Nnoo, kedu?
“Welcome, how are you?”
I am from the Igbo tribe, one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa originating from what is now known as Nigeria as well as Equatorial Guinea. The Igbo people are a beautiful, resilient, and intelligent tribe known especially for their business acumen and industrious nature. Individuals that hail from the tribe whom you may have heard of include late author Chinua Achebe, public speaker, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and Genevieve Nnaji.
It is my understanding that my family traces our ancestry from Igboland and as our ancestors found themselves in the Benin Kingdom, they later arrived in Anioma which is situated in what is now known as Delta State, Nigeria. As the River Niger separates us from what is commonly referred to as Igboland, we are colloquially known as Delta Igbo.
Our culture and history are both fascinating and inspiring. Through my family and time spent in my ancestral village, I have become acquainted with our beautiful mother tongue which is Igbo (Enuani dialect). When living abroad in the West, I often find myself highlighting my racial identity, and therefore, I would like to critically reflect on my cultural identity as well as how it has shaped me. I want to dedicate the next several days to my Igbo and African heritage through my reflections in my writings.
Marcus Garvey tells us, “A people without the knowledge of their history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots.”