Submissions/Tradition and customs in the chieftainship of west Cameroon (Bafoussam)
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This is an Off-topic disqualified submission for Wikimania 2014. |
- Submission no. 9042
- Title of the submission
- Tradition and customs in the chieftainship of west Cameroon (Bafoussam)
- Type of submission (discussion, hot seat, panel, presentation, tutorial, workshop)
- Presentation
- Author of the submission
- Georges Fodouop
- E-mail address
- georges_fodouop@yahoo.fr
- Username
- geugeor
- Country of origin
- Cameroon
- Affiliation, if any (organisation, company etc.)
- Douala French Institut of Cameroon (Institut Français du Cameroun - Douala)
- Personal homepage or blog
- Abstract (at least 300 words to describe your proposal)
Cameroon is a country in Central Africa. It has ten regions among which there is the western region with the Bamileke people. Mifi is one department among the several departments we find in the west region. It is in this department that belong the village called Bafoussam. Like any other village in Cameroon, Bafoussam has a history and an internal structure. 1. History of Bafoussam Like the other people in the western region who are called the Bamileke, the bafoussam people are the descendants of Egypt, and they have developed themselves over the years under the authority of several chiefs who sometimes played the role of conqueror. 2. Internal structure We can see that the internal structure of Bafoussam chieftainship, like other Bamileke chieftainships, is hierarchical and can be compare to the structure of a state.
We have:
• The Chief: who is the king, the central figure at the top We shall present his appointment, his powers and prerogatives, as well as different people or authorities surrounding him, or who follow him while exercising his power (his staff, great headmen, counselors, servants, and why not the place of women in traditional chieftainship)
• the customary societies We shall present the different strata or organizations of Bafoussam traditional chieftainship (the descendants of the chief, the headmen council, the various secret societies, ...), access conditions. All these factors have a predominant role in the functioning of the chieftainship and help to strengthen the power and authority of the Chief.
• The judicial institutions (different jurisdictions, means and different procedures to complain to the chief)
• Religion and belief (several practices, totems, rituals, sacrifices, alliances are made to honor gods. people believe in a supreme god with whom they enter into relationship through these different uses).
• Masks, sculptures and art objects: their places and their meanings.
- Track
- Length of session (if other than 30 minutes, specify how long)
- 30 minutes
- Will you attend Wikimania if your submission is not accepted?
- No
- Slides or further information (optional)
- Slides and informations
- Special requests
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