Ken Wiwa - The History of the Ogoni Language in Nigeria

Journalist and author, Ken Wiwa's challenge is to find a way to convey the history of his community, both in print and in English. His community speaks Ogoni, a very oral, musical language which they use to describe, in the most lyrical way, their thoughts. Ken shares his process in trying to write his book, trying to capture the speech patterns, from a language that is not written, and the wonderful way they're able to express themselves. "There's this sense that languages die and there's a great concern about languages dying for me". He has always wondered whether languages actually die or if they become something else, do they, like cultures, become another story?

[@osiris6569]

Excellent!!!

[@user-ye2mi8hn6u]

❤❤❤❤

[@ericdave5786]

Isn't Ogoni from Ghana

[@OreyvahtjEden]

No, it’s a tribe in rivers state Nigeria

[@menezorgeremene9186]

You made us Ghanaians, and later brought us to Nigeria from Ghana, I presume?

[@godwinvikpee7538]

@@menezorgeremene9186 yeah you are correct from history the Ogonis migrated from the my ancient Ghana

[@bestgodhenry8128]

That's completely not true, the Ogonis are not from Ghana and Kawābari did not gave birth to Gbene kwaawa as narrated. In Ogoni mythology Kawābari created the spiritual first then the physical known as Nouweh. She made Nee (humans) out of clay, but in order to put the spirit of men into their body Kawābari set up a council of divinities made of herself, Gbere (Agama Lizard) and Nsalogologo (skinck Lizard) and ask them to choose from two options: nee a u bia, se baa u dum? (Should humans die and cease to be, or die and live again? But due to stammering condition of Gbere, Nsalogologo quickly choose Nee a u bia and so Kawābari made humans to die and go into annihilation. Kwaawa, is also correctly known as Kwaakwaa and was the daughter of Gbene Yaaloo, the historical ancestors of the kana people of Ogoni and not the entire Ogoni people. The first woman or Queen of Ogoni was Gbene Yiranwaa who had 20 generations of descendants and whose 20th descendant was Gbene Saako of Gokana