Tiv people
Tiv are a Niger-Congo ethnic group. They constitute approximately 2.4% of Nigeria's total population, and number over 5 million individuals throughout Nigeria and Cameroon. The Tiv language is spoken by over 5 million people in Nigeria, with a few speakers in Cameroon. Most of the language's Nigerian speakers are found in Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa, Plateau, Cross River, Adamawa, Kaduna, Niger, Kogi and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja. The language is a branch of Benue–Congo and ultimately of the Niger–Congo phylum. In pre-colonial times, the Fulani ethnic group referred to the Tiv as "Munchi", a term not accepted by the Tiv people.
History
The Tiv believe they moved into their present location from the southeast of Africa. It is claimed that the Tiv left their Bantu kin and wandered through southern, south-central and west-central Africa before returning to the savannah lands of West African Sudan via the River Congo and Cameroon Mountains and settled at Swem, the region adjoining Cameroon and Nigeria at the beginning of 1600C.E., which was originally the Bantu cradle and home. "Coming down," as they put it, was in batches. Some moved southward across Obudu Plateau, others moved downward spreading over Mdema and Waka district which is present day central and Southern Taraba, while others moved into the Benue valley in present-day central Nigeria. These dispersions took place during the early 1600 CE to 1700 CE.Over time, as social interactions began and new migrants came into Nigeria, they mingled with Fulani at their northern axis to which they foster a relationship calling each other "Jo". Hence Tiv people called Fulani as Fulanijo, Fulani in turn called Tiv, Tivjo. The Fulani also called them Munchi, which the Tiv see as derogatory and unacceptable.
The Tiv people were a free people without a king; hence every clan or kindred was administered by the eldest man called "Orya". They were amongst the first inhabitants of the Benue Valley before other tribes finally migrated to join them. Due to their peaceful disposition and dispersed nature of living, with no Central government nor king, they posed no threat to new migrants to the region who cohabited with them until the coming of the Europeans. The Europeans first contact with Tiv was in the 18th century. Note that the time of encounter with the Europeans does not mean their time of migration. Their late recognition was due to the lack of kingship which became a big disadvantage to Tiv in Nigeria because the colonial masters preferred working with kings, which prompted the Tiv to clamor for and install a king in the 1940s.
When the Tiv were found on the banks of the Benue River and were discovered to be distinct from other ethnic minorities, and were the major occupants of the Benue Valley, much curiosity was aroused and immediately the Europeans identified them as the bantus before doing other comprehensive studies on all other aspects of their culture. This was because the Europeans had previously encountered other bantu groups in central and southern Africa.
The British forces entered the Tivlands from the east in 1906, when there was tension between the Tiv and other minorities within the Benue valley. The Tiv approach to battle, fighting techniques, weapons, physique and facial structure weren't any different from those of other Bantu groups they had encountered in Southern and Central Africa. The Tiv said in 1950 that they had defeated this British force, then later invited the British in for negotiations. The southern area was penetrated from the south-south; what the southern Tiv people refer to as "the eruption" of the British that occurred in 1911.
The Tiv came into contact with European culture during the colonial period. During November 1907 to spring 1908, an expedition of the Southern Nigeria Regiment led by Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Trenchard came into contact with the Tiv. Trenchard brought gifts for the elders. Subsequently, roads were built and trade links established between Europeans and the Tiv. But before the construction of roads began, a missionary named Mary Slessor went throughout the region seeing to the people's needs.
The Tiv people and their lands were hence the last area in Nigeria of consequence to be brought under the British control.
Social and political organization
Most Tiv have a highly developed sense of genealogy, with descent being reckoned patrilineally. Ancestry is traced to an ancient individual named Tiv, who had two sons; all Tiv consider themselves a member either of Ichongo or of Ipusu. Ichongo and Ipusu are each divided into several major branches, which in turn are divided into smaller branches. The smallest branch, or minimal lineage, is the ipaven. Members of an ipaven tend to live together, the local kin-based community being called the "tar". This form of social organisation, called a segmentary lineage, is seen in various parts of the world, but it is particularly well known from African societies. The Tiv are the best-known example in West Africa of a society of segmentary lineage, as documented by Laura Bohannan and by Paul and Laura Bohannan ; in East Africa, the best-known example is the Nuer, documented by E.E. Evans-Pritchard.The Tiv had no administrative divisions and no chiefs nor councils. Leadership was based on age, influence and affluence. The leaders' functions were to furnish safe conduct, arbitrate disputes within their lineages, sit on moots and lead their people in all external and internal affairs.
These socio-political arrangements caused great frustration to British attempts to incorporate the population into Colonial Nigeria and establish an administration on the lower Benue. The strategy of indirect rule, which the British felt to be highly successful in regards to ruling over the Hausa and Fulani populations in Northern Nigeria, was ineffective in a segmentary society like the Tiv. Colonial officers tried various approaches to administration, such as putting the Tiv under the control of the nearby Jukun, and trying to exert control through the councils of elders ; these met with little success. The colonial administration in 1934 categorised the Tiv into Clans, Kindreds, and Family Groups. The British appointed native heads of these divisions as well.
Members of the Tiv group are found in many areas across the globe, such as the United States and United Kingdom. In these countries, they hold unions, known as MUT, where members can assemble and discuss issues concerning their people across the world, but especially back in Nigeria. The arm of the MUT serving the United States of America is known as MUTA, for instance.
Language
The Tiv people have always had their history in oral tradition and have had all the Tiv people to speak the language. There is no evidence of an ancient script or write up of the language.The first reference to the language was by Sigismund Koelle in 1854 from freed slaves in Sierra Leone according to his study Polyglotta Africana.
The language's classification has been debated as either semi-Bantu or bantu. Even though, Sir Johnston Harry H. classified it in 1919 and later Talbot P. Amaury in 1926 as Semi-Bantu, Roy Clive Abraham together with the South African missionary, Rev W. A. Malherbe in 1933 classified it as bantu after making a complete linguistic study of the language. Abraham stated that the language vocabulary of the Tiv people and the East African Nyanza group have a lot of similarities.
Society and culture
Religion and culture
The Tiv are predominantly Christians. Christianity dates back to 1911 when the first Dutch missionaries from Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa arrived at the Tiv village in Katsina-Ala local government of Benue State called Sai. They established the N.K.S.T. There are other Tiv practices such as akombo, tsav, etc.Dressing (A'nger)
The traditional attire is the black-and-white-striped a'nger. When the Tiv people arrived at their current location several centuries earlier, they discovered that the zebra they used to hunt for meat and skin, used for ceremonial attire, was not native to the area. When they acquired the skill of the loom, they decided to honor their heritage by weaving a cloth with black-and-white stripes, reminiscent of the zebra skin; this would then be made the preferred attire. Initially, it was a simple cloth to be draped around the torso. Nowadays, it is made into elaborate robes, such as those worn by the traditional rulers and elders – from the Tor Tiv downwards.The black-and-white color of the necklaces worn by the traditional rulers has been chosen to match the robes.
Other Tiv cultural clothes are
Ivavtyo, Lishi, Gbev-whaa, Godo, Tugudu, Chado, Deremen, Gbagir, Anger etc.
Circumcision and body scarification
In Tiv mythology and history, Circumcision is almost as old as the Tiv language itself. Tiv who is the progenitor of the Tiv people had two sons; Ichongo which means circumcised, Ipusu which means uncircumcised. The two sons are the two major houses on which the Tiv kingship is rotated upon.Circumcision has evolved with time among the Tiv people. Today, it is performed a few days after childbirth at the hospitals. Circumcision practiced in Central Africa among the Bantu peoples evolved as each group spread out.
Between the 18th and 20th centuries, the Tiv circumcised the male children when they became teenagers. A pickaxe was the tool of choice and then a razor blade became popular in the 20th century.
During the Tiv-Fulani cohabitation, the Tiv people carried no ethnic facial marks nor any bodily cicatrices. After the separation with the Fulani, they adopted some distinct body tattoos in other to distinguish themselves from other tribes just the way the Fulani did.
The young men tattooed their faces, pierced their ears and sometimes sharpened their teeth. The young ladies tattooed their abdomens and pierced their ears.