Mind Smear, Heart Spear, fyeahafrica: Mende girls in a cloth draped...

fyeahafrica:

Mende girls in a cloth draped bower at the completion of Sande schooling. (via rudolove)

The Mende people are one of the two largest and most dominant ethnic group in Sierra Leone, along with the Temne, making up 30% of Sierra Leone’s total population.
The Southern and Eastern Provinces of Sierra Leone are largely populated by the Mende people, with the exception of Kono District which is primarily inhabited by the Kono people.
The Mende belong to a larger group of Mande peoples who live throughout West Africa. The Mende are divided into two groups: The halemo are members of the hale or secret societies and kpowa are people who have never been initiated into the hale. The Mende believe that all humanistic and scientific power is passed down through the secret societies.
The Mende speak the Mende language among each other, and is spoken both the Mende people and by other Sierra Leonean ethnic groups as a regional lingua franca in southern Sierra Leone and in neighboring Liberia. From the 16th through the 18th century, hundreds of thousands of Mende were captured and transported to the Americas as slaves.
Sande is a women’s association found within the Mende people of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea that initiates girls into adulthood, confers fertility, instills notions of morality and proper sexual comportment, and maintains an interest in the well-being of its members throughout their lives.
In addition, Sande champions women’s social and political interests and promotes their solidarity vis-a-vis the Poro, a complementary institution for men. The Sande society masquerade is a rare and perhaps unique African example of a wooden face mask controlled exclusively by women – a feature that highlights the extraordinary social position of women in this geographical region.
(source)

Mende girls in a cloth draped bower at the completion of Sande schooling. (via rudolove)

The Mende people are one of the two largest and most dominant ethnic group in Sierra Leone, along with the Temne, making up 30% of Sierra Leone’s total population.

The Southern and Eastern Provinces of Sierra Leone are largely populated by the Mende people, with the exception of Kono District which is primarily inhabited by the Kono people.

The Mende belong to a larger group of Mande peoples who live throughout West Africa. The Mende are divided into two groups: The halemo are members of the hale or secret societies and kpowa are people who have never been initiated into the hale. The Mende believe that all humanistic and scientific power is passed down through the secret societies.

The Mende speak the Mende language among each other, and is spoken both the Mende people and by other Sierra Leonean ethnic groups as a regional lingua franca in southern Sierra Leone and in neighboring Liberia. From the 16th through the 18th century, hundreds of thousands of Mende were captured and transported to the Americas as slaves.

Sande is a women’s association found within the Mende people of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea that initiates girls into adulthood, confers fertility, instills notions of morality and proper sexual comportment, and maintains an interest in the well-being of its members throughout their lives.

In addition, Sande champions women’s social and political interests and promotes their solidarity vis-a-vis the Poro, a complementary institution for men. The Sande society masquerade is a rare and perhaps unique African example of a wooden face mask controlled exclusively by women – a feature that highlights the extraordinary social position of women in this geographical region.

(source)

(via )

Post source:

weirdfriends

Share this post:

Notes:

mitjaissick liked this
embraceoftheuniverse reblogged this from weirdfriends
kizzymarieabra reblogged this from theeducatedfieldnegro
fourwomeninone liked this
electric-squid reblogged this from theeducatedfieldnegro
sketchingagain liked this
moonhowling reblogged this from theeducatedfieldnegro
toutematendresse liked this
anandaji liked this
liberatetheminds liked this
shaktipower reblogged this from theeducatedfieldnegro
imparat reblogged this from swannery
inky-bloaters reblogged this from theeducatedfieldnegro
masta-spliffa liked this
alicia92monique reblogged this from xx-j
xx-j reblogged this from earthwormkid
viankafkaesque reblogged this from swannery
24ktblk liked this
sheilastansbury reblogged this from theeducatedfieldnegro
unatazademelaza reblogged this from theeducatedfieldnegro
sloaneamelia liked this
cloudrhythm reblogged this from theeducatedfieldnegro
earthwormkid reblogged this from swannery
comoloveo liked this
sociallydeconstructed reblogged this from theeducatedfieldnegro
theinvisiblecloak liked this
existentiallybarren reblogged this from weirdfriends
cloudrhythm liked this
returnedgaze reblogged this from theeducatedfieldnegro
di4mondsxofxhe4rts reblogged this from theeducatedfieldnegro
sochic2 reblogged this from theeducatedfieldnegro
swannery reblogged this from theeducatedfieldnegro
theeducatedfieldnegro reblogged this from clarakentmusic
clarakentmusic reblogged this from pink-slip
wayworld reblogged this from f-whimsy
dreamingfacade reblogged this from lotus-eyes
treokai reblogged this from coronado-lady
angelbum liked this
neuroticallynumb liked this
the-lisztomania reblogged this from coronado-lady
maia-daniels reblogged this from coronado-lady
coronado-lady reblogged this from piousfaces
garabateado reblogged this from tillmymindstopsthinkin
tillmymindstopsthinkin reblogged this from weirdfriends
tillmymindstopsthinkin liked this
peacelovedeathmetal reblogged this from f-whimsy
bapparade reblogged this from westindians
anniehayworth liked this
takenbythe-sky liked this
Show more notesLoading...