REBIRTH AND CONSERVATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGES IN SOUTHERN KADUNA

 REBIRTH AND CONSERVATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGES IN SOUTHERN KADUNA


by Zwandien Bobai (zbobai@yahoo.co.uk)


This literary piece was first written on April 5 2017. The term ‘Southern Kaduna’ is now anaccepted designation for people groups around the former “Southern Zaria.” The area has long standing history for several reasons. One of these reasons is its cultural diversities. The zone is often creditedby some social researchers to consist of at least 57 ethnic groups. Some ethnic groups have their unique cultural values and norms; while others are closely linked.

People who are without traditions face the hazard of extinction. It is little wonder that some researchers have concluded that many of our languages in Southern Kaduna are ‘endangered’ and ‘vanishing.’ Endangered languages are speech communities threatened to the point of extinction except a concerted effort is taken towards their protection. The influence of globalisation and/or modern civilisation on traditional places like Southern Kaduna cannot be overstated. Modernization has beset deep into our innerawareness thereby affecting the ways we think and act like people from varied cultural backgrounds. From the perspective of present happenings in this area, shall we not forget our roots someday?

It is against such backdrops that the need for the rebirth and conservation of our cultural heritages emerged! Should we not do something to preserve our different traditions and distinctiveness? Presently, even in our villages, villagers talk, write, sing, act and even think in Hausa and English more than they can do in their native languages. They listen to news and read books written only in these “foreign” languages than some sort of traditional means. Shall we not alter this situation in our time? This is not a proposal against the use of Hausa or English in Southern Kaduna.

Thank God for the contribution of many Christian missionary activities in Southern Kaduna. Their Bible works or projects have contributed immensely to the preservation of the little we all can remember about our languages, cultures and traditions. Such engagements of our heritages brought about many literatures being generated in the languages variously spoken in Southern Kaduna.

I am passionate about the many languages we have in Southern Kaduna. I wish to see us creating and developing at least one platform in which our various cultural legacies can be identified, advanced and celebrated for generations to come, not only for the people of Southern Kaduna but for the whole world to know our cultures.

As I mentioned, Southern Kaduna is already excelling in the PRINT media—particularly, in books in languages spoken around our place. The INTERNET media cannot solve the problem since older people who are the custodians of our different cultures are far removed from such a platform. Now we are left with one platform—the BROADCAST media.

I wish to propose that a Television/Radio house be established for the proclamation of our cultural values, norms and heritage as a whole. This medium shall afford us the privilege of extracting from the wealth of knowledge of our older people. These older people are so endowed in that they can speak our languages, tell our stories/folklores for the benefit of present and future generations in Southern Kaduna. Television or radio stations can ensure that news is cast in our languages which create more impact than usual. Many other programmes can be organised on such platforms. Only through such platforms can our maligned cultural heritage be resurrected and preserved for present and future enrichments.

On this note, I invite you and other interested persons in this development to agree and see this as a vision, a vision to bring about thetransformation of lives and development of our dear Southern Kaduna. I wish to use this medium to encourage you to contact people you know can catch this vision and in the end be instrumental in its realisation. Connect with people you believe can see the clue too and make meaningful observations/suggestions for its progress. We cannot achieve this without our collective expertise! We need people from all walks of life to be part of this plan—engineers, journalists, farmers, politicians, social workers, medical doctors, pastors, teachers, linguists and what have you.

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