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Genealogy, Oral Histories, and the Politics of Belonging
In Southeastern Nigeria, ethnic identity is far more than a cultural marker; it is a deeply contested political terrain in which genealogy and oral history are instrumental. Among the Igbo and their culturally adjacent communities, historical narratives are not merely inherited—they are actively curated and deployed as strategic resources. The past functions not as a passive repository but as a living instrument through which communities assert autonomy, establish territorial legitimacy, and determine their place within the contested taxonomy of “core Igbo” identity. In a region shaped by centuries of precolonial migration, colonial disruption, and post-independence restructuring, these genealogical and oral mechanisms serve as anchors in turbulent political and social waters.
Genealogy in Igbo society is not simply a record of descent but a performative practice that affirms both cultural continuity and territorial claims. Traced through patrilineal or sometimes dual unilineal descent systems, these genealogical frameworks bestow legitimacy upon individual and communal identities by linking them to revered ancestors and foundational myths (Obono, 2001). They hold significant political currency, especially in disputes over land rights, chieftaincy titles, and ethnic classification (Chukwudike & Eminue, 2017). In liminal zones such as the West Niger area, where questions of inclusion and exclusion within the Igbo fold are hotly debated, genealogical claims become tools of strategic alignment. Communities such as Onitsha or Onicha Mbaise often mobilize migration stories and narratives of royal descent from Benin to emphasize their distinctiveness or claim elevated status within a broader Igbo framework (Nwaezeigwe, 2023).
Oral history in this context operates as a dynamic and responsive archive, capable of both preserving and reconfiguring memory. In societies where written documentation was historically limited, oral traditions encompass a range of expressive forms including storytelling, ritual performance, masquerade, and naming ceremonies. These forms do not merely recount history; they actively shape it by imbuing it with political and cultural legitimacy (Adeyemo & Okoye, 2023). The fluidity of oral traditions, as Harneit-Sievers (2006) emphasizes, enables them to adapt to the exigencies of the present. In times of political negotiation or cultural contestation, communities recalibrate their oral histories, selectively emphasizing episodes such as ancient trade alliances, interethnic wars, or prestigious lineages to fortify current claims to land, leadership, or identity.
The colonial period significantly complicated these processes. British administrators, driven by the imperatives of indirect rule, imposed reductive ethnic maps and invented chieftaincy structures that often-disregarded existing social dynamics. In doing so, they created new forms of identification that either conflated disparate communities or imposed rigid hierarchies where none had previously existed (Ajala, 2015). These imposed classifications continue to reverberate today, with many communities revisiting and reasserting their oral and genealogical narratives in resistance to colonial mischaracterizations. For instance, in Onitsha, colonial endorsement of its monarchy as a paramount authority reinforced local claims to exceptionalism and distinctiveness from surrounding Igbo communities (Chuku, 2013). Similarly, in the Ohafia region, gendered oral histories reveal how colonial and missionary impositions marginalized female political institutions and recast genealogical narratives along patriarchal lines (Mbah, 2013).
Read also: Unveiling Origins: Benin, Anambra & Igbo Identity – Part 10
The aftermath of the Nigerian Genocide on Biafrans witnessed an intensified resurgence in cultural performances—especially masquerade rituals and ancestral festivals—as instruments for reclaiming identity and rebuilding cohesion. These revivals, sometimes described as “invented traditions,” were not inauthentic fabrications but strategic reconstructions aimed at fostering a modern pan-Igbo identity rooted in historical memory (Bentor, 2008). Communities employed these performances not only as cultural expressions but as tools of political messaging, aligning themselves with or distancing themselves from broader pan-Igbo movements depending on the political climate (Asogwa & Odoh, 2021). Thus, oral history and genealogy are continually reassembled in response to contemporary needs, testifying to their enduring political utility.
Urbanization and migration further complicate the picture. In rapidly growing cities such as Enugu and Port Harcourt, interethnic cohabitation and economic mobility have blurred once-clear identity lines. The pressures of urban life often lead to the erosion of origin-based claims, especially among younger generations. Yet, paradoxically, in moments of political contest—such as elections or chieftaincy selection—these very claims resurface with renewed urgency. Genealogical “purity” is invoked as a test of authenticity, delineating natives from settlers and determining access to resources and recognition (Chuku, 2013; Suleiman & Maiangwa, 2017).
Masquerade traditions, long central to Igbo cosmology, serve as another arena where genealogy and political identity converge. Far from mere cultural performances, these rituals are deeply embedded in ancestral authority. Lineage-based masquerades such as the Adada of Nsukka symbolize the continuity of descent and serve as both spiritual and sociopolitical gatekeepers (Asogwa & Odoh, 2021). Their decline in public visibility—owing to the pressures of Christianity, modernization, and urban zoning—signals not only a cultural loss but the weakening of genealogically rooted institutions of governance.
Moreover, the politics of genealogy and oral history is deeply gendered. Historically, women were custodians of clan histories, ritual memory, and spiritual authority. However, colonial and missionary interventions systematically marginalized these roles, privileging male-dominated narratives and leadership structures (Mbah, 2013). As communities embark on projects of historical recovery and cultural revival, there is increasing awareness of these gendered silences and the need to restore women’s contributions to genealogical and historical consciousness.
In summary, genealogy and oral history in Southeastern Nigeria function as dynamic repositories and instruments of political identity. They enable communities to articulate claims of belonging, to assert continuity with a storied past, and to negotiate their position within the broader, often contested, Igbo identity space. These are not static traditions frozen in time, but malleable, strategic tools continuously recalibrated in response to historical pressures and contemporary imperatives. In the struggles over land, leadership, ethnicity, and cultural authenticity, the past is never merely remembered—it is actively invoked, reinvented, and wielded in the enduring politics of belonging.
References
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Ajala, A. (2015). Cultural Patrimony, Political Identity, and Nationalism in Southwestern Nigeria. International Journal of Cultural Property, 22, pp.471–485.
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Mbah, L.N. (2013). Emergent Masculinities: The Gendered Struggle for Power in Southeastern Nigeria, 1850–1920. Doctoral Dissertation.
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Suleiman, M.D. & Maiangwa, B. (2017). Nigeria and the ‘Making’ of Combative Identities. African Identities, 15(3), pp.260–277.
