Life in a matriarchal society - On this island, women are in charge!

[Music] foreign opposite the coast of Guinea bissau an archipelago opens out towards the interior of the Atlantic Ocean this series of islands is the home of the people which give them their name the bisowl during centuries of isolation the inhabitants of the bisalos islands have preserved their ancestral culture and traditions the result is an exceptional Society a matriarchy in which women run the economy spirituality the law and the family on one of its Islands orango the powerful Queen Bamba ruled a century ago thanks to her women accumulated more power than ever and the inhabitants of our angle became part of a community which was unique in the world [Music] for Generations the bisago women chose their husbands built their houses and organized the work they are considered to be a bridge between the world of the living and the dead [Music] on the island of orango the women are the Queens [Music] the tabanka of etikoga is having a celebration this tavanka as the local Villages are called is the largest of the island of orango with just under 1 000 inhabitants for two of them the day is more special than for the others [Music] Sarita is wearing a Saya or traditional skirt [Music] in addition to a wig she adorns her body with necklaces and bracelets Dino is sporting clothes with striking colors also adorns himself with necklaces and oils today he is wearing this clothing on the occasion of his wedding but young men have dressed in this manner for Centuries with a clear objective a attracting the attention of women their role was restricted to allowing themselves to be seduced as traditionally it is the bisalgo women who have chosen their husbands and asked for their hand in marriage women also ended the relationship when a separation occurred indeed although Sarita's mother and grandmother asked for their husbands hands in marriage she did not with Western influence this custom is changing [Music] Sarita and Tino have known each other since childhood as they were both born in etikoga on the island of orango this is one of the 20 inhabited aisles of almost 100 which make up the archipelago of the bisagos islands each island has its own identity but they all share a common past [Music] that of the bisago people [Music] this ethnic group has retained a matriarchal society unique in the world in which women are the force which drives life and spirituality together they practice the animist religion they believe in the existence of a Supreme Being nindo the God and Creator [Music] this is a distant God which cannot help humans but there is an intermediate power between God and Men the orabok the order book is a universal Force which unites all living creatures wider concept than the soul as it also refers to the dead and the protective gods for the bisogle nature is inhabited by these supernatural beings which rule man's destiny [Music] for this reason many beaches trees jungles and some islands are considered to be sacred oh [Music] in etikova life is simple and peaceful the inhabitants are linked by many Family Ties Sarita knows all corners of the tabanka well she knows that there is a place where she and the other inhabitants are forbidden to enter [Music] only a few women may go inside the baloberas or priestesses [Music] they are responsible for the maintenance of the baloba sacred place where the iranes can be found iranis are objects or statues where the orebok lives spirits of the Gods and the ancestors of the tabanga the baloberas are powerful women who are respected for their capacity to communicate with the gods and with the Dead people come to them to ask for help and the protection of the iranis in the sacred baloba they hold major Ceremonies for the benefit of the whole community [Music] the important role of women in bisago society is reflected in the mythological origin of this ethnic group [Music] according to Legend the first woman who inhabited these islands gave birth to four daughters who received different possessions oracuma was granted the right to the land and the holding of ceremonies omenka received the sea and with it the fishing oraga nature with its Paddy fields and its palm tree the power of the rain and the wind so as to control the dry season and the rainy season [Music] these women gave rise to the four clans of the bisago people [Music] funded by huge trees and now uninhabited the old tavanka of edunke is considered to be the first settlement of this people on the island of orango all the houses which make up the tabanka are balobas as is indicated by the presence outside them of the kucerum a tree which is considered to give protection [Music] the clan scattered to found new tabangas until etikoga was reached Society is structured in Clans and there is a class system by ages throughout their lives both men and women perform initiation rights in this way they pass from one stage to another and gain rights the choice of the Kinglet or chief of the davanga into the baloberas does not depend on age but on belonging to the clan which owns the Earth as this lineage is inherited by women it is they who determine the positions of power in society the Kinglet is responsible for administering the natural resources and for establishing the time of sowing and a fallow land and what to do in the case of drought he is advised by a Council of Elders made up of both men and women Augusto belongs to the lineage of the oraga he is descended from Pampa kanimpa a queen in whom myth and reality merge as he is almost 100 years old his son Simon is in charge of guarding the tomb of this queen who is venerated by all the inhabitants of the island in the early 20th century this loving woman who despite having an army preferred to pay heavy taxes to the Portuguese to avoid war s is foreign [Music] the Privileges for women of the island increased after her death the Portuguese subjugated orango which was a colony of Portugal for four decades [Music] as the day begins the activities start at the home of Tanya and Daniel this morning Danielle will go to gather chabeu the fruit of the palm tree the work is divided between the sexes the men do the work in the jungle and on the sea while the women mainly do the household chores the Magnificent state of preservation of these islands is largely due to the faith and the animist traditions of this people in this way they have lived for Generations in harmony with nature taking from it only what they need to survive [Music] the main resources of the cultivation of rice vegetable gardens and fishing [Music] numerous products are also obtained from the palm tree and peanuts and cashew nuts are also cultivated mainly for export [Music] Dona is the representative of the association of women horticulturists of etikova [Music] have a meeting to make decisions and organize the work of the fourth coming months [Music] the women are the Mainstay of the economy they work harder and take on more responsibility than the men do before associations to administer the economy social welfare and the law Council of women is also responsible for judging and punishing any crimes committed which are however rare foreign there are small vegetable gardens which are privately owned and large ones which are collectively managed agriculture in the archipelago is determined by the rain Cycles the dry season is from November to May and is the best season to cultivate the vegetable gardens after it rains it is time to clear the fields to repair the fences to keep animals out and to begin sowing the Palm forests are where their men carry out their main productive activities foreign of the palm tree is vital to life in the archipelago essentially it gives wine and oil the oil is extracted from the fruit of the palm tree to gather chavel the men are obliged to climb to the top of the palm trees a height of over 20 meters [Music] to climb up they use just a rope made from Palm leaves and the weight of their own bodies Danielle changes his rope every month to ensure it does not wear and finally break it is risky work which has claimed a number of lives it requires concentration at all times as any air may be fatal [Music] foreign [Music] is for family consumption while Collective Gathering is for obtaining oil to sell palm oil together with wine is indispensable in the carrying out of Ceremonies and rituals the Sago believed that without the oil the iranes May refuse their requests foreign another of the resources exploited from the palm tree is the sap from which wine is obtained before climbing the trees the men make small funnels from Palm leaves into which the sap will fall it must be extracted sensibly so as not to exhaust to the resources of the palm trees the liquid obtained has a low alcohol content it must be left to ferment and protected from the Sun to prevent it from turning sour cashew wine is also made although Palm wine is more popular oh the cultivation of rice is the main productive activity of the islands visago agriculture is of a shifting nature it gains land from The Jungle which is cultivated for a year and then left fallow for between 6 and 12 years the plantations are small in size and are fenced off to keep animals out especially hippopotamuses which are abundant on the island oh during the dry season the men clear trees from the land chosen for cultivation they sow the rice with the first June rains [Music] the women helped the men with the Harvest it is they who keep the keys to the barns in which the rice is stored [Music] hello although the islands provide a large variety of resources rice is the basis of their cooking Tanya is preparing a traditional dish it is a recipe of boiled rice accompanied with mangada soup [Applause] mangada or peanuts are produced mainly for sale together with cashew nuts once it has been cleaned the mangada is ground to a paste foreign ly as possible as it must be dissolved in water Tanya adds onion lemon juice and fish and heats the dish ES true finally she serves the cooked rice to which she adds the mangada soup with the fish [Music] the tabanga is a mainly feminine place where domestic chores are carried out the activities of the women revolve mainly around the house where they prepare food transform products or make clothes or mats on occasion they carry out their tasks and environments considered to be masculine such as the sea where they gather mollusks at low tide or the jungle Albertina is cleaning fish which she will cook later on she needs firewood so she must leave the tabanka and go into the jungle to find it [Music] but going out into nature means being exposed to the wild animals of the island [Music] the bisago are particularly afraid of snakes most of those found here are poisonous enough to kill a person so the girl must be alert at all times [Music] now she has all she needs to prepare a tasty dish of grilled fish the inhabitants of these islands obtain a large part of their resources from the sea they practice subsistence fishing which aims to cover family needs fish which is not eaten is either exchanged for other products with other locals or kept to be dried or salted various traditional forms of capture are used fishing may be carried out on foot by taking advantage of low tide an experienced fisherman can catch a good supper easily although the fish found near the shore are smaller in size to capture the most sought after fish it is better to use other techniques Danielle will try his luck with a hook fishing is carried out in coastal areas or mangrove swamps from Simple Craft without engines constructed from tree trunks a great variety of species are to be found here from sharks to manta rays sea bass red porgies and barracudas for centuries these people have practiced sustainable fishing based on self-consumption in recent years however they have also begun to trade with fish the only way they're able to do so is by means of the ship which visits the island every week from bisau the arrival of the ship leads to increased activity all over the island the men go out in their boats to fish at the end of the day they will take what they have caught to the ship so that it can be sold in bissau the ship will stay here all day its crew members pass the time by preparing lunch on an improvised Grill the fish is much tastier seasoned in oil with mustard Albertina is looking for combei the combei or kako is one of the products most frequently consumed by the bisago it is the main source of animal protein in their diet this mollusk is very abundant and easy to gather before she leaves she takes the opportunity to buy some fish the port is barely 20 minutes away from etikova the presence of the ship from bissau can also be appreciated many women are hurrying to finish their mats these are handmade and represent their main source of income Ella is preparing the fiber which will be the structure of the mat before starting work it must be fixed to the ground to prevent it from moving some women are capable of making a mat in barely an hour the ribs are over 10 a flexible material which is however highly resistant to Knox it is extracted from the stalk of the CB palm tree which grows in the south of the island kilometer foreign whatever it is the house is a space very much associated with women not only does the woman own her house it is where she carries out most of her activities where she gives birth and where she is buried the traditional houses have walls of adobe conical straw roofs and a frame of bamboo the kitchen is on the outer porch it is here that most of the daily activities are carried out the inner rooms are used as a bedroom and storehouse destruction of the houses men and women carry out different tasks the women are traditionally the main builders they transport the water make the Adobe bricks from mud and direct the walls the men prepared the beams and the wooden framework which will support the roof is many houses also have a vegetable garden which must be protected from the appetite of the domestic animals rear cows goats pigs and chickens although some stables for the livestock do exist most of the animals grow freely with no special attention the ship for bissau is about to sail people from all over the island are bringing their merchandise to the port as it takes several hours to walk from some of the tabankas Some people prefer to arrive the day before rather than risk missing the boat the beach fills with people and the ship is loaded with a large amount of produce peanuts oil fish and above all map the weekly ship is the only public transport available for leaving the island [Music] not everything is intended for sale some people also send products to relatives or simply need to travel to the mainland [Music] everyone helps to load the merchandise for some it is more Festival than work [Music] the weight on the seashore is also a good opportunity for bathing pets ship stops at other Islands before reaching the South the passengers will eat and drink here during the day and a half that the crossing takes [Music] the lack of communications of the islands is a problem if any serious situation arises the infirmary of etikova is the only Health Center in orango it has three beds for admission and two consultation rooms one for pregnant women and the other for adults and children they mainly treat diarrhea breathing problems and malaria there are very few resources but the consultations help to detect risk situations so as to evacuate patience and time to a hospital in bissau infantile um Western medicine lives in harmony with traditional medicine sometimes the medical personnel encouraged the patient to consult A Healer thank you Domingos is one of the few traditional Healers of orango [Music] foreign ERS are known for having intimate knowledge of plants they know how to use and combine them to cure many diseases before beginning to gather plants Domingos must make an offering of gratitude to the iranis in a sacred place [Music] once this has been done he can begin to cut the plants [Music] he mainly uses leaves of trees and shrubs together with some herbs and roots it is important to collect them without damaging them so they can continue to provide resources Domingos learned how to prepare the medicines and the amount which must be given according to each person and each complaint from his father who was a Healer before him and now advises his son for example eventually February Hospital s Domingos not only cures diseases but also prepares remedies for snake bite secunda will give birth soon and has come to see the Midwife today has been attending pregnant women for many years The Midwives use traditional medicine to help women in labor atory nothing to do sincere maternity is the central element in the visaco systems of beliefs which is based on reincarnation the woman thus comes into contact with the spiritual World on conceiving in her womb a new being which is the product of The Reincarnation of a deceased person this means that maternity is highly respected and prestigious in society but it is not the only way that women come into contact with the Dead [Music] Society is structured in very rigid age groups eight for men and six for women which are reached by fulfilling the initiation rights of each group [Music] of these rights begins in childhood and accompanies people throughout their lives [Music] on secrets and knowledge to the young the latter and their turn offer possessions and food to the elders this is what is known as the paramento dogarandesa this lifelong learning gradually enriches the soul or orebok of the individual and his most important moment arrives with the secret ceremony of the fanado [Music] as a result a young man becomes an adult and is recognized by the community as having full rights this ethnic group considers man to be an incomplete being who must enhance his orebok throughout his life [Music] if he dies before the fanado he will not be able to complete the process and the orebok will become a Wandering evil spirit [Music] women on the other hand are born perfect [Music] even if they should die without having completed the fanado their orebok will become beneficial spirits in the ceremony of the fanado women wear the Saya or traditional skirt together with necklaces and Tiaras and carry out a dance with a very significant name the dance of the Dead [Music] with this secret ceremony of Passage to adulthood women play an essential role in establishing Harmony between the world of the living and the dead [Music] power of hosting the spirit of men who have not been initiated [Music] [Applause] believed that the spirits of boys and young men who have died without passing through the fanado do not rest in peace they return periodically to Earth to be incarnated in the bodies of women as these wandering Spirits may be an evil force in the community the capacity of women to incorporate them is highly valued foreign [Music] dead man as they are called is a choice made by the deceased against which they cannot fight those which are chosen will carry the deceased with them throughout life carrying out the necessary ceremonies so that the latter can complete his initiation and pass to the other world [Music] oh [Music] Yaya has not yet passed through the finado and is the mother of four children in the past without being considered an adult it would have been forbidden for her to become pregnant the finado Ceremonies for both men and women were traditionally held every six years but in etikova over two decades have passed since the last one nowadays pregnancy and childbirth are the ways in which a woman becomes an adult [Applause] is called [Music] every morning some 50 children go to the atikoga nursery school [Music] Segunda set up this project and tries to maintain it year after year despite the lack of Finance foreign [Music] children are given their first lessons in this place they will later go on to a state school where some of them will complete their primary education oh [Music] my God paradoxically the higher rate of schooling may be contributing to the decline of traditions [Music] the first initiation rights began in infancy when the children were taught to respect their elders and learned to carry out their first activities in the country [Music] today these initiation rights are no longer held many teenagers and young people wish to continue their studies and go to bissau the opening up of society to the outside world leads them to question the initiation rights and the payment of possessions to their elders [Music] old people who in their youth made these payments to their Elders now feel disappointed and fear that if the young reject the ceremonies the bisago culture will end up disappearing [Music] thank you [Music] for the baloberas these are also uncertain times women cannot be appointed without having passed through the finado but being a balobera means giving up men and a family and living off charity and the young women of today are no longer willing to make these sacrifices this morning the children of the tabanga have come to the beach to look for gombe dressed in their oldest clothes and armed with spoons they dig in the sand in search of these small mollusks [Music] it is still early but they must hurry as this is an essential ingredient for preparing the meal for the wedding of Sarita and Tino in the tabanga the women are lighting the fire as it is a special day they wear the traditional Saya the women wear these skirts mainly at ceremonies rites and dances two different sayas are worn according to age short and of several colors for young women and long and of a single color for older women [Music] the food is a fundamental aspect of the rights and ceremonies of this culture on these occasions the most frequent dishes are prepared with rice and palm oil today the women are cooking rice with convey which will play an important part of the wedding the bridegroom's family prepares the kawasa a container made from half a pumpkin which is filled with gifts [Applause] afterwards they go to Sarita's house amid shouts and Applause from relatives and Friends [Applause] finally the couple meet Dino's parents present the gabasa to the bride um distributes some of the presents among the members of her family [Music] time to celebrate the wedding has come the procession goes through the tabanka to return to Tino's house once more [Music] the dish of rice with gumbe seals the union of the couple [Music] [Applause] [Music] A New Life Begins for Sarita perhaps in the fourth coming years she will have daughters the girls will inherit her lineage and will transmit it and turn to their own daughters from generation to generation these next Generations will be the witnesses to the survival or The Disappearance of the bisavo culture [Music] it is time to party to eat and to dance songs ReSound all over the tabanka it is here where women enjoy great prestige they are essential to maintain the economy society and the family but the power of women in the bisalco culture is not only political economical and social it also lies in the role which is given them by this people to maintain the balance between the world of the living and the dead in the power to give life in the power to help the dead to find their way to the Beyond this is the strength of the women of orango foreign [Music] [Music] [Music]

Channel: wocomoHUMANITY

Views: 3,650,385

Keywords: Documentary, Queens of Orango, Matriarchal Society, Matriarchy, Africa

Id: Z8uANLdARj8

Length: 52min 1sec (3121 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 12 2023