The Beginning of Sierra Leone

The first contacts that came upon Sierra Leone were the Portuguese in 1415, with was found by Pedro da Cintro. They were in the search for spices, fabrics, gold, and other commodities on their explorations.   

Two Portuguese with Manillas

The Portuguese originally built temporary forts along all of their trading routes including some in Sierra Leone to protect themselves from rival European Traders. This enabled them to trade commodities such as ivory, and gold which were among the most popular items. The Portuguese would sometimes even trade something as simple as kitchen utensils with the people of Sierra Leone to obtain these things.  In the 1600s, the Portuguese even contributed to the slave trade which supplied Europe and a few other countries with slaves. These were just few of the events which lead to the Portuguese to dominating the trade industry for about years.

                       Sapi-Portuguese Medium: Ivory

Unlike other settlers in Africa, the Portuguese experienced less of a culture sock in comparison to other settlers. It was said that many of the cities in Sierra Leone mimicked Europe’s, and the Portuguese belief in the magic, the super natural, and the way to cure illness were very similar to the practices of the people of Africa.  Many of the Portuguese men even married Sierra Leone women who were daughters of very important chiefs. These relationships not only created a bridge between the two groups, but it also created a cultural fusion between the two groups.

Many would say that the blending of the Portuguese and the people of Sierra Leone was very peaceful in comparison to other countries at the time, and the influence of the Portuguese can still be seen through Sierra Leone’s culture today.

Resources:

http://sierraleone365.com/scrolling-news/portuguese-were-the-predominant-europeans-in-early-sierra-leone

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/agex/hd_agex.htm

http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/africa-portugal

More Diamonds

Workers pan for diamonds in a government-controlled diamond mine near Kenema, Sierra Leone, on June 15, 2001.

Sierra Leone is known for being a mining country that yields natural resources such as bauxite, gold, rutile, but diamonds are the most popular that are yielded.

Sierra Leone is the 10^th largest producer of diamonds in the world. The country relies heavily on diamonds for revenue, and it is also responsible for half of the country’s export. During the countries 11 year civil war, the countries mining nearly came to a halt, and it’s affected the countries’ revenue exponentially.

Even though diamonds are one of the largest natural resources of Sierra Leone, they have not always been a blessing for the country. Blood diamonds (conflict diamonds) became a popular reference for the areas where diamonds originated which were used to fund military action opposed to the government, which field the war. This also enables the illegal trade that took place between groups with the diamonds.

 These blood diamonds also effected Sierra Leone’s people personally. Some of the people were enslaved in the means that they were made to gather diamonds at any means necessary for the opposing groups in the country.

This issue has also affected Sierra Leone’s trade. The Kimberley Process was produced in South Africa which is an agreement that promises and ensures that every diamond that they trade is not a diamond that helps fuel violence. The only issue with this is that Africa has not seen much relief from the trade of blood diamonds.

Overall, Diamonds remain one of Sierra Leone’s largest natural resources, and even though they come with many issues. They still fuel much of Sierra Leone’s revenue.

 References:

Armstrong, P. (2012, May 16). How Africa Fuels Africa's Conflict. Retrieved June 12, 2016, from http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/26/world/africa/blood-diamonds/

Sierra Leone. (2015). Retrieved June 12, 2016, from http://www.resourcegovernance.org/our-work/country/sierra-leone 

Myth and Religion : Sierra Leone

Muslims Reciting the Lord's Prayer

Throughout history Sierra Leone’s people were known to worship ancestors, the earth, and also many gods.  Not until a few hundred years ago this all started to change. Sierra Leone’s current religion diversity consists of Islam, Christianity, The Limba Religion, and some are also know to practice Interfaith Fusion.

Islamic practices have made a huge impact on Sierra Leone, ever since it was introduced in the 18^th century. In today’s society, 60 to 70 percent of the country’s population identify as Muslim. The reason why Islam was so widely accepted by the people of Sierra Leone was because of the similarities that existed between Islamic practices, and the traditional values of the people of Sierra Leone. The people seemed to gravitate to the fact that Islam accepted polygamy, and also regular prayer.

In comparison to Islam, Christianity has not had a huge effect on the people of Sierra Leone. Between 10 to 30 percent of the population identify as Christians in the small country. The majorities of the Christian community in Sierra Leone are protestant, and choose to follow a very strict church doctrine. Many of the people have not favored or chosen to follow the Christian life, because of the church’s rejection of the traditional practices. Many of the people who have a strong cultural identify are not able to accept the Christian lifestyle, and because of this standards, Islam is the more favorably choice for the people.

One of the most commonly known myths in response to religion is the Limba Religion. The Limba Religion was originally developed by the Limba people who are one of the oldest groups of people that were believed to be the first to inhabit Sierra Leone.  The Limba religion is based on folklore where the Limba people believed that they were placed here on earth by God, where he taught them how to grow food, perform certain task, responsible for Limba’s cultural values, and also was the one who provided them with their first chief. They also believe that this is why there is a significant logistic difference between people the Limba and other languages. The Limba people religion connects them to all aspects of their life. They also believe in sacrifices, celebrations, and the supernatural is an important part of their lives. In today's, culture some can even witness some Limba people following Christianity and also Islam in certain areas in Sierra Leone

Interfaith fusion is commonly practiced in Sierra Leon, because of the freedom people have to choose and change their religion at any time. Many of the people in Sierra Leone have adopted practices from each religion, and use it in their very own life. For example, a Muslim person can be seen praying in a Christian church and vice versa, and people can be seen switching from different religions frequently.

References:

- Manson, Katrina/ Knight, James/ McClanahan, Piage (CON). Bradt Sierra Leone. Globe Pequot Pr,   2013. Page 37

- Clark, Agatha, and Demand Media. "Religion and Beliefs of Sierra Leone | The Classroom | Synonym." Religion and Beliefs of Sierra Leone | The Classroom | Synonym. Web. 02 June 2016.

 

Sierra Leone - The Art & Music

Art:

The Mende people of Sierra Leone associated the art with different aspects of their lives. These events included political standings, protection, and even religious ceremony. The people of Sierra Leone would use raw materials such as wood, ivory, stone, and even some clothe work to make the art pieces that we are able to study today.

Many believed that the male figure below represented passed ancestors of the people who created it. These figures were typically made out of soapstone or steatitie, and were usually found in shrines and caves by the local people. These statues were said to be placed in the fields in order to bring on a prosperous season for the crops, but if the people experienced a bad season they would whip the figures so that the next year would be a good one.

Conakry, Sierra Leone;
Nomoli Style

Male figure

15th-17th century

Steatite)

Wood Figure of the Mende People

The pictures below are mask that have been worn by senior women of the Sande society in Sierra Leone. The Sande is an all women group that used mask like this as a rights of passage for girls into in adult hood, and each mask was carved to represent different aspects of beauty. These masks were commonly made out of cotton wood, and other fibers that could be found in the area. 

      Sowei helmet mask, collected in 1886,

 raffia palm fibre and cotton wood,

 43 x 25 cm,  Sierra Leone 

MENDE
BUNDU HELMET MASK 75

Music: 

Sierra Leone’s music as a whole is  inspired by French, British, Krio, and also native influences. The most commonly known representation of these mixtures are know as Palm wine, Gumbre, Afropop, and modern.

Palm wine which is also know as Maringa is western Africa is a mixture of styles used from freed slaves of the Carribean and also Calyso from Trinidad. It is commonly played with a guitar, but can also be arranged with other instruments. 

Gumbre is a style of music in Sierra Leone that is closely related to Milo jazz. Milo jazz came about when the people of Sierra Leone would fill empty Milo cans with stones, and use the jars as  percussion for the music.

Sierra Leone has many other music that has inspired it’s cultures in many ways. These are just two examples of the many influences that the music of Sierra Leone has upon it’s people.

References:

Man stone figure

https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/chapters/ancient-africa/sierra-leone-stone-figure/  

Ceremonial Mask

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-africa/west-africa/sierra-leone/a/sowei-mask-sierra-leone

Sierra Leone’s Music

http://www.africanseer.com/african-articles/229992-sierra-leone-music.html

music

Sierra Leone's Geography

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            Sierra Leone is a young nation located in the northern and western hemisphere of Africa. Its coast consists entirely of the Atlantic Ocean. Sierra Leone’s location provides the perfect accommodations form tourist which brings an abundance of revenue for the nation. Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown is the largest city, and is located 8.4657° N, 13.2317°. Freetown is also home to one of the major ports on the Atlantic Ocean. This provides easy accessibility to and from the nation.

-           Sierra Leon’s landscape varies in many ways. Its name is Portuguese for “Lion Mountains”, which was given to explain the great mountains that inhabit Sierra Leone east. Mount Bintimani which stands at 6,391 ft. is the highest point of the nation, and the rest of Sierra’s landscape consists of farmlands, forest, bush, and even beaches. Which is also accompanied by water resources such as the Rokel, Taia, Sewa , and Moa Rivers. And, also the Atlantic Ocean which is the largest.

-          Sierra Leone’s wildlife also includes elephants, hippopotamuses, Bogo antelope, and leopards to name a few. It is also home to Outamba-Kilimi the only control savanna and national park in Sierra Leon.  Which protects and houses many of the wildlife listed above.

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-           Sierra Leone is know for having extreme climate changes through the year that can effect many factors for the people who inhabit the nation. Sierra Leone can experience extreme climate changes such as  droughts, heatwaves, and inconsistent rainfall to name a few. With the unpredictable and highly inconsistent climate patterns in Sierra Leon. Crop production and disease can reek havoc in the nation.  

Scientist believe that the extreme climate change plays a huge role in the risk of Ebola in Sierra Leon. With the weather changes, food becomes scarce and people begin looking for other options for food. One of these options include people eating bush meat ( wild animals) which are most commonly known to carry the disease, with in return infects the people who are consuming it. With bush meat being the more plentiful means for food, it increases the disease rate and morality among the people of Sierra Leon.

-          “With climate change expected to put increasing pressure on food security in Africa, food shortages will push more people to alternative food sources and consumption of bush meat, like bats, will likely increase,” (Kris Murray, senior research scientist at EcoHealth Alliance). 

      With the climate becoming more erratic as time goes on, harsh times are expected to develop upon the nation, and Africa as a whole once again. 

    References:
    Visit Sierra Leone Nature and Wildlife Reference:
    https://www.visitsierraleone.org/attractions/nature-and-wildlife/Outamba-Kilimi-National-Park.html

    How Climate Change is Exacerbating the Spread of Disease Reference:
    http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2014/09/04/how-climate-change-is-exacerbating-the-spread-of-disease/
   
    World Atlas Reference:
    http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/africa/sierraleone/slland.htm