Okande

The Okande people are a small ethnic group living in Gabon. They are believed to number less than 10,000, having experienced decimation over the years due to exploitation, disease, and historic violence. Nevertheless, the Okande have managed to maintain a traditional consistency in their core beliefs. They are mostly found in the region of Booué in the province of Ogooué-Ivindo. It is not known for certain whether the Okande came from the east or the north, but there are reports that they may have come into this region of the country from outside. Yet the presence and persistence of their beliefs, in the midst of change and transformation of the social environment, represent a resilience of will.

It is thought that the strength of the Okande rests with their strong male initiation society called Mwiri. The role that Mwiri plays in the Okande resilience is only suspected, although evidence suggests that the group controls the social and religious life of the Okande people. Similar in many ways to the societies of secrets among other African people, the Mwiri is in effect a brotherhood of keepers of traditions. They serve the role of creating protocols and rituals, maintaining ceremonies, and ensuring the strength and power of the ancestral spirits.

Thus, Mwiri is responsible for masquerades that project the history and culture of the people, [Page 486]the training of age group cohorts, the continuation of the religious traditions, and the keeping of customs and beliefs. Elders in the Mwiri are depended on for their wisdom, proverbs, and knowledge. Women in the society have their own communities and organizations of secrets; they are used for similar purposes in the training of young women. Each cultural tradition is interpreted through music and dance, and the young people are expected to master the tradition and transmit it to their own children. However, there is some concern that the Okande people are a vanishing group given the low numbers of people who still speak the language. In some respects, the people have been imposed on by the growing urbanization of their area and the migration to the region of other ethnic groups. One cannot truly understand the Okande without some appreciation of their attachment to the ancestors.

In this culture, the living seek to honor the ancestors and to get their imprimatur for everything. Once a person has made the necessary ceremonial and sacrificial rituals to the ancestors, it is possible to advance other ideas about health, wealth, and sustainability of the culture. For the Okande, the ancestors are the magnets for beauty, truth, virtue, and human capacity. Each person seeks to please the ancestors to be acceptable as a human who is worthy of respect. One respects the ancestors so that one will also be respected. This is the eternal narrative that the Okande are struggling to maintain.