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On Misunderstandings Arising from the Use of the Term ‘Creole’ in the Literature on Sierra Leone: A Rejoinder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 December 2011

Akintola J. G. Wyse
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Extract

In the middle of writing a paper on the ‘roots’ of the Krio of Sierra Leone my attention was drawn by a colleague to an article in a recent issue of Africa, written by David Skinner and Barbara E. Harrell-Bond, two scholars who have been doing some work on Sierra Leone (Skinner and Harrell-Bond 1977). Aware of my interest in this area my colleagues suggested that I might want to react to the article. My own views on the Krio (Wyse forthcoming) can be read when published, but I considered that a reply to this article was needed for two reasons. Firstly, the article queried the validity of the term ‘Creole’ as used in the literature to refer to a cohesive group. And since Sierra Leonean scholars have begun to favour the use of the term Krio as the more acceptable one, it is eminently desirable to bring this development to the knowledge of non-Sierra Leoneans concerned with the study of the Krio. Second and more importantly, the authors have raised certain controversial questions as to the chronological evolution of Krio society. It is suggested that there was no Krio society even before the 1940s and 1950s, and that the popular notion of a Krio society was a figment of the imagination of articulate ‘Creoles’ who felt compelled to erect an ideological framework as justification for retaining their privileged status in Freetown during the pre-Independence period. The evolution of a group of people as an identifiable social entity is inevitably open to interpretation; and we in Sierra Leone are always grateful to outsiders who point out aspects of our history that need looking into. In this particular case I do not entirely agree with the submission made by the authors, and I shall be replying to them in the course of this article.

Résumé

EN RÉPONSE À ‘CERTAINS MALENTENDUS DÛS À L'USAGE DU TERME “CRÉOLE” DANS LES ÉTUDES DOCUMENTAIRES SUR LE SIERRA LEONE‘

L'auteur estime que Skinner et Harrell-Bond, Africa 47 (1977), n'ont nullement justifié l'affirmation qu'ils ont appuyee sur les documents présentés et selon laquelle il n'existait pasde société Krio (Créole) avant les annees 1950. Quelques unes de leurs théses sembleraientindiquer qu'ils ont accepté, peut-être trop facilement, certaines vues courantes sur les Krio etque l'historiographie du Sierra Leone avait accréditées. Tout en corrigeant un certain nombre d'hypotheses posees par ces auteurs, le présent article établit clairement l'existence d'une société Krio bien avant 1950. Le rappel de son ascendance Yorouba ou Haoussa par un Krione signifiait en aucun cas qu'il désavouait l'existence d'un groupe fortement uni maisillustrait plutôt son aptitude á remonter á ses racines ancestrales. Déracinés sur le plan culturel, les différentes unités qui ont fusionne pour donner le groupe ethnique Krio, s'adaptérent á leur milieu, developpant leurs propres rapports avec leurs voisins. Au fil des années, et á travers des experiences communes, ils formérent par un processus d'osmose une unité identifiable en tant que telle, se distinguant par des rites, une alimentation et des moeurs sociales particuliéres au groupe. Ils furent connus sous le nom de Krio.

Type
Research Article
Information
Africa , Volume 49 , Issue 4 , October 1979 , pp. 408 - 417
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 1979

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