Planting inspiration in the hearts of Nigerians to revive their native languages was not my goal when I sat at the registration table as a wide eyed, naiive freshman (fresher) with the first semester Yoruba language class schedule in front of me. Honestly, taking Yoruba for six college semesters with one summer of 5+ hours of class per day, all with the same group of 6 students was challenging. It was dulling at moments, wonderful at others. I persevered because my heart was in it. Nothing felt better than conveying a complex thought, like the dangers of nuclear weapon proliferation, in Yoruba. I am an adventurer, curious by nature and not afraid to take risks. Taking Yoruba was a risk but I knew that if I committed to it, I would see it through to the end. I consider currently living in Nigeria for 10 months the middle.
A film I just had the chance of viewing is bringing all of these thoughts to life. It was a fluke I actually made time to see it. A random guy at the Faculty of Arts invited me to the showing, saying he would really appreciate my input. “I will try to be there,” I said half-heartedly. I felt his pleas sincere so around 11:15 a.m. I moseyed through the wet, late morning heat to the Post-Graduate room in the Communications Language Arts department. Le Maletendu Colonial directed by Jean-Marie Terio is a documentary about mainly the German colonization of Namibia through the lens of Christian evangelism. It highlights the 1904 German genocide of the Herero people (something I had never even heard of before this film.) It talks about africa as a whole and how the colonial rulers destroyed the foundations of African culture in place of more “civilized” European methods. It left the impression that Africans need to do something to rediscover and develop their African-ness. I don’t think it took an Oyinbo from America speaking Yoruba to plant the idea in people’s heads that promoting Nigerians’ own roots and maintaining culture is important, but I am definitely a scare tactic.
Professors and teachers talk a lot about how Nigerian youths are not paying enough attention to their own cultures. Even your blog comments point to Nigerians’ widespread disregard towards speaking mother tongues. People say something needs to change, but what exactly and how? Is a blend of cultures bad? Descend the plane at Murtala Mohammed airport in Lagos and you will immediately see that Nigeria is a hybrid society, a combination (amulumola) of Euro-American with African. This is not a bad thing. After all, we do live in a completely connected, globalized world. People wear jeans, suits and ties in every country on this earth. This is all well and good as long as Nigerians don’t forget about their own cultures.
I am worried though. Iro and buba, hair weaving and amala are dissolving and being replaced by jeggings, wigs and french fries. Students in UI only wear “native” clothing, the beautiful, bright outfits made out of ankara fabrics, on Fridays.
If a Nigerian revival is necessary, what does it need to look like? What is lost that has to be found?
In the discussion after the film, a Nigerian girl said, “I agree with the fact that we need to do something to support our own cultures, but what should I do? I need specifics.” I don’t think the key to awakening Nigerian cultures lies in ephemeral, materialistic things, politics, religion or economics. You cannot just denounce Christianity, start worshiping all the Yoruba deities and call it a day, o pari! I think the change needs to be individual, personal and deep. It should be a deep conviction of the heart to be proud, passionate and persuasive about Africa’s goodness. In other words, I think Nigerians need to remind themselves about the Yoruba concept of “Omoluabi”. An omoluabi is a child of good breeding, peaceful disposition, good behavior, educated in traditions and an overall good person. An omoluabi definitely knows his native language and can converse well. He has utmost respect for elders–like his culture dictates–is not selfish, knows stories about the Ijapa (turtle) and helps out with housework. It is a compliment for any child to receive this title, a complex, deep definition of a good African child. It will make the parents especially proud, a testament to their parenting. Respecting and striving for Omoluabi is a honorable goal and I think it can be a specific thing Nigerian youth look to when they think about reviving their culture. It is okay for an omoluabi to wear jeans and Ed-Hardy t-shirts, as long as the Nigerian personality is still there under the Euro-American veneer…
I have unintentionally propelled myself into the international Nigerian stage as a a catalyst of a Nigerian culture renaissance. I am happy to be here and hope I can help make real changes, whatever those changes might be.
What do you all think about the concept of Nigerians losing their cultures? Do you think it’s true? if it is, is it a problem? What can people do to retake their cultural roots?
North of Lagos 
a friend ‘fatai’ remarked negatively at ui about students calling themselves ‘taylor’ or ‘charles’.
my dad discussed this issue with me way back in secondary school. Then, he noticed the disregard and dislike with which i, my friends, the community treat indigenous culture, attire and more. He told me never to forget where am from; he took me on a trip to our village (ilu wa) and he said: now this is your root. Until Nigerian sees nothing wrong in errors of an individual while trying to communicate in foriegn language and cry a big foul for every error made in native language (yoruba,hausa, igbo) then an orientation toward regaining our cultural value might be set in motion. We have nursery rhyme replete with values (ise ni ogun ise’) which are threatened into extinction by neglect and civilization… More can be said on this ‘oro po ninu iwe kobo’
In my opinion, you are absolutely CORRECT! I believe the problem lies in our heads! – Mixed up, that’s what most of us are!
These days, young couple give their children the most “ijinle-sounding” names, yet these children cannot and speak a sentence in Yoruba. It’s a shame! I’ve had friends asking me to have Yoruba holiday camps for their children. For some reason, they don’t like the situation but they continue to speak to their children in English only. For some, it’s an inferiority complex denied!
It does depend on each individual to decide whether or not he/she sees this as a problem and fix it if he/she believes it’s a problem. Some do not even speak to their children in yoruba erefe (slang) let alone Yoruba ijinle. The most upsetting part is grandparents who insist on speaking in english to their grandchildren! I think something has gone quite wrong. However, someone like you has “opened” a few eyes. Thanks for your interest in my language and “gingering” us to an awakening. God bless you.
I think this concern is not just local to Nigerian culture and applies all over the world; it’s definitely something that I think about and find a bit uneasy.
I think America is a quintessential example of it happening even more because immigrants come to the U.S., raise their kids here and a lot of their culture disappears as second and third generation kids continue to live in the U.S. as well. This happens especially if families don’t live in neighborhoods that are populated with people of the same ethnicity (i.e. Flushing with Chinese people) or if people who are native to certain cultures don’t have lots of friends to speak the language with.
It’s happening everywhere with languages literally disappearing all over the world.
I MISS YOU!
xx
I find this inspiring and certainly agree that all people in all corners of the globe should keep their culture. I am also impressed by your understanding of omoluabi!
I think crossing cultures just like cross breeding produces interesting offspring and opens doors to acceptance on all sides. If you examine the music scene in Nigeria you will awe at the variety of hybrids available.
I feel the culture is not lost. I am deeply Yoruba in every way that matters but I wear buba and shoro only once in several weeks as I commute by motorbikes and those are not exactly suited to my mode of transportation.
I also agree with you that it is not enough to revive culture or create cultural awareness without more emphasis on the positive aspects.
God bless you.
Cara, you are truly my hero. Seriously, I am a little ashamed that you can speak Yoruba better than I can. It’s quite impressive really.
First off, Have you seen another of Teno’s films called Afrique Je Te Plumerai?? The film is about his experiences growing up in Cameroun but it offers an interesting perspective on aftermath of colonialism in Africa.
Secondly, I see where you’re coming from on the whole culture issue. Granted, as many people have rightly pointed out, culture and the way it’s expressed is an ever evolving concept. The Yoruba tradition Like many other cultural traditions has had a love affair with borrowing from other influential traditions. For instance, the word for onion in Yoruba is alubosa, which is derived from the Arabic word al-basal. I don’t think that aspect of Yoruba culture is going to change anytime soon.
Personally, I’ve been told many times, that I speak Yoruba with a American accent. Usually the people who laugh at the way I speak, can’t even speak at all. I find it really ironic that I’ve learned more about Nigeria and Africa in the larger context by living in America. I gotspoken word piece so mad at one point that I actually wrote a about it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOOnAjc3gJo
So far one of the only solutions I’ve come up with it the development of language centers. A lot of romance languages like French and Spanish have Royal Academies that monitor the use of language and codify the proper methodology for grammar and pronunciation. I think all African languages need this.
All the best with your experiences.
-Tola
You must write about your Nigeria experience. I sent a message out to my twitterville followers commenting on how respectful you are of us in all your comments on our country, people and culture. I really like your candid and unbiased view.
One thing I observed during my stay in the US was that Spanish parents almost never spoke English to their kids. Yet said kids were also fluent in English, even if heavily accented in some cases. Turn around and look at the Nigerian community and it was rare to find offspring of Nigerian parents able to speak their native tongue. I soon came to realize this wasn’t just peculiar to those in the states, here in Nigeria a lot of children can’t speak their “language.”
I think Nigeria is evolving. Hopefully we won’t evolve away from or out of our rich heritage. I welcome change and Western influence I would like us to find a good balance between the two.
Hey I’m not giving up my french fries and I still love my iyan, efo, egusi and all the carbs you’ve talked about.
Wow, you have a great post. Maybe, you can help me with a situation that I am dealing with. I would like to visit Nigeria,however, I need a visa. And that is my problem. Maybe, you can give me some pointers on how I should go about getting a visa!!!
Sango
PS My skype is carlos44428(charles white)
Hello Cara (Titi),
You do have an intuitive insight into dimunition of Yoruba cultural values; however, I do question the basis on which you made that assertion. Culture is ever-evolving, an important aspect of culture is language and it morphs. For example, you do not hear the English speak in Old or Medieval English. As you might learnt in your sojourn, Yoruba culture is very liberal, flexible and dynamic. Allowance has to be made to cope with the modern times.
Ko si iyan nu, lo ro asha ati iwa yoruba… No shaking!
Titi,
Again, what a wonderful piece! As you rightly stated, cuture and language are very dynamic and evolve a lot over time but that does not mean they should be lost completely. Unfortunately, the yoruba culture and language is heading towards this direction and if something is not done to turn things around am afraid subsequent and future generations will not even know thier roots talk less of learning the culture or speaking the language. As somebody stated in one of the comments that Western Europeansm copied from the Greeks and other examples, but they never displace their roots, they still keep a lot of their culture. Take for example the Italian Americans, even though they are a major sector in the American populace, but they still preserve and keep their italian culture very much alive such as their unique names, unique foods and cuisines, and some still go and visit and even live in Italy to identify more with the Italian culture. Most Yorubas i believe are copying the western culture which is the norm with most languages, cultures and societies in general but if we adopt the ways of Italian Americans for example, our beloved culture and language will be here for a very long time.
Lou
Whenever the Black man’s memories of his root especially slavery poses enormous strain on his mental knack that is when he should draw strength from the scripture that says -“But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” – Matthew 5:44
http://www.continentalarticles.com
http://www.myopenpetition.com
I do not think the culture is in any danger among the youth, rather the changes stem from the adherence to the western culture.The world is so close to extend that what is being worn in America today can reach the African soil in a minute.
I am not worried by the language being spoken with other language being borrowed,after all, in America that I live I am besiege with different words that I have to ask my nephew in Germany what really they meant– “dem white folks” I was told means The white people in German,In Texas we have the Spanish language mixed with English language. It is a trend that do happen in every society that seeks advancement in education.Well also Swahili was not a language in Eastern part of Africa, rather was a combination of Arabic language and some native language mixed up.
So my dear Oyinbo/Yoruba lady I commend your effort to learn the most difficult language in West Africa in a short period and I hope you will spread it beyond Wisconsin border
I agree with you. A change needs to be done.
I keep trying to tell my fiance that when we have children he would only speak yoruba to them so that their father tongue would be strong and that they would be rooted in the yoruba culture well. His answer however is that he´ll mix english and yoruba together. That’s already a bad start to making a change! I hope by the time we have kids he´ll have a different perspective and he´ll realize that it´d be important for him to give his children a strong root to the yoruba language.
Ousmane Sembene’s film Xala, and Kwah Ansah’s film ‘Heritage Africa’ which was the 1989 winner of the ‘African Oscar’ (FESPACO) are a portrayal of the issues you raised in your article.
Going back to the roots is easier said than done and the intermingling of cultures makes it harder to separate.
Watch the films if you can, they offer some interesting insight into the culture of the African!
Hey Cara,
Your post is very interesting. I think that culture is an ever evolving thing. It is essentially a popularity contest. Something is created and is dulplicated by the wider society until it becomes the norm.
I think its selfish people to say African should not change and stay the same. Through history people have constantly copy other peoples cultures and then innovate and added on to it to make it their own.
The Middle eastern and egyptian empires that birthed complex human civilisation and culture were copied my the Greeks, who added onto them. The greeks were copied thoroughly by the Romans, who also added their own innovations. The romans were copied by the Western Europeansm, who added their own innovations. And the rest of the world is copying the west and are innovating themselves. That is the rule of culture and it should be accepted.
If Europeans did not copy and innovate from roman civilisation in the dark ages and renaissance, they would have still been running around in the forrests of europe fighting with swords, arrows and spears.
On the other hand the consequences of not copying more technology advanced cultures fast enough can be seen by the examples of failed empires and conquered kingdoms. From the native americans, to aborigines, to the early african kingdoms, to the chinese empire by europeans in the 20th century.
Basically, Africa and Nigeria should copy, infact, they should copy and then innovate from western culture as soon as possible.
It’s funny because I was just thinking about culture today, specifically my culture and also about a people’s culture as a whole. Sometimes I think we get it wrong when we talk about preserving a culture. It has and always will be dynamic. And it’s not just African culture that changes as a result of it’s interaction with the ‘West’, it’s everywhere. I don’t want to put it the wrong way, because I am for preserving and upholding my culture, but it really shouldn’t be a nostalgic thing. I am Yoruba, and I am living my culture. I unconsciously imbibed it from my parents as they did from theirs. It is the same culture, but yet, not quite the same. It is unique in its very own way. Living in the US, I understand it more easily as I see the difference compared to Americans. For instance, even though we all speak English, it isn’t the same, but it is 🙂
I mourn the loss of the richness of my understanding of yoruba, and while speaking with a friend about it, I observed that it was mostly those who had grown up with their grandparents, or an someone of that geneation that spoke yoruba ijinle! Then it struck me: the reason why we speak less Yoruba is because our parents knew less (or at least spoke less fluently) than their parents, and unfortunately our kids end up knowing less than we do. But then I realise that language evolves and ours must as well. like I mentioned earlier, its not just us: English as it becomes more and more widely spoken, also changes more and more. Words like ‘thug’ which came from india are now ingrained in our vocabulary, while hundreds of words have disappeard from its use. And in terms of culure the youth in london are more ‘American’ and ‘Jamaican’ than ever even though they are jus being English, but hardly any thinks that the English are losing their rcih cultural heritage .
I guess my point is that we are not losing our culture, but that our culture is changing as it always has and always will. I however do want to understand and practice more of my rich heritage. I guess that i some ways I already do this, through worldview and attitude; some of the things which you commented about when you talked about omo oluabi: these are values we learn from our parents and will hopefully pass on to our kids.
Thanks for your blog, your honesty and for caring.
Titi Oyinbo,
I am of the opinion that Nigerians should embrace their culture and do more to preserve it, but i also recognize the presence of numerous factors preventing them from doing so. I suspect you are beginning to obeserve the presence of these factors /forces, hence the evolution of your Idea of the Yoruba/Nigerian/African culture from static to fluid and highly dynamic in nature. The fun part for me is seeing this “light bulb” turning on in your head as it does for most African youth around your age.I know because it came on for me too. Keep up the great work. Awesome does not quite describe what you are doing.
Dayo
Cara,
What a great post, and you verbalized herein, what has been my observation from afar, via your posts. You have a calling…no doubt!
Having had the privilege to live abroad, I so came to appreciate cultures and their uniqueness. I came away feeling that people were their culture. When traveling from North to South Carolina, there is nothing that would let me know that, other than a sign. In Europe, when on a train, I could “feel” that I was in another country as I crossed those lines. To lose a culture, its uniqueness, and all that comes with that–it’s too great a loss in my opinion. It can never be recaptured.
Understandably, our world is becoming so transient, and there will, of course, be outside influences. Nigerians cannot give up their precious, unique and special culture, and young Nigerians must know their history and celebrate it, and take it forward for many generations in the future to learn, love, and support, and enjoy.
Hugs,
Michele
Hear Hear!!