Gio people

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.

History

According to tradition, the Dan and other Mande-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 know 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.

Economy

A people of war, the Dan have long pursued both agriculture and hunting, as they are 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 crops 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.

Culture

The Gio or Dan language 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.

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 to Individual 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. Honorary 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.

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 mancala board games.

References

• http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people/Dan.html