Traditional African Religion:A Resource Unit
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1 DOCUMENT RESUME ED 037 586 24 AA 000 519 AUTHOR Garland, WilliamE. TITLE Traditional African Religion:A Resource Unit. INSTITUTION Carnegie-Mellom Univ.,Tittsburgh,Pa. Project Africa. SPONS AGENCY Office of Education,Washington, D.C. BUREAU NO BR-74*0724 PUB DATE 70 NOTE 73p. EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF-$0.50 HC-$3.75 DESCRIPTORS *African Culture, AfricanHistory, *Annotated Bibliographies, High SchoolStudents, Instructional MaterialS, *Non WesternCivilization, *Religious Conflict, *Social StudiesUnits IDENTIFIERS *Project'Africa ABSTRACT This resource unit isbased on researchconducted by Lynn Mitchell and ErnestValenzuela experienced classroomteachers of African history andculture. The unit consistsof an introduction by Mr. Garland and twomajor Parts.Part I is an annotated bibli°graPbY of selectedsources on various aspects of traditional African Religion useful in classroom study. Part.II consists ofa model teaching unit of two weeksduration, builton an inguirY teaching strategy andutilizes a variety of audio as and visualas well written materials designedfor use by high school teaching plan and students- The instructional materialswhich comprisethisfunit have not been tested inany classroom setting but are presented model of one as,a possiblewayto introduce astudyof traditional African religion. Related documentsare ED 023 692, ED 023 693, ED 030010, ED. 032 324-ED 032 327.and ED 033 249.(Author/LS) ,P ' .N , TRADITIONAL AFRICAN RELIGION A RESOURCE UNIT P1F/JECT AFRICA 1910 The research reported herein WEI perforised pursuant to a contract with the United States Department of HealthEducation and Wetfare Office of Education * 41, NM 4 Project Africa Balterlia11, Carnegie-Yie/lon University Schen ley Park Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213 . .. .. Preface This resource unit has been preparedby William E. Garlands research associate.on.the staff of ProjectAfrica a'social studies curriculum research and development' projectlocated at Carnegie.iMellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is based on research con.. ducted by Lynn Mitchell add Ernest Valenzuela, experiencedclassroom teachers of African history:and culture.The unit itself has been desirned in consultation with leading specialists onAfrican religion and cul ex including Dr. Fela Sowande ofHoward Universityand the Cultural Affairs ,Office of the Nigerian Embassy in Washington,D C.. This resource unit consists of an introductionand two major parts. In the introduction, Mk. Garland outlines severaldifferent ways to organize a study-of traditional African religion and points out some problems inherent in each approach. An annotated bibliography of selected sources on variousaspects oft raditional ,African religion eorpies Part I of this report In.. eluded here are brief descriptions of selected materialsthat will prove useful in classroom study, oftraditional African religion. These materials have been,claisified and: annotated in a varietyof ways. Reference to tAis list may provide- materials and/or ideaswhich will make possible the ,development of units of study on traditionalAfrican religion organized along the lines of one or more of theapproaches suggested by Mr. Garland or devised by any classroom teadher. Part II of this report consists of a modelteaching unit of two weeks' duration. This unit is built on an inquiry-teaching strategy. and utilizes a variety of audio and visual as well as writtenMaterials to explorethe functionality of African religion as well as the nature of African and our on religious experience. It has been designed for use by high school seniors. This,teaching unit, as reprinted here, includes daily lessonplans, ,. outlines of all,audio and visual materials and copies of allhandouts, work sheets and study guides designed for student use. The unit conft eludes with a copy of reading materials selected for student use. All teachermaterials in this resource unit areprinted on yellow paper. Materials for use by the students are printed on white paper tofacilitate duplication by a thermofax or other similar procesi. It should be noted that the teaching plan andinstructional materials which comprise this unit, whiledeeigned by experienced classroom teachers, have not been tested in any classroom setting, They may or may not be immediatelyuseful for any specific curriculum or group of stlidents. They are presented here, rather, as a model of one possible way to introduce a study of traditional African religion--as asuggested teaching unit which a teacher may revise, bUild on or excerpt from as his and his students' objectives,interests and abilities dictate. This report is by no means presented as a "final product' butrather as a resource -something to be drawn on inbuildinga specific learning experience for a specific group of students. When this bibliographyand this -teaching,unit are used in this fashion, they will hopefully cons, tribute to exciting and usable classroom learning about Africa and even, perhaps, about ourselves. Carnegie - Mellon University Barry K. Beyer, Director Spring, :1970 ProiPetAfrica CONTENTS Preface. Traditional African Religion-4n Introduction Part I: Selected Materials on Traditional African Religion 1 Part II: A Teaching Unit: on Traditional African Religion 17 AfilOk'sOuth' of 'the Sahara isa land, of immense, varietY-, antr.sharpconStrasts. Nowhere are 'these fietured moreevident ..thanoin the.religions.precticed.bY the peoples liVing in thisvast region.A great number ofreligions flourish in the area south of the,Sahera.Hinduism,: Judaism, Islam and Christianity well ,- Cootie as 'ae'PrOtaitant and Cetholic number their adherents inthe tens of thOu0ands, indeed, sOinetinisti'in, the,MillioneNumerous other sectsthat are religious sectsalsO'.abOund indigenous to Africaitself.In factvit is these indigenous:religions that are.thevery: *lance of the realAfrica, that sustain' andintegrate tho' lives t land cultures of tl,* peoplee,'byWhom theyare practiced* One way to gaina better and deeper understandingof the peoples of Africa south of the , . , of theirvalue,systems'the histOryi' and, indeed, habitat' in othiv..h they live,their in ',Which' they social, economic and ideationalmilieu ,total culture is through study Of indigenousAfricen re2gions' both in 'theirtraditional forms andunder the impact of wel;'yeof alien beliefs and Suchi.eitudymightbe organizedinn, number of ways,:depending prinitii4r ,UPOn the,eipiDci:fie , A i 4 learning ,objectives 'selsIted. °' 'veiy14rilpie approtilcih mightwellbe tosurveybrieflysomeof 'the reiigious beliefsor prectiaes of selected , African peoples.,Such an approach` hasserious limitations, floWeVer,,Exposure tomagic", witchcraft, and native deities 'r,' all divination' ancestorworship might iiiiilt priMarily 'pervasive, featuresof traditional'African religions- in a derficriationof these featuresand practices or "primitive,"Involvement in such as "savage" as did one young, Slack girls a study could easily leadstudento to respond, ibiloltthatpaganism 'wee Wrong' but (pOuse,now it seams like it really', ong worship snakei-e:dog.or atree...,. Such' en 'attitude Oftenseems to persist nob, 0 pest in Arrice*,. oven in the face of .attemptsto.discover a .Indeed,,,,10:.present`'date;simplYat d-.deScriptiVe,,level,tends' ortril'tti' reinforce.pt nocentric'biases' end stereotypes end seitiOgOy about Africalprimitiveness.. Another ,way., to- study Afribi31sb religions is toorganize the study. around certain prepumed.nse,08of mankind.' Students' couldo for example, compare Credit analAfb,'iceri religions'and Western, 'eneWerei'to such qUestione, "Why death?" or asp ."Why illness?", ",Whyhumat suffering?", ,Althoughthis fOcUsmay have considerable. appealto school,students, ,particulerly'a*:lt expressive and, deals `With;religionat an personel,:- there seem'tobe severaldifficulties implicit' in 'suchan approach. may,be difficult, for greater knowledgeabout African religion example, to develop of such, practices - that ie an ability to .judgethe,dpplioetality in an Aftican.,tonteXt this, fashion.There-are at.leatit Pc104010 reasons,; fOp,'thie,inadequacy., ,two, 0.,tvOrgentzed-religiOh tiveriowh4:4engegesin,prometing'ethno- centrieM.: Th(JOs.,t!O,the,extent that studentieare themselves inevitablethat ,thk*eactionto r,elig4OL,IS, it:seems then !aerjaia religions:, be, if notoutright. hostility, atleest, ae ,supOr4c3,141tolerance4' 'Furthermore, 'phould considerebla research, one Aseurne. after. ,,that'studentwahare''S.mOre secular, 4 11 hlaiRene*Oprie:iice" ,'rational r N 1 , -,thiy-imali indeed reject40,1ba religiousexplanationwtof... It 1111 il-", it A ii man's needs as simply species of intellectualerror In short, dealing with theses, the manSf(21. functions of Africanreigion, could produce a head-on confrontation between values basic to both traditionalAfrican and contemporary American life Italso appears'quite certain that traditionalAfrican religiOn would hardly get a fair "hearing° under'these circumstancos. A third approach to thestudy of traditional African religion is to center the activities on whata religion does for the society in which it is experienced* The focus of sucha study might be to discover how religion, as an "organ" ofa specific African,culture, interacts with other major "organs" 'that" or institutions of culture how it interacts with the institutions of family andkinship, gOVerning, socialcontrol and economic well-being. While this approach offersa way to lessen the interplay of ethnocentric bias in thelearning process (and possibly challenge these biasesas a result).*