INTER-TRIBAL MARRIAGES: IMPLICATIONS ON THE CULTURE AND TRADITIONS OF AKURMI PEOPLE- by Benjamin Kadoh David (Karku-Mariri)

The cultural heritage of every kind of people remains a valuable treasure. Therefore, to ensure its continuous existence among the people of any tribe, society or country, threats of elimination to such cherished cultural treasures must be identified and possibly checked.

However, if everything about the culture of a people will be eliminated, the language being an encoded tool of communication should be preserved by all possible means. Likewise, the food and cultural attires should be preserved because these go a long way in depicting their identity. In this paper, an attempt has been made to x-ray the extent to which inter-tribal marriage has affected the stability of the culture and traditions of the Akurmi within the ambit of globalization.

The Issue

What is inter-tribal marriage?

This is simply a marriage between individuals of different tribes. Inter-tribal marriage became a common practice among the Akurmi’s from the late 20^th century till date. In such cases the families possibly comprises of an Akurmi father and a mother from another tribe. No doubt that in such a family the possibility of preserving the core Akurmi cultural values are crippled. No wonder this practice among the  Akurmi pose a threat of elimination of their  rich cultural values.

We cannot deny the fact that inter-tribal marriage enhances unity and nation-building in a country like Nigeria. It goes a long way in strengthening our oneness. Inter-tribal marriage is made possible by agreement that goes a long way to subdue differences in cultures and traditions of the families involved in such a union, they both come to terms in acceptance of good moral behaviour.

Yet I am compelled to consider the predicament of a child (son or daughter) of an Akurmi father, and probably a Bajju mother who cannot speak the Akurmi language and is less interested in learning- putting into consideration the Nigerian lifestyle where fathers are traditionally busy,  thus spends little or no time with their families.  This Akurmi father may wish his child to learn how to speak the language, but has no time to teach the child.  

The mother who inculcates the “mother tongue” in the child would have been using a different language to communicate. No wonder some children grow up without any reference to a defined mother tongue.  That is a typical instance, depicting how culture and traditions of a people go by with the preceding generations, while the succeeding generations have no reference to the roots of originality of their fore fathers.

Inter-tribal marriages is among the numerous factors that contribute to the disappearance of the culture and traditions of a people, particularly among the  Akurmi people and should be taken cognizance of by the vibrant Akurmi youth that are matured and responsible enough to indulge in any relationship leading to marriage.  Being of the same tribe, sharing the same values and traditions, and possibly a common mentality, which may just be altered by individual differences, guarantees a greater measure of compatibility   and fruitfulness of any relationship between the Akurmi young men and women. Yet, I pause to ask, why do the Akurmi young men prefer to bring ladies from other tribes as wives, and the Akurmi ladies prefer going out with men coming from outside the tribe?

With this reality, I doubt our slogan “Sano Dote Wa Chiye Tati Ne Ubosa”; because am compelled to ask where the unity is, when an Akurmi young man will not be happy and ready to do anything to have an Akurmi lady as a wife. On this issue, so many of our  youths have their individual opinions, but whatsoever it is, our unity as a people is seen in our love for each other which will eventually breed more of Akurmi families where the language will remain one among other cultural heritage to be handed down to succeeding generations.

A call to the Akurmi gentle man (B’nyane) and the lady (B’shia) – I say, “ fall in love, never let pride interfere with the trend of building great and peaceful Akurmi families, where Dad and Mum speak the language and inculcates the rich cultural values in their kids”. We cannot deny the fact that not all Akurmi men will take an Akurmi lady for a wife, and not all Akurmi ladies will take an Akurmi man for a husband. A greater percentage of Akurmi mother-father families will go a long way in nurturing the continual existence of our rich culture and traditions through succeeding generations.

It’s not enough to say “I am Akurmi”, lets live Akurmi. Nguade.