THE SUPYIRE PEOPLE AND THEIR NEIGHBOURS IN WEST AFRICA

their Islam often affects the exterior forms of their religion, while they remain at heart animistic. 19 19 See Paques, Viviana, Les Bambara; Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1954, p.87. Figure 1: Map of North and West Africa Figure 2: Map of Supyirephone area in Mali

2.3 ENVIRONMENT

The region of Sikasso has been called the breadbasket of Mali. Certainly its environment is gentler on humans than the rest of the country. The terrain is forested and hosts series of gently undulating hills and a few plains. 20 Since the soil is fairly fertile, much of the forest surrounding the villages has been cleared for agricultural purposes. The average temperature over the year is twenty-seven degrees centigrade. 21 The dry season is dominated by the harmattan, a dry warm wind blowing off the Sahara. Then in April, the humidity and temperature build before the rain is released in tropical downpours. The rainy season can last up to six months through to October.

2.4 EVOLUTION OF SUPYIRE SOCIETY

The ancestors have a great influence on everyday Supyire life. This factor acts as an effective brake on any rapid innovation in Supyire society. To break with any tradition means doing things differently from one’s forefathers, which may well displease them and provoke them to cause illness, accident or some other misfortune to the offending family. For instance, the practice of excision of girls is continued to this day. 22 Whatever the origins of the practise were, they are largely forgotten, and when asked why it is carried out, most woman reply that it is traditional. Occupations have evolved with the introduction of cash. But farming techniques in advance of the traditional manual hoe were late to develop. It was not until the 1960s that the ox-drawn plough became established. Introduction of a cash crop like cotton, now widespread in the area, also took a long time. It is in the realm of religion that tradition retains its greatest hold. Despite the pressure of living in a country where Islam dominates, and the fact that the Christian church has been established since the beginning of the 20th century, the large 20 Coulibaly, Daouda and N’Golo Coulibaly and Marjike Loosvelt, Panorama du Kénédougou; Bamako: Editions Jamana, p.4. 21 Coulibaly, Coulibaly and Loosvelt, Panorama du Kénédougou, p.6. 22 Jemphrey, Miranda “Knives To Razors: Female Circumcision Among the Supyire of Southern Mali”, Insights in African Ethnography 2 1997 1-16. majority of Supyire remain outside the world religions and continue in the traditions of their ancestors. Many of those who do attend the mosque or the church are careful to fulfil their traditional religious obligations too. Probably Muslims are more openly syncretistic, and would sacrifice a lamb during the traditional village festival to the spirits. Church teaching would discourage Christians from active participation in the festival. Christianity is seen as a foreign religion. This is reinforced by the fact that a majority of church leaders are from other ethnic groups, having immigrated into the region, and that worship services have been held in Bambara, the dominant trade language. A further restraint on innovation is the fear of being different. Anyone who is seen as getting ahead of one’s neighbour is in danger of being the object of jealousy. His neighbours will use sorcery or violence to reduce the gap. The story of Naba, 23 reputedly the first Christian in Kabakanha, serves as a good illustration. Va was a warrior renowned to have certain supernatural powers. It was said he could predict the future and that no metal object could penetrate his body. He was also wealthy in cattle. Jealousy of his riches meant that he was chased from one village to another, until he finally settled in Kabakanha. At that time Protestant missionaries were also having a hard time finding a Supyire village which would welcome them and their message. Naba predicted that those who refused the whites would later come to admire them. Kabakanha then converted and became a predominately Christian village. It is striking to note the ongoing effects of that decision today. Even though a large number of Christians later reverted to animism, the stranglehold that the fear of change held was broken. Today the village has become the major market town in the area, and boasts a dispensary, maternity, primary and secondary schools, and is seat of the new mayor’s office for the area. There is an ongoing struggle over the Supyire identity: education in French, migration of other ethnic groups into the region from the north of Mali, outside religion, development agencies introducing new technologies and modern communication have a tendency to squeeze Supyire language and culture to the sidelines, especially in public life. On the other hand, the Supyire remain proud of their identity, culture and language. Local radio stations which broadcast 23 As recounted to the author by his grandson Pabara Sagoro.