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Igbo Tribe Analysis

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As a member of the Ibo Tribe and the leader of the Umuofian village, I, Obierika, am speaking on behalf of my people. If you have recently read the District Commissioner 's latest book, The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger, then you most likely believe that we are ¨uncivilized, barbaric, subhuman savages¨. Before the white Christian men invaded our land, the Ibo Tribe members had pronounced loyalty and reliability to one another. We prospered in agriculture, our spirituality flourished, and we made sensible judgements with the aid of the Oracle. The white men are threatening our way of life and culture for they do not have an open mind, so I am enlightening all readers of our internal logic. According to …show more content…

The Commissioner is certain that our Ibo Tribe is wicked and homicidal for performing ancient ceremonies that have been practiced for many generations. The sacrifice of Ikemefuna is a prime illustration of a ceremonial offering. In Umuofia, we go to the Oracle to obtain help on key decisions about life. Ikemefuna was an exchange for a wrongdoing committed by a different tribe to our tribe. In our spirituality, when a external man commits a crime or murder, we take that man’s life, or we exchange a member of that tribe and take his life to avert war. Our justice system is set-up in an “eye for an eye” way of punishment. The Oracle tells us how to punish people; it also makes tribal decisions. The Oracle expressed to Okonkwo to not to participate in the sacrifice of Ikemefuna, because he was like a father to the boy, but he executed the youngster anyways. This is partly why Okonkwo was punished. If the word of the Oracle must be obeyed, then we must make a sacrifice to the Earth Goddess to avoid her wrath upon the …show more content…

Those people with Christian backgrounds may have a tough time grasping this concept, but we do not want to be “saved”. We want them to let us be, so we can coexist without harming each other. Overall, the Ibo folk can be described as logical, normal, spiritual, and close-knit. We are not freaks; our way of life may sound bizarre to some because they do not have open minds, and they do not try to comprehend our minds. If you are reading this and there are any thoughts containing negative connotation toward the Ibo Tribe in your head, please take the time to make an effort to understand our internal

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Memorable Quotes “Yam stood for manliness, and he who could feed his family on yams from one harvest to another was a very great man indeed”(Achebe 33). Throughout the novel, yam is mentioned pretty consistently. This emphasizes masculinity which help define Okonkwo and his character. The quote shows how important it is to Okonkwo to show status and masculinity to the people of his village.

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