Yoruba\'s Influence on Modern-Day Cultures

¶ … Yoruba's Influence on Modern-Day Cultures Around the World

The Yoruba people make up one of the largest ethnic groups in west Africa. Yoruba is also name of the associated of a religion and language of the people living on the west coast of Africa. Many of them have migrated elsewhere over time, and there exist many different concentrations of Yoruba within certain states and regions of America. The Yoruba people make up nearly a quarter of the population of Nigeria, and are typically concentrated into three different post-modern generational groups (Smith, 1988). These groups include first generation Yoruba, or those people who were the founders and settlers of some of the Yoruba towns and cities, second generation Yoruba, who originate from migration or earlier conquest resettlement, and third generation Yoruba, who originated after the Yoruba wars, which took place with other local cultures (Smith, 1988). The Yoruba also live in many other countries besides Nigeria, but their largest concentration is found within this African nation. This culture has integrated itself within many other cultures and societies and their presence is undeniable and pivotal in creating much of the current cultural diversity both in Africa as well as the Caribbean and the United States.

The Yoruba people use a gerontocratic form of government or rule (Apter, 1992). This allows the oldest and most senior members of the tribe to become the tribal leaders. While some democratic elections do occur within the Yoruba culture and government, it is generally regarded as a highly gerentocratic society. Yoruba society and government has been traditionally broken down into city-states which have their own governing bodies and who operate autonomously from other city-states (Cohen, 2004). It is easy to see why such a strongly structured and well-organized culture can go on to influence other cultures, even from a non-dominant position like many Yoruba found themselves in during the slave trade.

Historically, most of the Yoruba city-states were controlled by "Oba's" or rulers. These rulers had a counsel of leaders and chiefs that helped them make daily decisions. These chiefs were often elected, but the Oba was commonly the oldest male member of the local tribe (Apter, 1992). This form of organization is not unfamiliar in other African cultures, and pervades the Yoruba culture even in the present day. There has been very little change within the Yoruba culture to set it apart from others like it. Recently however, there has been a reassigning of women's roles within the culture as the women's rights movement has made some progress within the Yoruba culture itself (Abimbola, 2006). This is typical of cultures who are exposed to Western cultural models and where women, as a cultural resource, begin to take on more value apart from just being reproductive vessels and home servants.

The Yoruba people belong to a very robust culture. That is to say that the cultural roots can be found in many other places outside of Africa, where Yoruba people have taken up residency either through immigration or during the slave trade. The Yoruba religion says that there is one singular god, and approximately 400 other spirits who all possess supernatural abilities (Peel, 2000). It is said that at some point, many of these spirits once lived on earth amongst the Yoruba as warriors and shamans. The Yoruba religion is centered on this deification, and many of these people believe that they will assume this spirit status in death if they are diligent enough in trying to assume a pre-existing spirit's powers (Eades, 1980). Much of the Yoruba religion has been blended into some of the more esoteric religions of Haiti and Cuba, as well as the practice of Voodoo in these same countries.

The Yoruba people were involved in the slave trade most often as captive slaves taken aboard ships bound toward North America (Smith, 1988). Author Ellis (2008) expands on this history of Yoruba involvement in the slave trade as he helps tell his account of the trade itself during the middle of the nineteenth century. The Yoruba played a key role in the trade triangle which occurred between Africa, the Caribbean, and what was to become the United States. Traders would secure slaves in Africa and trade them for sugar in the Caribbean states. This sugar was then bound for the New World (United States) and then was traded for rum. The rum was shipped back to Africa, completing the trade triangle (Ellis, 2008). It is interesting to note that many of the Yoruba who were sold into slavery are the ancestors of modern-day Caribbean citizens as well as African-Americans. The Yoruba culture is very roust, and many of the slaves held onto their own religious beliefs throughout their journeys. This helped to contribute to the diverse religious and cultural beliefs that many of the Caribbean nations share today.

Politically speaking, many of the African cultures regard politics and culture as one and the same entity. The Yoruba are traditionally no different than many other cultures in that their political structure mimics their cultural and societal values and norms. It is therefore easier to understand how a culture like the Yoruba's does not blend very well with competing political or cultural ideals, and how there have been many wars involving the Yoruba (Apter, 1992). These wars are most commonly centered on political or governmental power, and the Yoruba people themselves are no strangers to the idea that they have to fight for the survival of their own culture. Author Laitin (1986) points out that for most African cultures, politics and culture are a Janus-faced entity (pp.ix).