WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

HIST 490

FALL 2002

I. INDIGENOUS LITERATURE:

The Oral Tradition: Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali

Using this oral tradition recorded by D.T. Niane and TWO sources of your choice, DESCRIBE the culture of the Mande Speakers at the time of the founding of the Empire of Mali. Use the culture in which Sundiata was born, at Niani in the Kingdom of Kangaba looking for the following:

Language, government, religion, education, maintaining any type of records of the past, environmental effects on culture, art, music, literature, and Moral Values that might include reverence for elders, truth, beauty, loyalty, bravery, sympathy, kindness, hospitality, and whatever else you see within the document.

Use the two sources of your choice to try to VERIFY the cultural statements that you make based upon the oral tradition. Also include any observations you have on the accuracy of the oral tradition or comparisons to culture today in the area.

II. MODERN LITERATURE:

A. Literature in French: Dark Child: An Autobiography

Camara Laye writes in French about life in Guinea at the time of colonization. Using the novel and TWO sources of your choice, DESCRIBE indigenous Culture of this ethnic group in terms of the following:

Language, government, religion, education, maintaining any type of records of the past, environmental effects on culture, art, music, literature, and Moral Values that might include reverence for elders, truth, beauty, loyalty, bravery, sympathy, kindness, hospitality, and whatever else you see within the document.

DESCRIBE Colonial Cultural Expectations in these same terms.

COMPARE/CONTRAST indigenous culture with the new hybrid (Colonial) culture.

B. Literature in English: The Joys of Motherhood

Buchi Emecheta writes in English about life in Nigeria at the time of colonization. Using the novel and TWO sources of your choice, DESCRIBE Rural Culture of this ethnic group in terms of the following:

Language, government, religion, education, maintaining any type of records of the past, environmental effects on culture, art, music, literature, and Moral Values that might include reverence for elders, truth, beauty, loyalty, bravery, sympathy, kindness, hospitality, and whatever else you see within the document.

DESCRIBE Urban Colonial Culture in these same terms.

COMPARE/CONTRAST the cultural values of the rural and urban communities.

COMPARE/CONTRAST indigenous culture with the new hybrid (Colonial) urban culture

EACH PAPER SHOULD

1. BE A MINIMUM OF FIVE (5) PAGES

2. INCLUDE A BIBLIOGRAPHY INCLUDING THE WORK OF LITERATURE.

3. BE TYPED, USING NORMAL FONT AND MARGINS

4. USE PROPER FOOTNOTE CITATIONS WHERE APPLICABLE

III. THE RESEARCH

A Choose one country and from within that country one ethnic group, e.g. there are three major ethnic groups within Nigeria (Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo). Only one person per ethnic group, but there may be more than one person per country.

Selection may be taken from these groups in West Africa :

Bamana (Bambara) or Dogon of Mali

Mossi of Burkina Faso

Senufo or Baule of Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire)

Mende of Guinea, Sierra Leone, & Liberia

Gola , Bassa, Dan, or Vai of Liberia

Akan of Ghana

Bamenda of Cameroon

Beni of Nigeria (City State of Benin)

In East Africa:

Kikuyu of Kenya

Amhara or Oromo of Ethiopia

In Southern Africa:

Matabele, Xhosa, Tswana, Sotho of South Africa

Shona of Zimbabwe

• Sources on art, music, and literature for this group of people should include all of the following types:
• Journals-e.g. African Arts-I have a few, but I do have the back order list so you can see if your group is included and order it inter-library loan (which means that they will send you a xerox copy)
• MONOGRAPHS such as the Frank Willett, African Art; Francis Bebey, African Music: A People's Art; Barbara Browning, Infectious Rhythm; Henry John Drewal and Margaret Thompson Drewal, Gelede: Art and Female Power among the Yoruba Tamara Northern has written several on the Bamenda in the Grasslands of Cameroon, AND/OR OTHERS on Religion, Philosophy, Oral Tradition, and Literature
• The Internet

• Research and Analysis should follow the pattern of the course. Include an explanation of indigenous cultural traits and/or phenomena for the ethnic group of choice which is followed by the historical changes wrought through European Cultural Imperialism (in the case of Liberia American Cultural Imperialism) forcing the ethnic group to participate in a modern "national" culture (the concept of nation state is a European Construct).



• Minimum of five typed pages
• MUST INCLUDE A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SOURCES CONSULTED AND CITED
• When discussing works of art/musical instruments or performance should include a copy of a picture
• Should address indigenous cultural components of
• Language
• Art
• Music/masking performance
• Religion/masking performance
• Literature-oral tradition, fables, legends, stories
• Philosophy
• Education
• Should analyze the impact of European cultural domination which creates a new "national" culture including
• Language
• Art
• Music
• Religion
• Literature
• Philosophy
• Education

IV. THE ORAL PRESENTATION

A. AUTHOR, AUTHOR

When doing your research, find either an author of your ethnic group or from your country to introduce to the class. I prefer that no two people have the same person. SIGN UP FOR THE AUTHOR IN MY OFFICE. Introduce the author (personal background) and his/her works-genre of writing, message generally communicated by his/her works. If in doubt ASK.

B. THE RESEARCH

Oral presentation of your research findings-to be defined later.