For the building part (we brainstormed and thought building ‘manual’ farming devices could be great
Agenda for next wednesday Aug 7th at 2312 N Macarthur BlvdOklahoma City, OK 73127 http://www.mamasinmi.com/contact-us/
9:30 am – meet with IJ at Mamasinmi’s ontalk about program. (Derrell and Terry as two main teachers will explain what the storytelling and how the materials table work)Introduce ourselves10:00 am we will then talk about the curriculum (I’ll bring the books and terry why don’t you bring the art supplies atleast some of them.
Some simpler kids words: for igbo’s: female provide the food, men protected the resources and organized the spiritual events of the community.
- 1. (Youngest) – 7,- 10 y.os Perhaps, the basic idea to the smallest kids, is that jobs are a division of labor between the the family … everybody has a job… otherwise if one person did the job then they would be worn out… so it made sense for people to have different jobs.
- 2. Middle age kids– 10-12 y.os What jobs are more important, how would they decide to how to compensate people for jobs? What would make sense? Which are the most important jobs.. the ones that required physical labor, or the ones that
3. Highest age kids … (12+ y.os-14+) Here we can talk about Equality in government and maybe responsibilities. Perhaps, we can talk about rights (gender rights). What is fairness? Can laws help with fairness?
In traditional (pre-colonial, before other conquering countries from Europe had come) Igbo society, men’s and women’s interdependency (a healthy need for each other) and equality were woven into society throughout many levels and domains. For example, men grew a special type of yam for ritual and ceremonial purpose and controlled their distribution and sale. The ritual yams were used in religious ceremonies in honor of the creator goddess, Idemili, who was believed to be one with the flowing stream, the source of life. A man served as priest of Idemili, but dressed as a woman. But these yams were not a significant source of food for the Igbo.
Women grew and controlled the distribution of the cocoyam, plantains (a type of banana), and cassava, which are the staple crops of their diet, as well as raised cattle, chickens, and goats for food and/or milk. They also would provide fish from the stream. When women had a surplus of these foods, then they sold these in their market and kept all of the profit. Men hunted for wild game in the forest, but the women usually dressed the game and prepared it to eat. Men “owned” and protected the fields where crops were grown from enemies and predators, but only women were permitted to plant and harvest the food crops.
So, while men had the most control over rituals and ceremonies, these events always recognized the value of women as givers of life (through childbearing) and their hard work which provided everyone with a steady source of healthy food. Men would hunt and provide the special treat of game meat, but they were dependent on the women to prepare it for eating. If men failed to fulfill their roles, then the spiritual dimension of their existence would be out of balance. If women failed to fulfill their roles, then the Igbo would starve. Both women and men had sufficient resources at their sole discretion as to make life miserable for the opposite gender if they didn’t behave properly or fulfill their obligations to their families and society. Equality between women and men was maintained by sharing power, resources,
How can we learn from the Igbo to make our homes and our society better?
Source: Amadiume, Ifi (1987) Male Daughters, Female Husbands: Gender and Sex in an African Society. London: Zed Books.
.