2nd Trip to Sierra Leone #8: Chiefs on Film

Una Kushe, the next day we got to the business of paying our respects to the chiefs. This is a widely known tradition (it was even in my Lonely Planet guide) in a large part of West Africa. If you wander around in a rural area ruled by a chief (be it officially or unofficially from a governmental standpoint) you are expected to pay your respects.

In Sierra Leone, Paramount Chiefs (that’s the highest level, and you will find him in pink, center) are actual ruling members of the government. I’ve met some, so essentially, I’m another degree closer to Kevin Bacon. Then there are lower levels of chiefs, complicated electoral processes based on secret society membership (no, not kidding) and in each district there is a chief of each tribe. So the net net is, Fadugu has one Paramount Chief and 3 chiefs, one for each tribe that lives there, Limba, Mandingo and Fula. And below the Chief there is the Speaker.

To pay respects, we have to visit and bring gifts to all of these gentlemen. *One of the complaints lobbied by the women I interviewed was that they had no voice in their government. This is largely unchangeable in the Northern area because of the secret society electoral system. However, in the South, another tribe, the Mende tribe has elected female chiefs.

Needless to say, this took the entire day. Luckily, John was well acquainted with the intricacies of this custom and brought appropriate gifts…branded merchandise. John’s day job is a business representative for the Cinematographer’s Guild and he gathered up some of the leftover Guild hats and Kodak Caps and we went running around the village. Translating from Mandingo to Krio to English or from Limba or from Fula.

But we paid our respects and essentially got permission to stay in Fadugu from all the chiefs. And a very nice Muslim blessing from one of the speakers, none of which I understood, but some of which was later translated. He is seated with the collection of chiefs pictured here.

Safu safu,

Mari

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