Sierra Leone: Indigenous Groups
Charlie Abrams
World History 2
5-7-09
Sierra Leone: Indigenous Groups
There are many different indigenous groups living in Sierra Leone. Today, it is a very rough area but it wasn’t always like this. Here is a brief history of the native people of Sierra Leone.
First of all, there are over 20 different ethnic groups, mainly including the Mende and Temne (Armstrong, 2001). English is the official language, but only government officials and educated elites speak it. The local language is Krio (Armstrong, 2001). The Mende live in the south and were organized around secret societies, while the Temne live to the north and are mainly Muslim. The Kuranko people live in a remote mountain region in the northeast. They are organized in clans and each clan has a sacred animal (Armstrong, 2001). Most people are Krio which is a mix of Portuguese and African peoples (Armstrong, 2001). Some of the small groups include: Lebanese, Indians, Pakistanis, and traders who arrived between the 1880s and the mid twentieth century (Armstrong, 2001).
Also, Sierra Leone was greatly affected by the slave trade. The Sierra Leone River had a natural harbor where European slave ships regularly traded with local rulers for transatlantic cargo. So, the people of Sierra Leone were traded to many different European countries (History of Sierra Leone). In the 1780s, there were a growing number of freed slaves in the London area, so they were sent back to Sierra Leone. So, the British agreed with the Temne’s local leader to give twenty miles of hilly coast to the British for slave trading in exchange for 331 freed slaves and 60 white London prostitutes (History of Sierra Leone). This eventually became Freetown and 1000 freed slaves were sent here. The future of this settlement became secure when the British abolished the slave trade in 1807.
Furthermore, Sierra Leone was affected by European Colonialism. The Krio people adopted certain European and African customs. In 1898 the British demanded for taxes, and the Temne and Mende rebelled, and the war ended in 1899. Soldiers from Sierra Leone served for the British army in World War 2, and finally Sierra Leone was granted independence in 1961 (Armstrong, 2001). However, cultural influence has been declining, but some people still keep up British-style social conditions.
Today, Sierra Leone is very dangerous because of war over blood diamonds. Rebels, bandits, diamond smugglers, and out-of-control government soldiers raid villages, set up road blocks, attack, rob, and kill passers-by (Armstrong, 2001). The health care system collapsed which has caused mal nutrition, polluted drinking water, and a shortage of medical supplies (Armstrong, 2001). RUF soldiers continue to harass the Temne even though a cease-fire was declared by the RUF and the government. If the Temne fight back, then the government will punish them. This just causes a higher risk for militant activity (Refworld, 2009).
Overall, Sierra Leone is a very dangerous, almost war zone. The people have been hassled in the past and are continually harassed by the RUF. The people are very peaceful and are being unfairly taken over.
Annotated Bibliography
Armstrong, Marian, ed. Peoples of Africa. Vol. 8. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2001.
This source gave me the most information on the Indigenous groups of Sierra Leone. It gave me information on the main groups, history of the groups, and what it is like for them now.
History of Sierra Leone. Retrieved May 4 from History World:
http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ad45
This source mainly helped me with the Slave Trade’s impact on Sierra Leone.
Refworld. (2009, April 29). Retrieved May 4, 2009, from Assessment for Temne in SierraLeone: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/topic,463af2212,469f2f122,469f3acd26,0.html
This source supplied me with information on the RUF harassing the Temne tribe lately.
last updated by Charlie Abrams May 22, 2009
World History 2
5-7-09
Sierra Leone: Indigenous Groups
There are many different indigenous groups living in Sierra Leone. Today, it is a very rough area but it wasn’t always like this. Here is a brief history of the native people of Sierra Leone.
First of all, there are over 20 different ethnic groups, mainly including the Mende and Temne (Armstrong, 2001). English is the official language, but only government officials and educated elites speak it. The local language is Krio (Armstrong, 2001). The Mende live in the south and were organized around secret societies, while the Temne live to the north and are mainly Muslim. The Kuranko people live in a remote mountain region in the northeast. They are organized in clans and each clan has a sacred animal (Armstrong, 2001). Most people are Krio which is a mix of Portuguese and African peoples (Armstrong, 2001). Some of the small groups include: Lebanese, Indians, Pakistanis, and traders who arrived between the 1880s and the mid twentieth century (Armstrong, 2001).
Also, Sierra Leone was greatly affected by the slave trade. The Sierra Leone River had a natural harbor where European slave ships regularly traded with local rulers for transatlantic cargo. So, the people of Sierra Leone were traded to many different European countries (History of Sierra Leone). In the 1780s, there were a growing number of freed slaves in the London area, so they were sent back to Sierra Leone. So, the British agreed with the Temne’s local leader to give twenty miles of hilly coast to the British for slave trading in exchange for 331 freed slaves and 60 white London prostitutes (History of Sierra Leone). This eventually became Freetown and 1000 freed slaves were sent here. The future of this settlement became secure when the British abolished the slave trade in 1807.
Furthermore, Sierra Leone was affected by European Colonialism. The Krio people adopted certain European and African customs. In 1898 the British demanded for taxes, and the Temne and Mende rebelled, and the war ended in 1899. Soldiers from Sierra Leone served for the British army in World War 2, and finally Sierra Leone was granted independence in 1961 (Armstrong, 2001). However, cultural influence has been declining, but some people still keep up British-style social conditions.
Today, Sierra Leone is very dangerous because of war over blood diamonds. Rebels, bandits, diamond smugglers, and out-of-control government soldiers raid villages, set up road blocks, attack, rob, and kill passers-by (Armstrong, 2001). The health care system collapsed which has caused mal nutrition, polluted drinking water, and a shortage of medical supplies (Armstrong, 2001). RUF soldiers continue to harass the Temne even though a cease-fire was declared by the RUF and the government. If the Temne fight back, then the government will punish them. This just causes a higher risk for militant activity (Refworld, 2009).
Overall, Sierra Leone is a very dangerous, almost war zone. The people have been hassled in the past and are continually harassed by the RUF. The people are very peaceful and are being unfairly taken over.
Annotated Bibliography
Armstrong, Marian, ed. Peoples of Africa. Vol. 8. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2001.
This source gave me the most information on the Indigenous groups of Sierra Leone. It gave me information on the main groups, history of the groups, and what it is like for them now.
History of Sierra Leone. Retrieved May 4 from History World:
http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ad45
This source mainly helped me with the Slave Trade’s impact on Sierra Leone.
Refworld. (2009, April 29). Retrieved May 4, 2009, from Assessment for Temne in SierraLeone: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/topic,463af2212,469f2f122,469f3acd26,0.html
This source supplied me with information on the RUF harassing the Temne tribe lately.
last updated by Charlie Abrams May 22, 2009
