E.S.D. Fomin
University of Yaounde1
Cameroon
Tangible and intangible Slavery Identity Heritage in two types of African Societies
The Bamileke and Banyang peoples of Cameroon participated actively in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The slavery that the trade engendered in two societies and the identity heritage it left could interest tourists/pilgrims immensely. While the Bamileke grafted slavery fittingly into a centralized kingship political system the Banyang did just the reverse. They kept enslaved individuals and persons of slave descent out of their non-centralized corporate states in which citizenship is co-terminus with being an indigene. The two types of political organizations fashioned different types of slavery with distinct and interesting tangible and intangible ramified identity heritages. Slavery was an important accompaniment of the kingship of the former while the later kept slaves out of the corporate political life of the free born. In the paper it is shown in the how by incorporating slaves into their political organization the
Bamileke employed many material and non-material devices to deconstruct the slave identity of their slaves. Such devices included special attires, other slavery artefacts and governance titles for slaves employed in political administration. In doing so, Bamileke slavers integrated slaves rapidly into the society and assigned them many governance functions which are today seen in artefacts that enslaved persons used as symbols of functions and identity. The Banyang on their part employed devices which helped them to perpetrate and perpetuate slave identity.
In other words slave identity heritage in Banyang country such as their ancient slave settlements and many songs and sayings which connote slavery were intended to perpetuate slave identity among them. Slave identity heritage of tangible and intangible nature often with contrasting purposes are therefore rife among these peoples.