Residents of Jos, the Plateau State capital, have spurned the forces of violence in the state and showcased a most memorable cultural feast. The various tribes that make up the state turned out in their traditional gear, bringing to the present a living picture of the past. Bare-chested Berom youths showed up with their bows and arrows, complete with their quivers and charm pouches. The Afizere paraded pouches of their own but also pots of green leaves in the manner of their forebears. A maiden walked by with a calabash dexterously balanced on her head, with two small hollowed-out gourds covered her chest.
It was an outing that made a statement: Jos residents were tired of violence and were happy to live in peace with one another despite coming from various tribal backgrounds. To sustain the peace, several groups have been talking and sticking to their peace plans. That accounted for the peace that prevailed in the state capital for about two years, although occasional clashes took place outside the tin city. It was six days after the cultural feast that the terrorists hit Jos, killing over 100 people.
The residents came out to mark the International Day of the Museum celebrated worldwide on May 16. It is a day set aside to celebrate culture and save it from extinction.
However, the annual programme was taken beyond merely marking an event. Ethnic groups in the state elevated it to a cultural carnival. People came out to showcase their culture and tradition in a way that seemed to ignite a kind of competition among the groups.
Jos itself has often been described as a miniature Nigeria due to its composition of the tribes residing in the city. Every other tribe in Nigeria can be found there in large numbers, and the tribes used the opportunity provided by the anniversary to showcase the richness of their cultures. The Idoma, Igala, Yoruba, Igbira, Igbo, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Tiv were there, among others.
Indigenous Plateau ethnic groups wore leaves to symbolise their historical mode of dressing before the advent of Western civilization. Notable among the leaf-wearing peoples are the Berom, Afizere and Irigwe tribes.
Some other native tribes were seen dressed in animal skin, which showed the people in their ancient days. It also showcased them as great hunters of large animals. Others wielded spears and arrows to demonstrate their war prowess in pre-colonial days. Some of them sported a bushy hair style of early Stone Age generations.
That day the Jos Museum, in the central area of the city, hosted its largest gathering of people in recent times. Each ethnic group took their turn to display their cultural dances. The dressing of each cultural group alone was the first sign of identifying each ethnic group.
The cultural carnivals also attracted tourists from overseas some of whom were seen applauding the varieties of cultural displays. They took photographs.
One of the tourists, Edmond Mark, said, “We are so pleased to be part of this cultural carnival. To me, the country is richly endowed with varieties of cultures which make the country and its people unique. We don’t have such rich culture in Europe and America, the dance steps, very attractive; it is full of entertainment.”
The Tiv people appeared in their traditional black and white colours ; the Idoma group in their red and black, the Berom in their renowned red and green. The Igala tribe, Anaguta, Afizere, Irigwe, Angas, Tarok and several others could be clearly identified in their traditional colours.
It was one event that brought together the indigenous tribes and the settlers together in the fully forested environment of the Jos museum. There were also a cultural group from neighbouring Bauchi State. They are of the Jarawa tribe with similar cultural identity with the Afizere of Jos. They also participated in the carnival to prove their cultural and ethnic affinities with the Afizere ethnic group of Jos.
The curator, National Museum Jos Mrs. Annah Dunkrah set the ball rolling with her welcome address when she said, “Jos museum has assumed a position of confluence of cultures and heritage displays for museums all over the country; the anniversary is celebrated like a Christmas Day in Jos.
She said, “This year’s celebration is tagged ‘Museum collections make connections’ Indeed the museum cannot exist without its collections and these collections are our cultural heritage which links present generations of people with their ancient cultures. These collections connect generations to generations just as they connect the present to the past.”
In a goodwill message, Director general, national commission for museums and monuments, Mallam Yusufu Abdallah Usman said, “The celebration, which is an annual event is an occasion to raise awareness on the importance of museum in the development of every society.
He said, “This is achieved through collecting, researching and exhibiting collections with the aim of preserving important historical relics, yet communicating in modern day language.”
Speaking further, Mallam Abdallah said: “Museums are living institutions that help create relationships between visitors, generations and cultures around the world. This bond fosters better relationships in dealing with illicit trafficking of our cultural object, repatriation of objects and partnership in different areas.
“Museums are constantly facing challenges that bring them to consider the execution of their traditional mission of conservation and protection of cultural goods within new strategies so as to attract more visitors and ensure accessibility to collections. Thus, many museums revamp the traditional method of preservation of their collections in order to involve communities where the museums are sited and remains in constant contact with the public.
“The museum being an institution that preserves the past is yet fully grounded in the present. Its essence is to serve as a link between generations as it allows present and future generations to better comprehend their origins and history. Its link with the present also ensures that collections are used to address contemporary societal problems.
“Thus museums in the Network of the national commission for museums and monuments organize exhibitions and other educational outreach programs around themes that help their various communities to diagnose their problems and offer solutions. Issues of health, security, ethics, poverty alleviation, skills acquisition, social cohesion etc are routinely addressed by our museums as they make themselves relevant to the society.
“Looking at this year’ international museums day celebration theme which is ‘museum collections make connections’ it emphasizes more on the collaboration between museums worldwide and their importance in cultural exchange and knowledge of the world cultures” said Mallam Abdallah.
Plateau State Commissioner for Tourism, Culture and Hospitality, Abraham Yiljap who represented the Governor Jonah David Jang said, “Beyond the celebration of the international day of the museum, the carnival was a reflection of a people celebrating the return to peace in Plateau State. This carnival , to me is a display of love, unity and cultural diversity”
Yiljap pleaded with citizens of the state to allow the cultural affinity to reflect in their daily lives in such a manner that will promote and sustain peace, unity and coexistence as a people.
He assured citizens of the state that the current administration in the state will elevate culture and tourism to international status.