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The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by KnowAll(m): 12:16pm On Oct 21, 2009
http://awoko.org/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,print,0&cntnt01articleid=1879&cntnt01showtemplate=false&cntnt01returnid=34


Categories: Feb-18-08
      Date: Feb 18, 2008
     Title: “Foulah Tong”: Creole or Yoruba land

Alhaji Abu Bakar Hamid

What is now the heartland of the Eastend stretching off from main Kissy Road overlooking the Queen Elizabeth II quay and dreaded for its nerve racking - jostling traffic of vehicles, motor bikes and people was in the early 1700s a lush green hilly slope on which densely populated pastoral Foulah traders grazed their cows – hence the name Fullah Tong. They did not occupy the land for long.





The Foulah Tong Mosque

What is now the heartland of the Eastend stretching off from main Kissy Road overlooking the Queen Elizabeth II quay and dreaded for its nerve racking - jostling traffic of vehicles, motor bikes and people was in the early 1700s a lush green hilly slope on which densely populated pastoral Foulah traders grazed their cows – hence the name Fullah Tong.
They did not occupy the land for long.
“Freed slaves, recaptives and business people mostly Yoruba’s from Lagos and Abeokuta in Nigeria came into Sierra Leone during the 1700s and from the mouth of the Quay – since the most popular form of transport those days was by sea – they moved into Foulah tong and later spread into Fourah bay and Aberdeen,” Alhaji Abu Bakarr Hamid a revered son of the early Yoruba settlers who has spent the whole of his 58 years in the Foulah tong community recalled.
As the new group of settlers started building houses and cutting down the trees to expand the community, the Foulahs gradually left because the land was no longer suitable for rearing cows.
“They went further east to Kissy which was then still bushy” said Alhaji Hamid.
The Yorubas had founded a home, and Foulah tong became aYoruba hegemony with the culture and everything -Yoruba except the name.
These early Yoruba settlers were mainly Muslims probably that is why the Foulah Tong mosque became the epicenter of the community.
There are very many streets like tree branches shooting out from the main street (Mountain cut) named - First Street, Second Street, Third Street… and it seemed when they were tired of counting they gave typical Yoruba names to the streets, like Haderudeen Street.
Foulah tong in Freetown still bears the relics of colonialism captured in the architecture of the houses.
These houses are either board or stone houses with an upper room attached with a window which is known in local circles as “Kongosa Window” where most times the oldest member of the family who occupies such houses would position themselves to scrutinize every activity that goes on in the community, - and now and then deliver the greeting “e Karroh” (Yoruba word for ‘how are you’) to passers by, mostly when they want to be recognized.
Sadly though, many of these houses were lost, thanks to the January 6 invasion by rebels in Freetown, who burnt them, causing the landscape to now be increasingly dotted with modern architecture.
The Foulah Tong Mosque
The mosque stands stoutly on top of the hill on Mountain cut and Second Street. There had been claims that the mosque was a converted church, but Alhaji Hamid dispelled this.
He disclosed that the mosque was actually built in 1882, further up the mountain and not where it is presently located.
In those days Alhaji Hamid recalled there were serious persecutions in the community by Christians who considered non Christians as pagans.
“So there was a palaver and the Mosque was burnt down by these Christians.”
Another mosque was built opposite the mosque now but was again demolished after some years because it was not big enough.
Finally they built the massive structure which is what is now the Foulah Tong mosque and maintained the 1882 date as its establishment.” Alhaji Hamid narrated.
Amariah Primary School he said was also built in 1887 by Dr Blyden who saw the need for education and that the land was donated for the project by twins - Alhassan and Alusine.
The mosque and the school he said to a large extent came to mold the life, civilization and education of the Yoruba people in the Foulah Tong community.
The Former President of Sierra Leone, Tejan Kabbah was confirmed to have attended the Amariah Primary School, though he was not a Yoruba, others were the late Dr Sanusi Mustapha, Late Justice Nasiru Alghalie, Late Justice Bankole Rashid and Dr Aroun Daniya.
Alhaji said that the school was refurbished in 1997 by Plan International and that the whole community still uses the school’s playground to observe the feast of Eid-ul-ada.
A fading culture
“I think that the failure of the government to recognize Yoruba as one of the national languages was one of the pivotal agents that is killing the Yoruba people and language in this country,” Alhaji argued.
He disclosed that he could not speak the language as fluently as he wished to and it is getting worse with their own children.
“We found out now that we have to claim Creole and speak krio to properly identify ourselves in Sierra Leone other than that we are Yoruba and Nigerians (foreigners).
On the other hand it is actually interesting and peculiar for us Muslim Yorubas to claim ourselves as creoles with Muslim names like Mohamed Cole, Mucktaru Pearce, Osman Thomas, Saptieu King.
The Christian Creoles always think that they are the pure and original Creole people, but actually we are all brothers and sisters and came from the same origin with the same culture.” Alhaji Hamid explained.
He continued that the expanding natures of communities in cities, Freetown not excluded has unknotted the threads that held them as a cultural society.
Alhaji Hamid said that Foulah Tong had become cosmopolitan, in fact a home to many tribes than Yoruba, and that most of their properties have been sold out to other people so with the mix they cannot operate as a different entity with different cultural values but to move on and imbibe the various life styles and culture of other people.
With nostalgia Alhaji revealed that they were the tribe that started “Ashobie” which has been used now by everybody else for weddings and other celebrations.
He pointed out that they have very rich cultural celebrations for naming ceremony -‘Khomojade’, wedding and the observance of the three-day, seven-day and forty-day after burial.
“The unbraided ‘kaftan’ had been our cultural dress and bread and ‘fourah’ the delicacies served in all of our celebrations. The Ojeh and Hunting society was also introduced by the yorubas”
But all of theses are changing now Alhaji sighed, “The western culture is also affecting us, many of our children are overseas and they cannot keep these cultures. We hope that our heritage does not die out completely.
What they still have is the ‘Adikali’, the head of the court and the head of the community all in one.
The present Adikalie is Dr Fadlu Deen and his function is to settle all disputes brought to him ranging from land dispute, family palaver to marital problems but he seldom uses the ‘Tambaleh’ (traditional drum) only to announce the death of a very important personality or the day for pray-days.
However amidst all the changes of landscape, people, and culture Foulah Tong continues to sit on the hills stoically accepting the transformations as they come and waiting for the day its own name will be changed.
By Mohamed Fofanah
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by mukina2: 12:50pm On Oct 21, 2009
Hey i was born and bred in Foulah ton and we are called Oku grin
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by KnowAll(m): 1:14pm On Oct 21, 2009
Hey i was born and bred in Foulah ton and we are called Oku


What does Oku mean ,
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by KnowAll(m): 1:16pm On Oct 21, 2009
On the other hand it is actually interesting and peculiar for us Muslim Yorubas to claim ourselves as creoles with Muslim names like Mohamed Cole, Mucktaru Pearce, Osman Thomas, Saptieu King

I really find this name funny Mohammed Cole,
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by mukina2: 2:03pm On Oct 21, 2009
KnowAll:

What does Oku mean ,
Oku is the name of the foulah Town community.
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by candylips(m): 2:10pm On Oct 21, 2009
muki from oku grin
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by KnowAll(m): 2:14pm On Oct 21, 2009
@Mukina
These houses are either board or stone houses with an upper room attached with a window which is known in local circles as “Kongosa Window” where most times the oldest member of the family who occupies such houses would position themselves to scrutinize every activity that goes on in the community, - and now and then deliver the greeting “e Karroh” (Yoruba word for ‘how are you’) to passers by, mostly when they want to be recognized.


Do u people greet using the word "e karroh" in creole,
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by AfroCynic: 2:44pm On Oct 21, 2009
This is interesting, potential Nigerians everywhere, lol!
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by blacksta(m): 2:46pm On Oct 21, 2009
AfroCynic:

This is interesting, potential Nigerians everywhere, lol!

No wonder Africa is messed up
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by candylips(m): 2:49pm On Oct 21, 2009
blacksta:

No wonder Africa is messed up

ROFLMAO grin that is so unfair.

1 Like

Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by mukina2: 2:51pm On Oct 21, 2009
candylips:

muki from oku grin
sharap i am not grin

KnowAll:

@Mukina
These houses are either board or stone houses with an upper room attached with a window which is known in local circles as “Kongosa Window” where most times the oldest member of the family who occupies such houses would position themselves to scrutinize every activity that goes on in the community, - and now and then deliver the greeting “e Karroh” (Yoruba word for ‘how are you’) to passers by, mostly when they want to be recognized.


Do u people greet using the word "e karroh" in creole,
no o. they use 'Ekabo' and 'ekushe' , and 'odaro' mostly.
Most words they use in the daily interactions are from yoruba sha, i got to know that here
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by KnowAll(m): 3:01pm On Oct 21, 2009
With nostalgia Alhaji revealed that they were the tribe that started “Ashobie” which has been used now by everybody else for weddings and other celebrations.
He pointed out that they have very rich cultural celebrations for naming ceremony -‘Khomojade’, wedding and the observance of the three-day, seven-day and forty-day after burial.


The non Yorubas in Nigeria even though they have consiously or un-consiously adopted the culture of the yorubas like aso ebie and Igele which is now common currency across all over Nigeria should be grateful to the Yorubas for this contribution which is now seen as a national thing rather than a yoruba thing.

I am always very proud of being a Yoruba when I see Igbo women and Hausa women tie their Igele's in society weddings, I hope we will get more accolades from our Igbo and Huasa sisters from this unique dressing style that has been embraced by the whole nation.

1 Like

Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by bawomolo(m): 3:09pm On Oct 21, 2009
blacksta:

No wonder Africa is messed up

dead grin
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by muhsin(m): 3:27pm On Oct 21, 2009
This is mighty interesting.

1 Like

Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by olafolarin(m): 4:48pm On Oct 21, 2009
AfroCynic:

This is interesting, potential Nigerians everywhere, lol!

blacksta:

No wonder Africa is messed up


Thats really unfair, Nigerians arent that bad,
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by AloyEmeka6: 4:53pm On Oct 21, 2009
@Knowall,

Is this a yoruba tribe found in Sierra Leone or Muslim Yoruba tribe?. Are you suggesting that only muslim yorubas emigrated to Sierra leone?. Islam is a religious identity and I don't know why you are attaching it to that tribe by all means because i am sure not all of them are muslims and the islam they accepted after moving to Sierra leone. So, they are not muslim yorubas, rather, they are Yorubas.
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by AfroCynic: 4:56pm On Oct 21, 2009
blacksta:

No wonder Africa is messed up


No jealous us jor, I am tired of other Africans hating on Nigerians, you no like us, we no like you. Nne, no be by force,

1 Like

Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by back2back(f): 5:04pm On Oct 21, 2009
Interesting indeed.

The Yoruba elders should create 'Egbe Omo Yoruba' thats is dedicated to development of Yorubas all over the world.

They should atleast set up 'Primary schools' or 'Private Schools' in all those places and propagate the Yoruba Culture and way of Life.
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by mukina2: 5:08pm On Oct 21, 2009
Aloy~Emeka:

@Knowall,

Is this a yoruba tribe found in Sierra Leone or Muslim Yoruba tribe?. Are you suggesting that only muslim yorubas emigrated to Sierra leone?. Islam is a religious identity and I don't know why you are attaching it to that tribe by all means because i am sure not all of them are muslims and the islam they accepted after moving to Sierra leone. So, they are not muslim yorubas, rather, they are Yorubas.
know you addressed this to knowall.

anyway
Foulah town is a predominately muslim town, there are Creole Christians living there too and yeah they live side by side, inter marry and inter everything with no troubles.
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by KnowAll(m): 5:13pm On Oct 21, 2009
Is this a yoruba tribe found in Sierra Leone or Muslim Yoruba tribe?. Are you suggesting that only muslim yorubas emigrated to Sierra leone?. Islam is a religious identity and I don't know why you are attaching it to that tribe by all means because i am sure not all of them are muslims and the islam they accepted after moving to Sierra leone. So, they are not muslim yorubas, rather, they are Yorubas.



They are unique that is why I use the term Yoruba musims, if u read the artice attached to this post u will see that they were freed slaves caught on the high seas and returned to freetown as freemen, but because most of them where not shipped to the new world they still knew their tribes and most knew their religion hence the word " muslim" yoruba,  upon settling in freetown the mosque became the centre for all social activities amongst this set of people.

Meanwhile there was a lot of christain Yoruba's they quickly integrated with the krios, although u know them by their Yoruba  names.


The musim community stood on their own for along time b4 they started integrating more recently.


They are like some  runaway slaves who ran to the mountains in Jamaice most of them still bare their ghanian  names.  
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by udezue(m): 5:18pm On Oct 21, 2009
lol @ No wonder Africa is messed up
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by KnowAll(m): 5:19pm On Oct 21, 2009
http://www.cambridge.org/catalogue/catalogue.asp?ISBN=9780521365154

H. C. Bankole-Bright and Politics in Colonial Sierra Leone, 1919–1958

Bankole Bright a christain Yoruba wrote the Politics in Colonial Sierra Leone 1919 -1958
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by KnowAll(m): 5:21pm On Oct 21, 2009
lol @ No wonder Africa is messed up


Give Kudos to a super Black Race instead of just running your foul mouth.
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by blackspade(m): 5:24pm On Oct 21, 2009
Interesting thread.

@ mukina

Happy birthday! grin
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by KnowAll(m): 5:41pm On Oct 21, 2009
The Yoruba's in Seirra Leons dominated the Politics of Colonial Seirra Leone.

at present there is only one in the cabinet of the current president of Seirra Leone see list below.



MINISTERS:

Finance and Economic Development:
Dr. Samura Kamara (Currently the Bank Governor)

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation:
Mrs. Zainab Hawa Bangura

Attorney-General and Minister of Justice
Mr. Abdul Serry-Kamal

Information and Communications
Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo


Mineral Resources
Alhaji Alpha Saahid Bakarr Kanu (former Presidential Affairs)



Health and Sanitation
Mr. Sheku Tejan Koroma (former Deputy Health Minister)


Agriculture, Food Security & Forestry
Dr. Sam Sesay



Presidential and Public Affairs
Mr. Joseph Koroma (formerly of UNIDO)



Works, Housing and Infrastructure
Mr. Alimamy P. Koroma (former Trade Minister)

Lands, Country Planning and the Environment
Dr. Dennis Sandi

Defence
Major Rtd. Alfred Palo Conteh

Internal Affairs, Local Government and Rural Development






Energy and Water Resources
Prof. Ogunlade Davidson (Just two weeks ago was approved to be Chairman of Sierra Leone Environmental & Protection Agency. He has served on a prestigious Nobel-winning UN Panel of Experts) - Yoruba




Tourism and Cultural Affairs
Mr. Hindolo Sumanguru Trye

Social Welfare, Gender and Childrens' Affairs
Dr. Soccoh Kabia (former Health Minister)

Education, Youth & Sports
Dr. Minkailu Bah



Employment and Social Security
Mr. Minkailu Mansaray



Trade and Industry
Mr. David Carew (former Finance Minister) - might be Yoruba dont know but definately a krio
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by KnowAll(m): 5:50pm On Oct 21, 2009
Energy and Water Resources
Prof. Ogunlade Davidson (Just two weeks ago was approved to be Chairman of Sierra Leone Environmental & Protection Agency. He has served on a prestigious Nobel-winning UN Panel of Experts) - Yoruba


Just like our Prof Soyinka, Prof Ogunlade was a prestigious Nobel Winner, I think winning that Nobel thing is in our DNA.
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by ikeyman00(m): 8:42pm On Oct 21, 2009
@@@@@

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761587404/Blyden_Edward_Wilmot.html

british agent b/w the yorubas moslem and seirra leone cool cool cool cool from virgin island who claimed to be decendant of igbos

i think we already know
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by KnowAll(m): 8:48pm On Oct 21, 2009
british agent b/w the yorubas moslem and seirra leone from virgin island who claimed to be decendant of igbos

i think we already know



Claim to be Igbo yet cannot remember his family name, good try Michelle Obama is also Igbo.
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by ikeyman00(m): 8:56pm On Oct 21, 2009
igbos=akan;gbe??

ebos igbos= some yorubas??
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by udezue(m): 8:58pm On Oct 21, 2009
Knowall,
Hop off my nuts bitch.
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by ikeyman00(m): 8:58pm On Oct 21, 2009
^^^^^^

yes u are correct; in the same way yorubas claimed stuff here and there?

one thing certain some yorubas are ebos lipsrsealed
Re: The Lost Yoruba Tribe - Yoruba Muslims Of Sierra Leone by Beaf: 9:11pm On Oct 21, 2009
KnowAll:

The non Yorubas in Nigeria even though they have consiously or un-consiously adopted the culture of the yorubas like aso ebie and Igele which is now common currency across all over Nigeria should be grateful to the Yorubas for this contribution which is now seen as a national thing rather than a yoruba thing.

I am always very proud of being a Yoruba when I see Igbo women and Hausa women tie their Igele's in society weddings, I hope we will get more accolades from our Igbo and Huasa sisters from this unique dressing style that has been embraced by the whole nation.


On a lighter note. . .
The word "ikebe" is Urhobo, it is used all over the country. Which is more important, igele or ikebe? Ikebe wins every day! You go wound o!  grin grin grin

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