ISOKO NATION: HER ORIGINS, CULTURE AND TRADITION

-By Comrade Sunday Edoja Ogbaoyibo

The Isoko people constitute one of the major ethnic groups in Delta State of Nigeria. Many Isoko clans have traditions of Origin with claims of migration from Benin and Igbo Lands. The only exceptions being the Olomoro clan that traced its ancestral origin to Olomu of Urhoboland and Erowha that claims autochthony to Niger Delta. Therefore, other Isoko clans recognized Erowha as the eldest Isoko clan. Administratively, Isoko people, occupy two Local Government Areas- Isoko North and South.

The Isokos are organized into Clans having 19 Clans to wit: Uzere, Erowha, Irri, Oleh, Ozoro, Owhe, Oyede, Okpe, Emede, Igbide, Emevor, Ofagbe, Ellu, Olomoro, Iyede, Umeh, Aviara, Okpolo and Enwhe Apart from Isokos in Isoko North and South Local Government Areas we have several Isoko towns and villages in Ndokwa West Local Government Area and communities within Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State - Anibeze Kennan/Canaan, Igwe-Ogbokor, Abuetor, Osekwenike etc. Isoko homeland is bounded on the North by the Kwale/Aboh, on the East by the Ase River, on the West by the Urhobo nation and on the South by the Ijaws of Delta State. Their main economic stay is subsistence agriculture and the production of palm oil and kernels. The main food crops are yam and cassava supplemented by corn, beans, pepper and groundnut. Fishing, hunting, craft and art, weaving, sculpture, smiting, carving are other means of livelihood.

Politically, their traditional political institution is hierarchical in structure with the highest one known as the Ovie (King) in some notable clans while other clans operate on the Odio-logbo, usually the most eldest in some clans and a council of elders comprising of a group of elderly men and a council of chiefs followed by Oletu-logbo (War-Lord/Senior Oletu) through Junior Oletu.

The advent of western political institution saw the introduction of notable leadership position ranging from community President General through community Chairman, Chairperson (Chairlady as it is commonly called) to vigilante and Youth leaders. All these different political institutions have their own functions but there exist the principles of checks and balance with collective responsibilities. The religious life of Isoko people was mainly paganism before the existence of Christianity through the coming of the missionaries. But today, Christianity is more pronounced.

In terms of human relation, the Isoko people are known for hospitality, being their brother’s keeper; sociable and lovers of strangers. Hence, the social life of Isoko people could be seen from different perspectives as they have unique ways of entertainment. Their table of entertainment while receiving visitors is a necessity in which there must be Kola-nut with alligator pepper and or bitter kola with grounded fish or crayfish with little pepper, garden egg or pepper fruit as supplement in most cases. The kola nut is to be “wedged” with money and a bottle of local gin. This kind of entertainment is very expedient to an Isoko man while welcoming a visitor. Isoko people are lovers of tradition! Entertainment which could be seen from a theatrical, musical or artistic dimension is usually oral and dramatic in presentation to include (Festival, Folktales/Story telling, wrestling, etc.)

In those days, moonlight period was proper and auspicious time for people in Isoko villages/town to gather in groups for the world of storytelling. Folktales are not peculiar to Isoko land alone, they have been part and parcel of other cultures too. Festivals in Isoko culture is a wonderful feast of celebration that is now gradually fading away because of western philosophy and Christianity, and these festivals are sine-qua-none to our culture which must be revived for preservation.

Fundamental aspects of Isoko culture include beliefs, values, routine, and customs

Belief

The Isoko people have some superstitious beliefs which are accepted as true, e.g. it is believed that if an Owl perches on the roof of a house, it portrays death etc.. Values are aspects of cultural practices placed in high esteem which must be preserved traditionally from generation to generation, e.g. ceremonial rites, coronation etc, values and judgment are not only important elements of culture but are also relevant to modern society.

Routines and Cultures are the prescribed ways of performing different ceremonies. They refer to the actual doing and the regularity of these cultural actions or element. Basic traditional ceremonies associated with the Isoko cultures are marriage, coronation, chieftaincy, naming and burial, having their distinct due processes of performing them in the Isoko traditional style.

One vital spirit of the Isoko culture is her language which is the vehicle through which her culture is expressed, together with ideas, habits, norms and morals. Language is taken as the determinant factor in considering an ethnic group or a people’s identity because it is the means of communication, without which corporate existence and separate identity of an ethnic group becomes impossible. Indeed, it is the language that makes possible the socialization process, a process which is responsible for the evolution and continuation of culture group. Consequently, that our people now speak a language called Isoko could be said to be function of our history, in terms of migration, settlement, social and commercial relations. Hence, language is the fulcrum of a people’s culture, history, the present and the future.

Dressing

The Isoko culture permits simple traditional attires in which the man wears cap/hat, beads, a native lace with little or no designs and a wrapper with a walking stick to match, while the woman will supplement scarf for hat. In fact, Isoko people usually look gorgeous in their traditional attires, though the Isoko and the Urhobo have many socio-political cultural features in common like dressing habits and their dialects are more closely related to each other than to the other Edo dialects.

Food

The Isoko people have a traditional meal of a very rich delicacy viz: banga soup, eba, starch, with dried fish or fresh fish, in most instances, plantain/yam could be used to “wedge.” Also, yam or plantain and palm oil with roasted fish as well as light ground ordinary pepper soup and starch are their favorites.

Greeting

Just like any other ethnic group, the Isoko people are good respecters of tradition with good morals. And, as such, they have regards and respect for their elders. The younger one greets an elderly person. “Me ri gue,” (I am on my knees”) with his/her kneels on the ground, while in response, an elderly one would say “Vre doh!” (rise, thank you”) accompanied with exchange of pleasantries.

Acculturation In Isoko Culture: By the process of acculturation, we have over the years internalized cultural practices which are of foreign background having influence on our cultural heritage. Our dressing pattern has been greatly influenced with modern fashion. Food and eating habit have changed drastically, while greeting style has no root to her tradition any more, thus, moral values, norms and customs suffer threat for survival just like the Isoko Language that is facing critical challenge to stand the test of time. Though acculturation has negative effect on our culture, there exist other aspects with essential values and habits to be imbibed. Through modernization, our farm implement and other facilities are of benefit. Western education has placed the Isoko man in highly respected professions and position undoubtedly, while healthcare in the native form has been positively affected and Christianity on its own has an indelible impact in the inculcation of moral values which is sequel to Isoko culture.

The Isoko culture could be revived and sustained through the following suggestive measures:

• Isoko people must bear Isoko names for cultural identity.
• Celebration of Isoko national day would be of great significance to the survival of her culture if practiced
• Isoko sons and daughter should identify with their people/community development unions in other lands.
• Cultural day celebration by the different clans in Isoko ethnic nationality will be of immense contribution to project her culture to unborn generation.
• Isoko cultural hunt competition could be organized and eventually may motivate people into research on her indomitable rich cultural heritage.

To this end, it is unequivocally obvious that culture is the sum total way of life of a people and therefore means civilization. Invariably, a civilized man is regarded as a man who is well saturated in his culture.

By and large, the Isoko people have a very rich culture heritage that has defiled the monstrous colonial influence on much of African culture. With a culture that could be classified as highly advanced in terms of richness in moral values, Isoko are highly religions and they are great lovers of strangers and humanity in general, they are peace loving people and very hospitable too. Honesty and hard work are important attributes of the Isoko man, they are also an egalitarian people who cherish integrity and human freedom. Yet one common but good fault of the Isoko man is that he does not know how to hide his disgust for injustice and oppression. Isoko people are custodians of tradition.