. Kipho gave his daughter Lhe'kpahseu in marriage to Grougbay Zobaneeay. Bho'Yaah, who lived in today's Garplay, Nimba County- in an alliance with Kipho Toh'Gbeu, made a truce to quit fighting the settlers. He was actually one of the last chief warriors of the Gios to have resisted the Americo-Liberian military push into Nimba. Gonsahn Ghe'Gbeu was from Miampleu Yeezleu, Nimba County, and who also drove the Kphelehs from Eastern Liberia, but lived and died in the early 1900s.
After Liberia became a nation in 1847, the new government in Monrovia
Monrovia
Monrovia is the capital city of the West African nation of Liberia. Located on the Atlantic Coast at Cape Mesurado, it lies geographically within Montserrado County, but is administered separately...
began pacifying these warring peoples. By the early 1900s, peace had been achieved, and administrative controls had been established.
Oral traditions describe the Dan society of the 19th century, like many ethnic groups in the region, as organised at the settlement level, with shared Dan identity coming from language and a preference for intermarriage.
Economy
A people of war, the Dan have long pursued both agriculture and hunting, as they areContemporary Dan forest areas are also economically dominated Diamond and gold mining, and rubber, and palm plantations and cocoa and coffe plantations.
The Dan are primarily farmers of cattle, and other cash crops; annually clearing the forest land to grow their crops. They cultivate staple crops such as rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, cassava
Cassava
Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
, sweet potatoes, and a variety of maize and so on. Today, they also grow cash crop
Cash crop
In agriculture, a cash crop is a crop which is grown for profit.The term is used to differentiate from subsistence crops, which are those fed to the producer's own livestock or grown as food for the producer's family...
s such as cocoa, coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
, and rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
. Women are given a small plot of ground on which to grow their own vegetables to use in the households or to sell in the market. Greens are gathered from domestic and wild plants in the forest. Palm oil
Palm oil
Palm oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oil are edible plant oils derived from the fruits of palm trees. Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis; palm kernel oil is derived from the kernel of the oil palm and coconut oil is derived from the kernel of the...
is extracted from the many wild palm oil trees and then used for such things as fuel and cooking.
Dan men do most of the agricultural work, but women help with the harvesting and weeding. Men also do all of the hunting and most of the fishing, while women tend to such domestic duties as caring for the children and preparing the meals. Children help by chasing cattle, or wild animals and birds away from the crops. The Dan also raise livestock such as cattle, cow, sheep, and goats, fowls, and chicken. Some of these animals (white ones) are eaten only on special ritual occasions involving much feasting, or to perform sacrifices for the forgiveness of sin.
Culture
The Gio or Dan languageDan language
Dan is a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia . There is also a population of about 800 speakers in Guinea. Dan is a tonal language, with three main tones and two glide/contour tones....
is a Mande language
Mande languages
The Mande languages are spoken in several countries in West Africa by the Mandé people and include Mandinka, Soninke, Bambara, Bissa, Dioula, Kagoro, Bozo, Mende, Susu, Yacouba, Vai, and Ligbi...
.
The Dan are primarily farmers with knowledge nomadic and of clear-cutting agriculture. Like other peoples of the Atlantic, they grow rice, maize, cassava and yams; and they also have a love of palm oil. The Dan also largely raise livestock. They also believe and practice male circumcision. Young males are trained for war, farming, and morals to prepare them for the future. In the system of leadership among the Dan people, an elder is or group of elders with one most senior elder makes decision on cases, domestic matters, rituals involving sacrifices for the pardon of sin and so on.
Housing
Traditional Gio huts were small, single-room dwellings made of mud and thatch. Each wife of a man had her own hut where her children lived until they were old enough to move out. Today, houses are large and rectangular and have several rooms. Instead of living in separate houses, multiple wives live in different rooms in the same house with their husband.Manhood
Dan men have their own "fraternal society," which marks their initiation into manhood and guides them throughout their lives. The men's society is controlled by the elders and acts as a source of power for the community. Boys initiated into the society are prepared to encounter the mysteries of the spirit world and to learn the rules of adult Dan men. Women, too, have a similar society.After a great period of migration from the Middle East, and East Africa the Dan tribe adopted the fraternal order in order to pass on the order of history, respect, morals, and their traditions to the generations to come. Thus, even though they have lost some key cultual practices, the still believe in offering sacrifices for sin, the believe in one true God, and the belief of the existence of of Satan.
Religion and tradition
The Dan have complex animist religious tradition. The "Tin" tradition of lavish gift giving, survives as a method of social advancement.Beliefs
The Dan believe in the Supreme God who created the universe and everything in it.They believe that no one can reach him or see him physically. 40% of the nation worship him and the rest worship a spiritual power called Du ( craftivism a form of pagan worship). Du is said to really be the "bad spirit" (Satan, or demon). Majority of the people believe in reincarnation, in which the Du, or "the bad spirit", can enable a person pass into another person or even an animal after death.Political Systems
Like many Mande cultures, societal organisation centers around "societies": either age group, caste, occupational, or geographic. In the recent historic period, Dan communities were for the first (known) time allied into a political organization, created through the Leopard society (go). The Go spirit of the society focuses on peacemaking between communities which have often been in conflict. around the powerful spirit go, who is responsible for peacemaking. Although the power of go seems toIndividual villages, even those unified under the Leopard society, still maintain a high degree of political independence.
Government
Gio villages are divided into quarters, each housing an extended family or lineage. Each quarter is headed by a "quarter chief," who is chosen either for being the oldest male in the family or for having the most aggressive personality. Although the village or town chief administers authority over the whole village, the real power comes from the council of elders who assist the chief in all decisions. HonoraryTitle of honor
An honorary title or title of honor is a title bestowed upon individuals or organizations as an award in recognition of their merits.Sometimes the title bears the same or nearly the same name as a title of authority, but the person bestowed does not have to carry any duties, possibly except for...
chief titles can be given to non-tribe members who have assisted the tribe in charitable means. For example, U.S. Diplomat, John F. Moss (working for VOA
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
), was bestowed by a Gio tribe in Liberia as an honorary chief after he commissioned a bulldozer to help them build a road through the jungle.
Art
Dan arts are notable for wood sculpture, producing a huge variety of masking traditions, each with unique forms and purposes. Artisan also produce traditional wooden spoons and mancalaMancala
Mancala is a family of board games played around the world, sometimes called "sowing" games, or "count-and-capture" games, which describes the game-play. Mancala games play a role in many African and some Asian societies comparable to that of chess in the West, or the game of Go in Eastern Asia...
board games.