Krahn people
Total population | |
---|---|
214,000 | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Evangelical (3.5%) | |
Related ethnic groups | |
The Krahn are an
History
The Krahn arrived in an area of Liberia previously known as the "Grain Coast" as part of early 16th-century migrations from the northeast and what is now Ivory Coast.[5] This migration occurred due to pressure on local populations resulting from the emigration of ethnic groups from western Sudan after the decline of medieval empires, as well as an increase in regional wars.[6]
At the time, the African slave trade was becoming more prominent within Liberia. Some Kru subgroups were sold into slavery by their neighbours, but it was more common for the Krahn and other coastal peoples in Liberia to serve as local traders, brokering deals within the Western slave market. Many Kru committed suicide rather than face enslavement.[6][7]
Liberian Civil Wars
During the late 1970s, Liberia faced heated civil unrest in which opposition to the
This rise in status led many Krahn speakers to move to the capital, Monrovia. Doe began showing favoritism to the Krahn, particularly to those from his own tribal group. These measures included appointing members of the Krahn's ethnic kin from Ivory Coast, known more commonly as the Wee, to the Executive Mansion Guard, as well as taking steps to prevent people of other ethnicities from reaching key government positions.[5]
By 1985, Doe's response to his opposition created a large "anti-Doe" contingent.[8] In December 1989, exiles and local recruits began organizing military groups, resulting in another civil war against Doe and his Krahn supporters. As this war progressed, the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) began attacking Krahn civilians in Nimba and Grand Gedeh counties, destroying entire communities as they moved through the country.[5][8]
By mid-1990 the war had escalated, prompting foreign intervention. Doe was kidnapped and executed by opposition forces. Following the removal of the Doe regime and the continuation of the civil war, Krahn refugees began fleeing from Liberia to Ivory Coast, some taking the Krahn language with them.[8]
Although Doe was removed from power in 1990, the civil war did not officially end until 1996, at which time
In 2003, members of the Krahn tribe founded a rebel group, the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), opposing Taylor. The group disbanded as part of the peace agreement at the end of the second civil war.[5]
Recent history
The stability that followed the civil war has allowed the Krahn to resettle throughout the country. As of 2022, Krahn are typically found in Nimba, Grand Gedeh, and Sinoe counties, as well as Ivory Coast.[12]
Culture
Liberia's Krahn were originally hunters, fishermen and farmers, traditionally focusing on rice and cassava production. Slow or failing development of regions with many Krahn settlers led many of the younger Krahn generations to migrate to areas such as Monrovia.
Early political structures
Early Krahn political organizations were traditionally decentralized in both Liberia and Ivory Coast.[5] [unreliable source?] The tribes often lacked a central governing power, instead turning to a village "headman" who rose to a position of social esteem through skill, hard work, and luck in hunting and farming. These individuals often formed councils consisting of young warriors for protection and village elders to serve as consultants in village affairs. This governing group would broker trades with neighboring tribes, as well as make important decisions for the tribe members.[13] [unreliable source?]
Within these tribal groups, it was not uncommon for ceremonial face masks to serve dual roles in rituals and politics. These masks were often modeled after animals and were utilized in community mediations. They may also have been a means of implementing social control in the years prior to adoption of Western laws during the colonial period.[15]
Religion
Many Krahn people believe that objects have spirits or souls (animism). The Wee of Ivory Coast also believe that the natural world is made up of "bush spirits."[13] These spirits are part of the world untouched by man, and the Wee believe that keeping these spirits appeased is vital to the health of the tribe. Whenever new land requires cultivating for fields or expansion, or when tribesmen needed to venture outside the village, it becomes necessary to make offerings to the spirits. It is further believed that the bush spirits take corporeal form in order to interact with the villagers and participate in ceremonies.[13] The Wee believe that the bush spirits can communicate with humans through dreams, often demanding ceremonial masks be created in their honor in either male or female form. These masks then serve a variety of functions, ranging from ritual ceremonies, entertainment, and focal points in moral stories to judicial and political controls. Typically, female masks are viewed as less imposing and more beautiful than male masks and are in turn used more for ritual and entertainment purposes, while the male masks are often more ferocious-looking and used in sociopolitical contexts. All Wee masks are believed to deflect sorcery, and many undergo shifts in their primary function during their lifetime.[17]
Language
The Krahn language is one of the
Some scholars further denote a difference between Eastern and Western Krahn, with Eastern variations typically spoken in northeast Liberia and Western Krahn spoken throughout Grand Gedeh County and Ivory Coast. As of 2020, there were approximately 99,000 Eastern Krahn speakers within Liberia, with an additional 100,000 Western Krahn speakers in Liberia and, according to a 1993 estimate, 12,000 in Ivory Coast.[12][19][18]
See also
- Ethnic groups in Africa
References
- ^ Johnston, Harry Hamilton (1906), Kru Woman 2, retrieved 17 May 2012
- ^ a b Joshua Project (n.d.), Krahn, Western of Cote d'Ivoire, retrieved 16 May 2012
- ^ Library of Congress (2004), Krahn (African people), retrieved 16 May 2012
- S2CID 143324010.
- ^ a b c d e f g Minority Rights Group International (2005), Liberia Overview, archived from the original on 3 June 2012, retrieved 17 May 2012
- ^ a b van der Kraaij, Fred P.M. (1983), The Open Door Policy of Liberia – An Economic History of Modern Liberia, Bremen: Im Selbstverlag des Museums, pp. 1–5, archived from the original on 2019-04-23, retrieved 2012-05-17
- Johnston, Harry H. (1906), Liberia, New York: Dodd, Mead, & Company, p. 110
- ^ a b c d Mackinlay, John; Alao, Abiodun (1995). "Liberia 1994: ECOMOG and UNOMIL Response to a Complex Emergency". Occasional Paper Series 2. Tokyo, Japan: United Nations University. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
- ^ Onishi, Norimitsu (7 December 2000). "In Ruined Liberia, Its Despoiler Sits Pretty". The New York Times.
- ^ Dwyer 2015, pp. 112–114.
- ^ Lidow 2016, p. 108.
- ^ a b c Krahn, Western at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)
- ^ a b c d e University of Iowa (1998), We Information, archived from the original on 11 April 2012, retrieved 17 May 2012
- ^ The Indianapolis Museum of Art (2012), Face Mask, retrieved 11 May 2012
- ^ Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University (n.d.), Bush Cow Mask, retrieved 16 May 2012
- ^ National Museum of African Art (2008), Krahn Mask, retrieved 17 May 2012
- ^ Curnow, K. (n.d.), African Art, retrieved 17 May 2012
- ^ ISBN 9780313332913. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
- ^ Krahn, Eastern at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)
Bibliography
- Dwyer, Johnny (2015). American Warlord. A true story. New York City: Vintage Books.
- Lidow, Nicholai Hart (2016). Violent Order. Understanding Rebel Governance through Liberia's Civil War. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.