The Peoples of the Middle Niger

The Peoples of the Middle Niger
Author: Roderick James McIntosh
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 378
Release: 1998-10-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 0631173617

The Peoples of the Middle Niger This book provides the first comprehensive history of the peoples of the Middle Niger written by an English-speaking scholar. ‘The Island of Gold’ was the medieval Muslim and later European name for a fabled source of gold and other tropical riches. Although the floodplain of the Niger river lies far from the goldfields, the mosaic of peoples along the Middle Niger created a wealth of grain, fish, and livestock that supported some of Africa’s oldest cities, including Timbuktu. These ancient cities of the region that came to be known as Western Sudan were founded without outside stimulation and their inhabitants long resisted the coercive, centralized state that characterized the origins of earliest towns elsewhere. In this book, Roderick James McIntosh uses the latest archaeological and anthropological research to provide a bold overview of the distant origins of life for the inhabitants of the Middle Niger, and an explanation for their social evolution. He shows, for instance, the difficulties the peoples faced in adapting to an unpredictable climate, and how their particular social organization determined the unusual nature of their responses to that change. Throughout the book oral traditions are integrated into the story, providing vivid insights into the inhabitants' complex culture and belief systems.

Still Waters in Niger

Still Waters in Niger
Author: Kathleen Hill
Publisher: Northwestern University Press
Total Pages: 230
Release: 1999
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9780810150898

An Irish-American woman, who had lived in Niger, returns after seventeen years to visit her daughter Zara, who works in a village clinic treating children who are suffering from starvation.

Surviving Biafra

Surviving Biafra
Author: S. Elizabeth Bird
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 254
Release: 2018-11-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 178738165X

In 1961, Rosina 'Rose' Martin married John Umelo, a young Nigerian she met on a London Tube station platform, eventually moving to Nigeria with him and their children. As Rose taught Classics in Enugu, they found themselves caught up in Nigeria's Civil War, which followed the 1967 secession of Eastern Nigeria--now named Biafra. The family fled to John's ancestral village, then moved from place to place as the war closed in. When it ended in 1970, up to 2 million had died, most from starvation. Rose ('worse off than some, better off than many') had kept notes, capturing the reality of living in Biafra--from excitement in the beginning to despair towards the end. Immediately after the war, Rose turned her notes into a narrative that described the ingenious ways Biafrans made do, still hoping for victory while their territory shrank and children starved by the thousand. Now anthropologist S. Elizabeth Bird contextualizes Rose's story, providing background on the progress of the war and international reaction to it. Edited and annotated, Rose's vivid account of life as a Biafran 'Nigerwife' offers a fresh, new look at hope and survival through a brutal war.

Zarma Folktales of Niger

Zarma Folktales of Niger
Author:
Publisher: Quale Press
Total Pages: 122
Release: 2010
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0979299985

Fiction. Folklore. African and African American Studies. Young Adult Fiction. Translated by Amanda Cushion. ZARMA FOLKTALES OF NIGER presents for the first time in English the folklore of the Zarma, a lesser-known tribe of West Africa. These tales run the gamut from teaching ethical and moral lessons to portraying tricksters to naming animals to farting contests to having fun. Humor and an emphasis on living justly bind the stories together. So far there have been few mentions of the Zarma people in Western texts, and no sign of their folklore, until now. While many English translations of African folklore exist already, they are mainly restricted to better-known cultures. ZARMA FOLKTALES OF NIGER captures the reality of the culture that created the tales, preserving what might otherwise have been lost from the oral tradition. Unlike similar collections of African folklore, ZARMA FOLKTALES OF NIGER provides the cultural and historical context necessary to truly appreciate and understand these tales. The introduction outlines Niger's history and describes the relationships of the Zarma to neighboring tribes, and the glossary explains common terms and expressions found in the stories. These tales will be of interest to children, general readers of folklore, and those interested in African culture, as well as to cultural anthropologists and ethnographers.

A History of the Niger Delta

A History of the Niger Delta
Author: Ebiegberi Joe Alagoa
Publisher:
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2005
Genre: History
ISBN:

The first title in a planned series of classic texts, written and published in Africa, on the history and culture of the Niger Delta. Long out of print, this book brings together oral traditional evidence and all other available historical material including the work of the eminent historian of the Niger Delta, Kenneth Owuka Dike. The study is an attempt to reconstruct the early history of the Ijo people of the Niger Delta, from the nineteenth century, using their own mostly oral traditions. The work has been considerably revised and updated to include material and research conclusions from the ongoing Ijo History Project on Niger Delta history chaired by the author.

Ocharlyie's Rhymes From The Niger

Ocharlyie's Rhymes From The Niger
Author: Oribi Charles
Publisher: Author House
Total Pages: 36
Release: 2014
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1491890479

Rhymes from the Niger This is a collection of poems written as rhymes to help children in their nursery and early primary classes gather knowledge about Nigeria. Using common national symbols and the nation's aesthetics, the author helps the child to not only grasp the early concept of reading but also create a sense of patriotism to their nation and continent. Whether as a class textbook or an evening read after dinner, children will find the book to be fun and educational.

The Yearning for Relief

The Yearning for Relief
Author: Klaas van Walraven
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 996
Release: 2013-02-05
Genre: History
ISBN: 9004245758

The Sawaba movement and its rebellion in Niger are a totally neglected subject. Klaas van Walraven traces this story from a social history perspective, placing an entire generation of activists, removed from the official record, back into mainstream Nigérien history. Representing a genuine social movement, Sawaba formed Niger’s first autonomous government under French suzerainty. Overthrown by the Gaullists and persecuted, it attempted a comeback with a guerrilla campaign (1960-1966), which ended in failure and led to the movement’s destruction. The Yearning for Relief – based on numerous interviews with survivors and a vast range of archival sources, including France’s secret service – is essential reading for the reappraisal of Niger’s history and the role of militant nationalist movements in the decolonisation of French West Africa.

A History of Nigeria

A History of Nigeria
Author: Toyin Falola
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 313
Release: 2008-04-24
Genre: History
ISBN: 1139472038

Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and the world's eighth largest oil producer, but its success has been undermined in recent decades by ethnic and religious conflict, political instability, rampant official corruption and an ailing economy. Toyin Falola, a leading historian intimately acquainted with the region, and Matthew Heaton, who has worked extensively on African science and culture, combine their expertise to explain the context to Nigeria's recent troubles through an exploration of its pre-colonial and colonial past, and its journey from independence to statehood. By examining key themes such as colonialism, religion, slavery, nationalism and the economy, the authors show how Nigeria's history has been swayed by the vicissitudes of the world around it, and how Nigerians have adapted to meet these challenges. This book offers a unique portrayal of a resilient people living in a country with immense, but unrealized, potential.

Curse of the Black Gold

Curse of the Black Gold
Author: Michael Watts
Publisher:
Total Pages: 232
Release: 2008-05-13
Genre: Photography
ISBN:

Nigeria is the sixth largest producer of oil in the world and one of the major suppliers of oil to the US. Set against a backdrop of what has been called the scramble for African oil, this text documents the consequences of a half-century of oil exploitation and production in one of the world's foremost centres of biodiversity.