Mijikenda peoples

Mijikenda Kaya Forests *
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Country	Kenya
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iii, v, vi
Reference	1231
Region **	Africa
Inscription history
Inscription	2008 (32nd Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO

The Mijikenda ("the nine tribes") are the nine ethnic groups along the coast of Kenya, from the border of Somalia in the north to the border of Tanzania in the south. Archaeologist Chapuruka Kusimba contends that the Mijikenda formerly resided in coastal cities but settled in the hinterlands of the area to avoid submission to dominant Portuguese forces in control.^[1]Historically, these ethnic groups have been called the Nyika or Nika by outsiders. It is a derogatory term meaning "bush people." Of the nine ethnic groups, the Digo are also found in Tanzania due to their proximity to the common border.

Each of the mijikenda groups has a sacred forest called the Kaya: a place of prayer conducted by selected elders of the specific group. Kaya forests are a World Heritage Site.[1] Mijikenda people are also known for creating wooden kigango funerary statues for which there is an illegal international market.

The Mijikenda include the Digo, Chonyi, Kambe, Duruma, Kauma, Ribe, Rabai, Jibana, and Giriama. Each have unique customs and language, although the languages are similar to each other and to Swahili.

References

1. ^ Gilbert, Erik, and Jonathan T. Reynolds. Africa in World History: From Prehistory to Present. New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2008, p.229

Mijikenda on World Culture Encyclopedia Mekatilili wa Menza

External links

The kaya forests in Kenya sacred sites listed by Unesco online video (14 min)