THE TIKAR PEOPLE OF MBAW PLAIN IN NWA SUBDIVISION

Nwa Subdivision is made of Mbaw, Mfumte and the Yamba Clans. The Mbaw Clan is made of two tribes the Tikar tribe and the Mambila tribe. Mbaw clan is made up of ten indigenous villages while the geographic region of Mbaw Plain is made up of 11 villages. The indigenous people of most of the villages in Mbaw Clan are the indigenous Tikar people. Like the indigenous Tikar people in Bankim Subdivision in Adamawa, Magba Subdivision in the West Region, and Ngambe Tikar Subdivision in the Central Region, they Tikar people speak the Tikar or Tikari Language. This Tikar language is referred to by the Tikar people in their dialect as TUMU.

This article describes the general organizational structure of the Tikari traditional village or kingdom, the common traditional institutions of the Tikar people, their socio-cultural practices, and some of the beliefs of the Tikar people in general. The Mambila tribe in Mbaw Clan have traditional institutions, and socio-cultural practices that do not correspond to the general description or analysis presented in this article. Their traditional institutions, traditional dances, customary marriage practices are different from what is obtained in the Tikar tribe and this article is conscious of this rich cultural diversity in Mbaw Clan. This article does not make any attempt to say that the present article or description of the traditional institutions and the socio-cultural practices of the Tikar people equally applies to the people of Mambila tribe of Mbaw Clan. Research works may subsequently be written and published to highlight the traditional practices of the Mambila people of Mbaw clan to project the rich cultural diversity of the clan.

1. THE TRADITIONAL ORGANISATION OF THE TIKAR KINGDOMS OR CHIEFDOMS

The organizational structure of the Tikar kingdoms or chiefdoms are similar and very complex. The following traditional institutions are very prominent in almost all of them. The three prominent personalities in every Tikar chiefdom or kingdom are the king or the Crown invariably called or referred to as MVEING, MBOUENG, MBUAN, MGBE OR TCHIMI). The Queen Mother (Mveing-Mlip or Mandop Nguiwai), and the Great Notable (Nguiambam or Nguiakah-ndji) often referreed to as "Ndji Ndoung".

• a) The King or The Crown. (MVEING, MBOUENG, MBUAN, MGBE OR TCHIMI).: The Tikar kingdoms or chiefdoms are ruled by autonomous traditional rulers called MVEING, MBOUENG, MBUAN, MGBE OR TCHIMI.
• b) The Queen Mother or Mveing-Mlip or Mandop Nguiwai: She is The First Queen mother called Mveing-Mlip or Mandop Nguiwai. She has the rank of a King or the Crown. The name MVEING – Mlip in Tikari literally means “The Female king”; The lady who can be crowned Mveing Mlip or Mandop Nguiwai is not a little girl or virgin but must be a seasoned / matured woman of high integrity and judgment. She is chosen from amongst the paternal aunts of the King,
• c) The Great Notable; Nguiambam or Nguiakah-ndji: He is often referred to as "Ndji Ndoung" or ‘The Great Notable” and he is the third traditional personality in the kingdom or village. The title of Nguiamban or nguiakah Ndji is reserved for the paternal uncles of the traditional ruler. The powers vested in these three personalities of the Tikari villages or kingdoms are regulated by numerous specialized traditional bodies or institutions some of which are:
  • i) Me Khi (The king Makers):
    They're the king's maternal nephews. They are seven of them and their leader is called MVEING MBLANG. In the event of incapacity or vacancy, the interim Crown is assumed by MVEING MBLANG. They are the first chamber of parliament. They designate the new king and ensure his enthronement. Each of them has specific functions. Some of the specific functions that may be assigned to each of the Seven King Makers or Me Khi are: the power to assume the interim in case of the incapacitation of the Crown, the administration of Justice, and Communications
  • ii) Me Lwon-Yip (The Council of Queens).
    This institution is headed by the Queen Mother or Mveing Mlip and is made of Seven Members also called Queen Mothers. They are either the princesses (the king's sisters) or their descendants. They are the king's principal advisors. Like Me-khi, Me-lwon-yip embody the legislative, judicial and executive power.
  • iii) Me - Ndji
    They are the princes or brothers of the king. They are like ministers without portfolio who are usually at the top seven, but their number can vary depending on the size of the kingdom.
  • iv) Me Tchi-Ngnui or Me Nsi-Mbam (The Council of the Wise)
    They are considered to be the high dignitaries who oversee the preservation and application of ancestral laws and traditions. They are the custodians of laws and traditions.
  • v) Me Lwon-Nzwong or Me-Weli (The Council of Landlords)
    These are the natives of the Ntùmù lands, so they enjoy certain privileges, such as the worship of ancestors and intervention in land problems.
  • vi) Me Tchi-Nkhi ( The Secret Service of the Crown)
    They are the King's civil chiefs of staff, mission officers and secret intelligence agents or the directorate of royal security. They are also the king's bodyguards. They are a kind of civil cabinet of the king.
  • vii) Me Gang – Wi (The Warlords)
    These are the war officers, army generals and war ministers of the king. They are fall into two categories: Royal Army Generals and People's Army Generals
  • viii) Me Ndji Swo (The Council of Traditional Rites)
    It is made up of notables who take care of secret societies or dances.
  • ix) Me Tchi-Mkpu (The Messengers or Errand Body of the king)
    They are the few people who have free access to the royal court at any time. They are also the king's railings. They are people who the king can commission from time to time. They are considered the king's secret agents, so they inform the king about everything that’s going on in the kingdom. There are seven of them.
  • x) Mvenni Mbam (The Subjects)
    The lower class is called "mvénni-mbâm. "It's made to serve. It is at the service of the king and the entire community. It is made up of all categories of the population that are not in the royal administration.

d) PRINCIPE OF UNIVERSALITY OF THE ROYAL BLOOD IN THE TIKAR CLAN

In the Tikar tradition, there is a fundamental principle that governs all Tikar kingdoms: the principle of universality of ROYAL BLOOD ("Mveing si fo". This principle states that a Tikar king of a given kingdom enjoys the same privileges and honors in all Tikar kingdoms where he finds himself. And the notables of all Tikar kingdoms receive the same treatment as their counterparts when and wherever they meet. Thus, when the notable Tikar sits in a given realm, they settle into the groups of notables in their ranks, following the order of precedence.

2. TRADITIONAL MECHANISMS FOR THE PREVENTION, AND THE RESOLUTION OF CONFLICTS AMONG THE TIKAR PEOPLE

The history of the Tikar people is characterized by numerous wars of conquests, many intra, and inter-communal conflicts. These experiences gave birth to a Tikar civilization that is rooted in judicial values or concepts such as dialogue, compromise, coexistence and peace. Since the dawn of time, some traditional mechanisms and laws have been put in place to resolve any kind of problems and conflicts that may arise within the tribe, clan, or community. These may include interpersonal conflicts, family conflicts, or inter-communal conflicts. Thus, the traditional institutions of the Tikar people were structured and empowered to find ways to resolve conflicts, without frustrating any other party. This conflict resolution process starts from the nucleus of the family and only goes out of the family when these mediation efforts fail to yield any fruit. At that time the matter is brought before the Royal Court and this court sits as the Court of original Jurisdiction and not as an appellate court.

3. TIKAR TRADITIONAL RITES

The Tikar people have a multitude of traditional rites (beh); such as the marriage traditional rites, the pregnancy announcement rites of the bride, the rites of birth, divorce pronunciation rites, rites of death, rites of death widowhoods, the rites of announcement of the gestation of a queen, the traditional rites for the birth of twins, the death and funeral rites, the purification rites of the Evil ones, punishment rites, incestuous rites, rape or adultery, rites of passage, initiation rites, induction rites... Etc.

4. THE TRADITIONAL RELIGION OF THE TIKAR PEOPLE

The Tikar people, like their ancestors in the Nile Valley adhere to strong religious beliefs rooted in the existence of a Supreme Spiral Being called MVEING-SWAP who is approached by the ancestors through a process that is referred to as the cult of the ancestors "Switi" which dates from the dawn of time. The Tikar people believe in one God called MVEING-SWAP or MBOUENG-SWAP, who is the creator of the universe (zwem). The Tikar people believe that MVEING-SWAP is the supreme being that has always existed and is surrounded by the ancestors (ME NSHÎ). MVEING SWAP is believed by the Tikar people to relate to human beings through their ancestors. The ancestral cult in the Tikar tribe is not a worship of ancestors as it is commonly misunderstood, but actually the worship of God, the Supreme Spiritual Being, using the ancestors as the medium of communication or intercession with God or Supreme Spiritual Being called MVEING SWAP. The cannons of this religious practices are rooted on the promotion of peace, dialogue, ethics, and morality. Its foundation is harmony between the members of the society, nature, the dead or ancestors, and God.

5. THE TIKAR ARTS AND TRADITIONAL DANCES

The Tikar people have a good mastery of various works of arts such as pottery, basket making, sculpture, war, and dance. Their mastery of the art of war is one of the key factors that enabled the Tikar princes and their notables to expand their royal lineage, covering almost all the grass field people of Cameroon today. According to the patriarchs, the Tikar people had several techniques of war including the technique of trenches and pits. The Tikar people are one of the few peoples in Black Africa to have used trench warfare and most Tikar villages have trenches marking some part of the boundary with neighbors. The Tikar people also organized social events including music and numerous traditional dances. Some of these traditional dances were organized to mark or to honor some particular events or ceremonies. Some of the Tikar traditional dances are: LOYA, TUONG, NGIRNKANG, MBOUH etc.

6. GYI WING OR GYI WONG (THE TIKAR TRADITIONAL SCHOOL)

In Tikar country, almost everything is sacred including knowledge and the various ways of transmitting the said knowledge from one generation to another. The Tikar people’s ancestral knowledge or wisdom was and is still being largely transmitted today by word of mouth or oral history, from the old to the young, through the various initiation proceedings. Initiation is the learning of ancestral secrets and values. This apprenticeship is done at the traditional Tikar school called "Gyî-Wing".
The type and quality of knowledge transmitted at any GYI WING session depends on the age of the students or scholars, their sex, the season, and the type of ceremony being organized. GYI-WING was therefore a very specialized and institutionalized framework for sharing knowledge and wisdom from one generation to another.
The "Gyî-Wing" is a traditional educational center like no other. It is a school. It is a parliament, a large open-air theatre with free access to all ages and social status, from where shared knowledge and wisdom illuminate the spirits, and warm the hearts just like the flame of fire that is lit there. In Tikar community, every teenager must go through this school of wisdom and life before they become mature. Those who never attend the "Gyî-Wing" in the evenings are not usually educated in the customs and traditions of their ancestors. It was easy to recognize them from poor behavior or reaction in the village.
The "Gyî-Wing" is a quintessential Tikar Traditional Academy, the place where knowledge and Wisdom is shared and exchanged, the place where everyone can teach and gather wisdom and knowledge from the wise around a great fireplace.

7. THE ANNUAL TRADITIONAL CALENDAR IN THE TIKAR CLAN.

The Tikar people have an annual traditional calendar that is divided into seven days of the week, thirty days in each month and twelve months in a year. The month is called "Ngnui" which equally means the “moon”. According to The Tikar Patriarchs, the traditional Tikar calendar is based on the lunar phases and these lunar phases are thirty, which corresponds to one month. Every month has thirty days, unlike the Gregorian calendar, which has 28, 29, 30 or 31 days in some months. The instrument used to count the days of the months in the Tikar clan is called "Tàn Ngnui". It consists of a string of 30 pieces of bamboo. This device is usually hung above the door. Each time in the early morning a piece of bamboo is raised. On the 30th day the 30 pieces of Bamboo are slid down. The process starts over again the next day, which corresponds to the appearance of the first lunar crescent in the sky. Each of these 30 pieces of bamboo in this rosary corresponds to a specific lunar phase. Tikar insiders say there are seven days of full moons that run from the 12th to the 18th day. The seven days of the week in the Tikar Traditional Calendar are:
1.) Mbwôki: Sunday
2. Nkyili : Monday
3. Nkènlèmùn : Tuesday
4. Ncicé : Wednesday
5. Ncè gwàng : Thursday
6. Nkyili nshé : Friday
7. Nsounshé: Saturday
In the Tikar tradition the first month is the month of Kwùm which corresponds to the month of November of the Gregorian calendar. The Tikar months are classified as follows:
1- Kwùm : November
2- Nkwû : December
3- Nwâm : January
4- Ndikebwên : February
5- Ngondùng : March
6- Ngonsò : April
7- Kwâ : May
8- Kpikini : June
9- Yù : July
10- Sàb : August
11- Ngwém : September
12- Ndòng : October

8. NEW TESTAMENT BIBLE IN TIKAR LANGUAGE (TUMU):

The New Testament Bible has been translated into the Tikar Language (TUMU) since 1982 by the International Linguistic Society (SIL). Also, the Literacy Centers for the teaching of the Tikar language (TUMU) have been set up where the reading and writing of the Tikar language are taught.

9. THE TRADITIONAL DISHES OF THE TIKAR PEOPLE.

The main traditional dish of the Tikar people is the CORN FUFU referred to in the Tikar language as “Paign Gwei”. This is prepared using corn flour and is served with fish or vegetables. This is the stable diet of the Tikar people and is served in every household all year round.
Other dishes also common among the Tikar people are food like cassava, yams, millets, rice and cocoyam.

10.THE MBAW PLAIN:

The Mbaw Plain is an extension of the Tikar Plain that covers the Ngambe Tikar Subdivision in the Central Region, the Magba Subdivision in the West Region and the Bankim subdivision in the Adamawa Region. Contemporary migration mainly caused by the search for arable land has changed the tribal composition of Mbaw Plain. Mbaw Plain is today not just home to the indigenous people of Mbaw Clan but is also home to other tribal communities like the Yamba, the Wimbum, the Oku and the Banso people, thereby making the region the melting pot of the rich cultural diversity in Mantungland. The primary economic activities of the people of Mbaw Plain include farming, fishing, animal husbandry, arts and crafts production and trade.