I am from a tribe called Uneme
Located at the Northern part of Edo state

and we speak a language by that name or 'Ineme'
it is one of the Edoid languages,


We number only about 25,000
and i don't think in the nearest future that number is going to increase

i don't kno who to blame;
My Parents
Our fore-fathers
or
the 'White Men'

Most of my generation can't evn speak the Language,
What a Dilemma
Soon my Tribe would be non-existent with no history watsoever
Gotta Do smthing

Someone out there
Someone serious
Some Advice!!

quick, let's start procreation and teahing them to speak the lingo

Who is the largest Edoid group? The Bini? How is it that the Edoids descended so fast from being possibly the most influential group in Nigeria during the stand of the Benin Kingdom/Empire to being a group with nearly no influential power in Nigerian politics today? The span in time between then and now is not all that great. That was a rather rapid descent. The Bini were once a dominant very powerful group in Nigeria, who's political stability and militaristic size of hundreds of thousands in rank, and obedience of raved precision and professionalism by the Portuguese, made advisories shiver and serenader upon their very presence upon their lands, and now one hardly ever hears about them.

How is it that a people with millenia of success at running one of the worlds most organised and revered civilizations can have NO political influence in Nigeria today? It would seem obvious to me that the Nigerian project would have attempted to tap into this groups wealth of political organization knowledge in the grass roots of the development of this nation.

lol@2legit

@Hero
i really dont understand where you are coming from,
But the thing is; most of my tribe people didnt allow
inter-Marriage, they wanted their skill secret to be kept
within the tribe,
But as modernity dawned on us, people started inter marryin
i guess thats when things, cultural values began to get misplaced

You can hardly see two 'Unemes' marry these days
i kno my husband wont be Uneme Sef,
Both my Parents are , but thats where it ends
i dont kno any one of my generation that have married 'Uneme-Uneme'

God Help Us.

Soon my Tribe would be non-existent with no history watsoever
Gotta Do smthing

Languages and cultures are not mean to last forever. They are meant to be transformed by every generation.
Write a book about your tribe and your culture, and it will exist forever in libraries, as a source of knowledge.

I always thought Unemes were Bini people anyway!

Who is the largest Edoid group? The Bini? How is it that the Edoids descended so fast from being possibly the most influential group in Nigeria during the stand of the Benin Kingdom/Empire to being a group with nearly no influential power in Nigerian politics today? The span in time between then and now is not all that great. That was a rather rapid descent. The Bini were once a dominant very powerful group in Nigeria, who's political stability and militaristic size of hundreds of thousands in rank, and obedience of raved precision and professionalism by the Portuguese, made advisories shiver and serenader upon their very presence upon their lands, and now one hardly ever hears about them.

How is it that a people with millenia of success at running one of the worlds most organised and revered civilizations can have NO political influence in Nigeria today? It would seem obvious to me that the Nigerian project would have attempted to tap into this groups wealth of political organization knowledge in the grass roots of the development of this nation.

Stop bastardizing history, they were only dominant in the area where they occupied. When they were married with other groups, they are easily outnumbered.

I always thought Unemes were Bini people anyway!

well we r not

@Seun
yeah,, i guess writing a book will do smthing
but then, u can sit pretty cos yoruba dosnt look like its goina fade any moment frm now.

I would not be bothered even if Yoruba was going to fade. My identity is independent of my grandparents' culture.

Wundaful to hear Seun
but dont u have a Sense of Family roots
u want to be alone in this world

Naijacutee,
thanks oh
im ashamed of myself too cos im among the generation that can't evn speak the lingo
i understand a few words but it just aint enoff

God Help US

I Dont Want To BE EXtinct!!!!

would not be bothered even if Yoruba was going to fade.  My identity is independent of my grandparents' culture.

Seun, culture is mearnt to last forever, otherwise God will not have created it in the first place. It is essence of who we are. It is our wholeness. So for you to say that you do care about your parent's culture is not too correct.

Gamine,
I think the world is going back to Babel language-wise. There are so many languages that are endangered. Blame it on the English language! However, like someone said try and document it both sound and written. If you can, pesuade the politicians to teach the language in the your area at the primary school level as a second laguage. It will help in creating awareness. Hopefully it may become a widely spoken language like welsh and hebrew.

Good luck.

would not be bothered even if Yoruba was going to fade.  My identity is independent of my grandparents' culture.

Seun, culture is mearnt to last forever, otherwise God will not have created it in the first place. It is essence of who we are. It is our wholeness. So for you to say that you do care about your parent's culture is not too correct.

Gamine,
I think the world is going back to Babel language-wise. There are so many languages that are endangered. Blame it on the English language! However, like someone said try and document it both sound and written. If you can, pesuade the politicians to teach the language in the your area at the primary school level as a second laguage. It will help in creating awareness. Hopefully it may become a widely spoken language like welsh and hebrew.

Good luck.

There are 24 major Edoid dialects in Nigeria

1. ADUGE [ADU]. Kwara State, Oyi LGA.

2. DEGEMA. Rivers State, Degema LGA. Dialects: ATALA, USOKUN (KALA DEGEMA).

3. EDO (BINI, BENIN, ADDO, OVIEDO, OVIOBA) Bendel State, Ovia, Oredo, and Orhionmwon LGA's.

4. EMAI-IULEHA-ORA (KUNIBUM, IVBIOSAKON) [EMA] Dialects: IVHIMION, EMAI, IULEHA, ORA. Dialect cluster.

5. ENGENNI (NGENE, EGENE) [ENN]. Rivers State, Ahoada and YenagoaLGA's. Dialects: EDIRO, INEDUA, OGUA.

6. EPIE (EPIE-ATISSA) [EPI]. Rivers State, Yenagoa LGA. Dialect: ATISA (ATISSA). Most speakers are bilingual in Ijo.

7. ERUWA (EROHWA, ERAKWA, AROKWA) [ERH] Bendel State, Isoko LGA. Related to Urhobo. Most speakers are bilingual in Central Isoko, which is replacing Eruwa. Not intelligible with any Isoko dialect.

8. ESAN (ISHAN, ISA, ESA, ANWAIN) [ISH] Bendel State, Agbazilo, Okpebho LGA's. Dialects: EKPON, IGUEBEN. Many dialects, apparently inherently intelligible.

9. GHOTUO (OTWA, OTUO) [AAA]. Edo State, Owan and Akoko-Edo LGA's.

10. IKPESHI (IKPESHE, EKPESHE) [IKP] Bendel State, Etsako LGA.

11. ISOKO Delta State, Isoko and Ndokwa LGA's.
12. IVBIE NORTH-OKPELA-ARHE [ATG]. Edo State, Etsako and Akoko-Edo LGA's. Dialects: IVBIE NORTH (IBIE NORTH), OKPELA (OKPELLA, UKPELLA, UPELLA), ARHE (ATTE, ATE).

13. IYAYU (IDOANI) [IYA]. Ondo State, one-quarter of Idoani town. The people are sometimes called 'Idoani'.

14. OKPAMHERI (OPAMERI) [OPA]. Edo State, Akoko-Edo LGA. Dialects:OKULOSHO (OKUROSHO), WESTERN OKPAMHERI, EMHALHE (EMARLE, SOMORIKA,SEMOLIKA). Subdialects of Okulosho: Ojirami (Eekunu),Dagbala (Dangbala), Oja (Oza), Makeke (Uuma), Oma. Subdialects of WesternOkpamheri: Ekpe, Bekuma, Lankpese (Lampese, Lankpeshi), Ibillo (Ibilo), Imoga (Imorga, Uma), Eko (Ekon, Ekor), Ikaran-Oke(Ikeram-Oke), Ebunn-Oke, Ikaran-Ele (Ikeran-Ile, Ebunn-Ugbo, Ikpesa,Igbo-Ola-Sale (Ugboshi-Sale), Aiyegunle (Oshi), Igbo-Ola-Oke(Ugboshi-Oke), Onumo (Onumu), Ogugu, Ogbe-Sale, Ogbe-Oke. Emhalhe may be a separate language.

15. OKPE [OKE]. Delta State, Okpe LGA. Distinct from Okpe-Idesa-Oloma-Akuku, which is Northwestern Edoid.

16. OKPE-IDESA-OLOMA-AKUKU [OKP] Edo State, Akoko-Edo LGA. Dialects:OKPE, IDESA, OLOMA, AKUKU. Oloma may be a separate language. Differentfrom Okpe which is Southwestern Edoid.

17. OSOSO [OSS]. Edo State, Akoko-Edo LGA.

18. SASARU-ENWAN IGWE (SASARU) [SSC]. Edo State, Akoko-Edo LGA.

19. UHAMI (ISHUA) [UHA]. Ondo State, Akoko South and Owo LGA's.

20. UKUE-EHUEN (EKPENMI, EKPENMEN, EPINMI) [UKU] including Ehuen, Ukue. Ondo State, Akoko South LGA. Dialects: UKUE, EHUEN. Crozier andBlench 1992 treat Ukue and Ehuen as separate languages.

21. UNEME (ULEME, ILEME, INEME) [UNE]. Edo State, Etsako, Agbazilo, and Akoko-Edo LGA's. Ghotuo-Uneme-Yekhee.

22. URHOBO. Delta State, Ethiope and Ughelli LGA's. Dialects: AGBARHO, ISOKO

23. UVBIE ("EVHRO", UVHRIA, UVWIE, EVRIE, EFFURUN). Delta State, Ethiope LGA. Related to Urhobo.

24. YEKHEE (ETSAKO, ETSAKOR, AFENMAI, IYEKHEE, "KUKURUKU". Edo State,Etsako, Agbako, and Okpebho LGA's. Ghotuo-Uneme-Yekhee. Dialects: AUCHI, UZAIRUE, SOUTH IBIE, UWEPA-UWANO (WEPPA WANO), AVIANWU (FUGAR),AVIELE, IVHIADAOBI.

it sure is ,
and thats all i cld find on Edo and Edoid languages

Gamine,

I am going to keep it real with you. You say you got a serious problem.

I see you got access to the internet.

In a word: Technology. Record your tribe.

How do you get the funding to do such a thing? Camera's paid for etc, eh?

I don't know maybe start a writing campaign to Oprah Winfrey, Bill Cosby, Bill Clinton, Puff Daddy, etc. All of them have freely available emails and contact address's over the web.

Sumthin like the whiteboy did in the movie: Shawshank redemption. A letter a day.

When the time comes, what you have written, recorded, put in pictures will be in Muesems. Your tribe may not survive but the memory of them will.

I know the Continental African anscestors of mine, who first entered America, would be shocked to see the way their works are treated as treasures in this modern world.

thanks, Drusilla

I see you got access to the internet.

why r u talkn like i just jumped outta the bush

yeah i guess i'll try as much as possible to record them
and to publish anything i can find

i see , i see , i see

Gamine,

Sorry, I was just saying from my position, I think you have the power in your hands to help with this problem. I meant no harm.

i guess

i no u meant no harm

im still in sch and i have a lot of personal projects
i think i'lll just add this to the list and try to generate interest in my group

thanks tho

You can create a website about the tribe, too. Or a blog on blogger.com.

Gamine,

No problem. I just want to be careful not to trivialize what must be a hard issue for you.

Your welcome. Smile.

im smiling

This beautiful piece, 16th century
called Iyoba

. . and its in a foreign museum.

It was stolen from Nigeria by the colonialists

Yeah,
they stole it
they also crumbled our civilization

@ Gamine
Honey, i'm so proud of you, just for the fact that you're trying to keep your roots alive,its not easy. But hey should anything happen and you guys end up going extinct, go with your shoulders high because you did try to make a differnce, that's a genius act which makes you a genius. I wish you all the luck in the world and hope your heart's desire be fulfilled, AMEN

@ naijacutee
Sweetheart, i didn't acyually know that, now i'm more convinced than ever that we have to take that vaccation together so you can fill me in on some of our family background, i'm lost,,,,,,,,
Now expect my mail soonest, just had to collect full data to come up with our usual read-til-your-eyes-buldge mails,,,,hehehe

@Gamine

Last I checked, that face was from Bini!

Yup, that looks like some bini stuff.

I too can't speak my lingo. But i don't feel the loss as keenly as gamine probably does. it's just one of those things that one never gets to do, besides, i never was one for the village scene.

Word is, My granny told my mum ot to bring us (the kids) to the village for fear of witchcraft. an entirely laughable reason, i admit, but works for me!

and no, i dont think i'll go 'extinct' even if my tribe fades into obscurity

@Donzman, yeah
its bini
but we originated from the same pot,

Thanks so much Cute-ass
its not easy

Texazzpete,
i just want to be able to have a root in my lineage
i dont know, if they fade into obscurity,
i do hope to do smthing that wld atleast make it known that
there was once a tribe Uneme, strong and proud keepers of the land

im goina get the link for the full history of the Edo people , u'll be surprised at whut u read.

Interesting Topic.

"Uneme" sounds like "Onome" . I'm sure i've got some of the ppls Blood. Anyway @Gamine, u really shouldn't be too worried in da xtinction of your ethnic group, after all da Uneme Blood is preserved in the various mixed marriages d uneme's have been involved in.

Fashi all that preservation of pure tribal ancestry, who's pure even self, i claim to be Yoruba and i just might have some "Fulani" ,"Igbira","Takpa", ""Igbo" or "Uneme" Blood .

Moreover, the strong cultural relationship between da yorubas and the Binis/Edos is another reason u shouldn't bother. your blood line definately is preserved in the yoruba and vice versa. Remember the "Oranmiyan" Story.

End of Story, 4 me , nothings equals being a universal citizen, made up of various cultural traits from around da world.

The more reason u should consider marrying me.