Selected Paper/ Paper Seleccionado
Ethnographic Discursive Roles of Modernity in Festivals in Okun Land
Abstract (English)
Okun traditional religious communities have been misrepresented by different outsiders and followers of the outsiders' ideology and religious belief systems. The misrepresentation negatively affects the identities of Okun communities because the establishment, survival, and heritage of the communities are embedded in festivals and festival sites. Also, the festivals and festival sites were discriminated against, demonized, abandoned, and hence, sometimes embraced only by a few elderly cultural and religious actors. In response to this misrepresentation, Okun religious and cultural actors and advocates introduced modernity into festival celebrations to reclaim the original identities of the communities and festivals and gain prominent participation. This paper argues that though introducing modernity in festivals has pros and cons, it enhances the reclamation of identities and participation and builds collective memories. This paper studies how introducing modernity enhances festivals and festival sites in marginalized communities such as Kabba and Egbe. From 5 years of ethnographic research, and as an insider, this research also explores the pros and cons of modernity in Obangogo and Egbe festivals. It also examines how festivals, coupled with their modernization, express, affirm, and reaffirm Okun's identity and build memories. This study contributes to anthropological sciences by expressing that the genuine modernization of the festivals is a tool for the memorial continuity of Okun collective memories.Keywords (Ingles)
Festival, Festival sites, Memories, Modernity, identitiespresenters
Olorunfemi Dada
Nationality: Nigeria
Residence: United States
University of Delaware
Presence:Online