| Oba Ewuare was the greatest warrior legend and the most outstanding king in the history of Benin Empire.Oba in Benin history, transformed the character of the state along its quest for imperial expansion until the British invasion and conquest in February 1897.This page was last modified 16:40, 24 November 2006.All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.See Copyrights for details.Black culture in this country has become commercialized.Plainfield police officer, Gary Spatt.This event changed his
life forever.Like so many cases of police brutality and abuse the white
police officer was exonerated of all charges.Jersey, he met renowned poets Amiri Baraka and Gwendolyn Brooks.Ewuare approached Ms Brooks to get her to sign and autograph one
of her books and shared some of his poetry with her.Ewuare founded Talking Drum Communications
printing and publishing his own works.Osayande over the years and spoke very highly of him and
his dedication to the community.Ewuare has been my advisor my
partner.Pam Africa of MOVE came to support Ewuare
because he has always been there for her.However it turned out to be
a mutual admiration love fest.Like
some other villages around Benin City such as Ego, Use, Oka and Ihimwirin, to
mention a few, the foundation and growth of Uselu dates back to the period of
the Ogiso.Oba
Ewuare and Oba Esigie respectively.Oba
Ewuare the Great sent his senior son, Kuoboyuwa, to hold brief for a man called
Iken of Uselu, who was a strong powerful warrior who constantly challenged the
authority of the Oba and he often prevented Uselu people from paying the annual
tributes to the Oba in Benin City.As a result of this opposition constituted by
Iken, Oba Ewuare wanted to eliminate him by sending him to the battle front
during the war between Benin and Owo.Kuoboyuwa, the senior son of the Oba was
to hold brief for him during the period..Iken won the war but he was killed on
his way back.When
the Oba realised that Uselu people would react violently if Iken failed to
return from the war front, he decided to make the position of his son a
permanent one to enable him assume full responsibility of the ruler of Uselu.He
therefore conferred on him the title of Edaiken (Edayi Ni Ken) that is the
person holding brief for Iken.Edaiken) at
Uselu where he remains until when he is called upon to ascend the throne as Oba.The Edaiken of Uselu, like the Oba of Benin his father, also has various title
Chiefs under him, apart from the central ones created by the Oba himself.An
almost independent domain of the Queen mother was therefore carved out for her.Palace of
the Queen mother).In the Black Arts Tradition of Amiri and Abiodun, Askia and Larry Neal, Sis.Sonia and Jayne Cortez, Ewuare Osayande comes forth singing out of Philly's grim promise.The living voices of Ancestors ring in his superlative invocations of Memory: Malcolm, Robeson, embrace Gwendolyn Brooks.Long may his raw hipness, sweetened in love, raise us above these hellish cities, and point our people on the stony road to Liberation.Indonesia, to Sierra Leone and Nigeria and back.These are poems we can live by and thereby "live more abundantly."New and Selected PoemsABOUT THE AUTHOREWUARE OSAYANDE (www.People Organized Working to Eradicate Racism) and creator of Project ONUS: Redefining Black Manhood.Africa World Press, Inc.Oba Esigie of Benin (ruled c.Oba Esigie ascended the throne in c.He introduced a special post in the administration for his mother called the Iyoba, the Queen Mother.The art of the time reflects this reality.Esigie commissioned a highly improved metal art that has since achieved worldwide distinction.Queen Mother Idia busts."These works from Benin are equal to the very finest examples of European casting technique.Technically, these bronzes represent the very highest possible achievement."They aroused Esigie's interest in the possibility of acquiring firearms from Portugal for future campaigns.In 1516 and without Portuguese arms, Esigie scored a crushing defeat on Igala to the north.They had attempted an invasion that posed a threat to the very existence of Benin.The last church became the Holy Cross Cathedral.Christianity, however, remained distinctly a minority religion largely restricted to a few members of the court.Oba Ewuare the Great of Benin (ruled c.In the fifteenth century, it was an empire distinguished by the sumptuousness and comfort of its capital, Benin City, and by the refinement of its royal art.King) Ewuare the Great, founder of the empire, reigned between c.Among the subdued regions were Eka, Ekiti, Ikare, Kukuruku, and the Igbo territories west of the Niger River.He appointed a new tier of bureaucrats creating a strongly centralised system to administer his empire.These bureaucrats, the Town Chiefs, were appointed to undermine the control of the hereditary Palace Chiefs.They generally obtained their title on appointment by the Oba: only one title was hereditary.Ewuare appointed four town chiefs to increase his authority against the palace officials; later their number was much enlarged by Ewuare successors.They sat with the palace chiefs and the Uzama on the State Council, which Ewuare was said to have set up."Show off your group to the world.Share a photo of your group with us.Check them out and nominate your group.This is a news and views letter featuring the work of political activist, cultural analyst and author Ewuare Osayande.Group Email Addresses
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www.Storytelling has long been an important feature of African life.The storyteller often has a position of honor in traditional African societies.Stories praise rulers, describe historical events, reinforce customs, and teach morals and values.By reading and discussing the vivid accounts handed down from one generation to the next, students may gain a deeper appreciation of various African cultures and their visual arts.They read myths illustrated on the tusk and write a myth or story related to what they have observed and learned.Understand the concepts of myth and storytelling and their functions in African oral tradition.Complete a short creative writing assignment.You may need Adobe Acrobat to read this file.Have students fill out the What I See When I Really Look activity sheet.What do you think this object is made of?How are these figures and symbols arranged?Can you guess how this object was used?Do you think it was used on its own or attached to something?Show students where the tusks are made on the map.Tell students that tusks are placed in pairs on brass heads and on semicircular platforms.Tell them that ceremonies are held in front of royal altars to honor and communicate with past obas.Tell students that elephant ivory is highly valued and a symbol of the power of the oba.Before the twentieth century, one tusk from every elephant killed in the kingdom had to be given to the oba, and the other had to be offered to him for sale.Explain to students that Benin ivory tusks tell stories of the Kingdom of Benin, including the lives and achievements of its past obas.Instead, they created pictures and used the spoken word to tell their history.What did Oba Ewuare discover he had been sleeping on?What two symbols represent Oba Ewuare?What does his palace look like?What were some of the treasures Oba Ewuare took home?Describe what Oba Ewuare wore on his head.What did Oba Ewuare need from every man, woman, and child in the kingdom?Can you chant one of the daily greetings Oba Ewuare invented?Give students time to read the additional stories about obas and look at the tusk diagram. |
