In a previous post, I wrote that there are predominantly two ethnic groups in Sonsoro: the Baribas and the Peulhs. I neglected to mention a third group that is quite numerous: the Gandos.
Many locals describe Gandos as the slaves of the Peulhs, but it is more complicated than that. In Sonsoro, Gandos are a group of people who are culturally Peulh but ethnically Bariba. Long ago, other tribes would trade prisoners of war to the Peulh in exchange for horses or cattle. These prisoners of war (of Bariba origin in my region) became the slaves of the Peulh - Gandos - and they took on a Peulh cultural identity by wearing Peulh clothing and speaking the Peulh language.
Peulhs no longer accept prisoners of war as slaves, but the Gando tradition continues. Generally, Gandos only marry other Gandos, so a child can be Gando by birth if both of his parents are Gando.
This is not the only way to become a Gando today. A second tradition continues to this day that if a Bariba child is rejected by his parents, he can be adopted by a Peulh family and raised to become a Gando. Often it is babies who are rejected. There is a local superstition against breech birth, so such babies may be abandoned to become Gandos. Another superstition is that if a baby's top front teeth grow in before the bottom front teeth, the child will bring bad luck, so he may be abandoned to be raised by a Peulh family and become a Gando.
I have been told that Gando communities (of various ethnic origins) exist wherever there are Peulhs. The Peulh population itself stretches across all of West Africa, so there may be quite the diversity of Gandos indeed.
Many locals describe Gandos as the slaves of the Peulhs, but it is more complicated than that. In Sonsoro, Gandos are a group of people who are culturally Peulh but ethnically Bariba. Long ago, other tribes would trade prisoners of war to the Peulh in exchange for horses or cattle. These prisoners of war (of Bariba origin in my region) became the slaves of the Peulh - Gandos - and they took on a Peulh cultural identity by wearing Peulh clothing and speaking the Peulh language.
Peulhs no longer accept prisoners of war as slaves, but the Gando tradition continues. Generally, Gandos only marry other Gandos, so a child can be Gando by birth if both of his parents are Gando.
This is not the only way to become a Gando today. A second tradition continues to this day that if a Bariba child is rejected by his parents, he can be adopted by a Peulh family and raised to become a Gando. Often it is babies who are rejected. There is a local superstition against breech birth, so such babies may be abandoned to become Gandos. Another superstition is that if a baby's top front teeth grow in before the bottom front teeth, the child will bring bad luck, so he may be abandoned to be raised by a Peulh family and become a Gando.
I have been told that Gando communities (of various ethnic origins) exist wherever there are Peulhs. The Peulh population itself stretches across all of West Africa, so there may be quite the diversity of Gandos indeed.
Interesting superstitions. One wonders how these originated. What happens if there is no Peulh who wants to take the fated child?
ReplyDeleteJean Ralley
Unwanted children are sometimes taken in by the Catholic church and may simply be left on the church's doorstep in the night. I also remember a case last year when an unwanted child was just left to die in a field, but it was discovered before it died. The case was being investigated by the national police. There are social services in Kandi, so such a child may be taken there.
ReplyDeleteAre these unwanted children ever put up for foreign adoption?
ReplyDeleteI don't know. In the case of a child become orphaned but not abandoned, I know that the standard practice is for the child to be raised by someone in the family, like an uncle. We have a "crazy lady" in village who has been impregnated multiple times, and her children have always been taken in by other members of the community.
ReplyDelete