Sights and Sounds- historical review of Tiv tribe
Sights and Sounds - Historical review of Tiv tribe
Oluwatosin Wusu
The word "Tiv" has two (2) different meaning:
It means it is the fourth largest ethnic group in Nigeria, with about 6 million individuals.
Tiv was a man who was the great ancestor of the entire people.
Generally speaking, in the whole of Central Nigeria, the Tiv are the most dominant. They are largely found in Cross River State, Federal Capital Territory, Taraba and Nasarawa respectively. Although, in Benin state, they are the most dominating ethnic group. The most common things about these lands are, they speak Tiv language.
History of Tiv
According to history, the origin of Tiv can not be explained, because there has been lots of rumoured history about the tribe. But, the partially acceptable history of the Tiv is that they originated from the Bantu. The Bantus are people who inhabited the central African continent. At present, we can say the Tivs are people from the Shaba area of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Furthermore, a man called Tiv was the patriarch of the Tiv people of central Nigeria. There were questions on who the Tiv father was, and some answers were given. A particular answer caught people's attention, the answer is that Awange(maker 1975, 1994) was the father of Tiv, but there was objection to the above claim. According to Tiv oral tradition, it was later believed and accepted that the father of Tiv and founder of the Tiv was a brave man who broke off from the family to find Tiv with his wife, Ayaaya. These two people birth two (2) children named Ipusu and Ichongo.
Ipusu means uncircumcised. It also means a portion of land without stone or rock, fertile and suitable for agriculture. This name was given because Tiv enjoyed the harvest of good crops, as they are gifted. The reference to Ipusu is Ipusunya(soft and fertile soil).
Ichongo means circumcised. It can also mean a fox(an animal) and a trick(Ichongo or atsiri).
These 2 sons grew up and the Tiv tribe became a homogeneous language called The Tiv Language.
There are two(2) seasons in the Tiv tribe: the wet season, this season commences by April - late October and the dry season starts in November - March.
The Tiv land is so productive because there are 2 rivers constantly flourishing the land. The two Rivers are Benue and Katsina-ala. These 2 rivers make the land productive. River Katsina-ala can be found on the Southern side, while in the Northern side is the Venue River Basin. As people are zealous for growth and development, they leverage on the opportunity to engage in something productive like cereal and tube cropping. They cultivate cereal crops like rice(oryza sativa), guinea corn(sorghum spp), soya bean(,glycine max) etc. They deal in crafts like blacksmith, pottery, making, building, digging of well, woodcarving, leatherwork, etc.
As brave warriors that they are, the Tiv had conflicts with neighbouring tribes, they were people difficult to overcome. There was a coup planned to destroy the Tiv tribe, but known as a prayerful clan, the plans of the perpetrator fell by the way and the planned coup got leaked. Having heard that, they protected themselves against external invasion.
The consequence of the planned coup led to the migration of Tiv from Congo: They had no choice than to cross River Congo, a very tasking one, there in the process, a snake appeared and made itself a bridge to allow them cross the River Congo.
It is no news that nearly all tribe migrated from one region or another. The origin of each tribe is dynamic.
Amongst the numerous places where the Tiv or "Tiiv" or the "Tivoid ethnic group" or "Munchi/ Munshi" as called by the Fulani ethnic group(even though it is against their concession) might have settled in according to history, the Benue Valley which is the today basic Central Nigeria is the most recognized. Apart from being the first inhabitants and major occupants of the valley among other ethnic minorities or tribes who later migrated to join them; majority of the Tivs settled there.
Other places some of the Tiv tribe settled in are "Mdema", "Waka District" and "Benue River" after moving from the South East, and loafing through South,Western-Central, and South-Central Africa. The beginning of 1500 Christian Era (C.E) marks the date of when the Tiv tribe arrived at the Savannah lands of West African Sudan through the Riva Congo and Cameroon Mountains and settled at Swemkaragbe, which is the area neighboring Nigeria and Cameroon. Their wandering journey did not stop as they came down in batches with some of them moving Southward across Obudu mountains, while others moved to the core Central Nigeria, the Benue Valley.
Moving into the 1600 Christian Era (C.E), social relationships and interactions started, as more people migrated there. The Tiv people practiced an acephalous system of government. They were a non-stratified society like the Igbos, and each clan or kindred was put under check by the eldest man called "Orya", and this resulted into more people cohabiting with them, as it was more of a lawless community. This peaceful coexistence was frustrated by the Europeans.
The Europeans attempted different ways of ruling over the Tiv tribe like imposing the Tiv under the control of the close by Jukun, and attempting to force control through the councils of elders known as the "Jir Tamen" before introducing kinship, and entering the land from the East in 1906, and the Southern area was invaded from the the south (what southern Tivs called "the eruption" of the Europeans), in 1911, which was as a result of the conflict between Tiv and other minorities within the Benue Valley. The Tiv tribe stood strong and depicted themselves as inalterable as their occupation of the river bank remains the same as in 1950, and in 1950, they said they have conquered the British forces before conjuring them for negotiations.
As at 1907, the colonisers were able to gain more space in the Tiv tribe, as the the tribe started to contact with the European culture, and as at November of the same year to spring 1908, a trip of the Southern Nigeria Regiment led by Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Trenchard related with the Tiv. One of the ways the British colonisers used to get the Tiv tribe's listening ears was bringing gifts for the tribal chiefs. After gained more space amongst the tribe, they built roads and trade links were created between them. Also, a missionary named Mary Slessor went throughout the Tiv region attending to the it's people's needs.
Tourist attractions in Tiv are: IKYOGEN HILLS, DAJO POTTERY, ANWASE-ABANDE RANGES, THE RARE MANATEE, KATSINA-ALA RIVER, TOR TIV PALACE, GBOKO, USHONGO HILLS, TIV ANGER WEAVERS TOMB OF THE FIRST TIV MISSIONARIES, among others.