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The Concept of Cultural Nationalism in Ngugi Wa Thiongo's the River

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The Concept of Cultural Nationalism in Ngugi Wa Thiongo's the River The Concept of Cultural Nationalism in Ngugi Wa Thiongo’s The River Between Sani Abdulkadir, Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto. The Concept of Cultural Nationalism in Ngugi Wa Thiongo’s The Riv Shagari College of Education, Sok Abstract As already indicated in the title or heading of this work it will be of utmost use, declaring the central idea already aimed. Because to understand concepts such as culture, Nationalism, patriotism and even the aspects that correlate them is still remaining a hidden issue; most especially to the academics. Due to this reason, this paper focuses its study with the aim of investigating and assessing the afore-mentioned factors. Furthermore, as the result of that, let all what the paper entails be born in mind that, in subsequent submissions, discusses the concept of cultural Nationalism in Wa Thiongo’s The River Between. It gives introduction, defines the terms Nationalism and Cultural Nationalism, explains the concept of Cultural Nationalism as portrayed in the novel, as well as the conclusion and works cited. Introduction Africa is a continent of diverse Culture, Tribes and Languages. African man is traditionally a cultural being no matter his or her level of western education. Why because it is only in Africa and still in Africa that the trace of colonialism remain indelible and permanent, why? Because every aspect of our scholarly submissions are all in western inclination. Our former educationalist Bads Fafunwa stressed this background vehemently in this book entitled “The History of education in Nigeria”. Africans before colonialism lived a simple and united life with each respecting ones communal and traditional life and practicing their religious rights without any harassment or interruption from anybody. That most of their cultural and traditional practice used to interrelate both in the socio-economic and socio-cultural activities such as ceremonial songs, dances, praises and dramatic shows. A more that instigated the then few elites to commit issues into writing most of what we are witnessing today in things like our books, magazines, journal and the rest of them. In most parts of Africa, the intellectuals had been battling with one thing or the other as a result of colonial masters tie-ups, which resulted to so many break-ups in most parts of the continent and finally led to independence of many countries in the continent. The general feeling here is about all that affected the social regulations of all Africans due to bitter taste of colonialism. Therefore no any part of Africa is free. Intellectuals; literary intellectuals like; Achebe, Amos Tuotola, Ama Ata Aido, Jomo Kenyatta, Ngugi Wa Thion’go, Rc Ntiru, David Diop, Gabriel Immomotime Okara, Ben Okri, Cyprian Ekwensi, Camara Laye to mention but a few, have given their contributions to the development of African literature in one way or the other, for the development and progress of the continent socially, economically and educationally. This saw the rise-ups of literary intellectuals write-ups like; Achebe’s Things Fall Apart (1958), Tuotola’s The Palm-Wine Drinkard (1965), Ngugi Wa Thiongo’s The River Between (1965), R.C Ntiru’s Tensions (1971), David Diop’s Hamer blows (1956), Ben Okri’s The Famished Road (19991), Cyprian Ekensi’s Jagua Nana (1961), Camara Laye’s A Dream of Africa (1966), Gabriel Immomotime Okara’s “The voice” (1964), Yambo Ouologuem’s “Bound to violence” (1988), Wole Soyinka’s A Dance of the Forest (1963), to mention but a few all for the progress 30 and development of Africa. Even though all other nationalists have the same feelings and wishes asking them to relinquish their systems, instigated a series of national patriotism and nationalism. Definitions of Nationalism and Cultural Nationalism Nationalism Nationalism is a belief, creed or political ideology that involves an individual identifying with, or becoming attached to one’s nation. It involves national identity, and equally with the related construct of patriotism, which involves the social conditioning and personal behaviour that support a state’s decision and action. Nationalism is a belief that citizenship in a state should be limited to one ethnic, culture, religious, or identity group, or that multi-nationality in a single state should necessarily comprise the right to express and exercise national identity even by minorities. The adaptation of national identity in terms of historical development has commonly been the result of a response by the major group unsatisfied with traditional identities due to inconsistencies between their defined social order and the experience of that social order by its members, resulting in a situation of “anomie” that nationalist seeks to resolve. Cultural Nationalism Cultural Nationalism is a form of nationalism in which the nation is defined by a shared culture. It is an intermediate position between ethnic nationalism on one hand and liberal nationalism on the other. Cultural Nationalism thus focuses on a national identity shared by cultural tradition and by language, but not on the concept of common ancestry or race. Cultural Nationalism does not tend to manifest itself in independent movement, but is a moderate position within layer spectrum of nationalism ideology. Cultural nationalism is a kind of nationalism that involves, among other things, the realization of equal rights of all people to a culture, as well as the preservation of cultural differences in numerous possibilities for decision making and the creation of dialogue and cooperation (Petkovi, 2011). About the Author Ngugi Wa Thiong’o was born in Limuru, Kenya-East Africa, on the 5th of January, 1938. He was educated at the Alliance High School, Gikuyu, at Makerere University, Uganda and at the University of Leeds. He is currently a Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature and Performance Studies, at the University of Irvine, New York. He is a novelist, a playwright and literary critic. His works include; The Black Hermit (1963), Weep Not, Child (1964) a novel, The River Between (1965), A Grain of Wheat (1967), This Time Tomorrow (1970), The Trial of Dedan Kimathi (1976) , Petals of Blood (1977), Ngaahika Ndeenda (I Will Marry When I Want (1977), Devil on the Cross (1980), Decolonizing the Mind: The politics of Language in Africa Literature (1986), Mother Sing For Me (1986), Wizard of the Crow (2004).This shows his commitment to Cultural Nationalistic tendencies of even writing in his mother’s-tongue instead of the colonial 31 masters language. In these books he portrays different issues that earned him respect in the face of African traditions and so forth. Background of the Novel Structurally, the contextual frame work of the novel The River Between is a (1965) discusses the story of the separation of the two neighbouring communities of Kenya caused by differences in faith, with the Mau Mau movement as its background. The bitterness between them caused much hatred between the adults of each side. This is just to mention the central idea in brief because of time and other related factors that will not permit delving into wider details. Therefore due to that factors, just a little will be said. The story is all about the struggle of a young leader Waiyaki; the son of Chege one of the people who knows the ways of the society very well. His struggle was to unite the two communities of Kameno and Makuyu through sacrifice and pain. The novel was set during colonial period in Kenya central ridges, and has a mountain setting. The main intent of the writer here is to clearly ascertain all that was know and affected him whether directly or indirectly as a result of colonial factors. Most especially what obtained in his country, Kenya. To point further again, he presented the lack of understanding that happened between those accepted westernization and those who rejected it, and decided to hold tight to their heritage customs and traditions. The writer uses the experiences he had during the colonialism of Kenya and puts down his ideas, particularly the hatred that occurred between the followers of the new faith and the ones that preserved their traditional religion doctrines. The Concept of Cultural Nationalism in The River Between The Concept of Cultural Nationalism seen in most of the chapters of the novel, with Ngugi trying to show how African people are with rich cultures and traditions as well as the unity among them before and even with the arrival of the white settlers in Gikuyu land. Ngugi in the novel, used the elements of cultural nationalism to add colour and give the picture of what happened during the colonial Kenya, and how people in those days revolted against the colonial masters, their deeds, and religion. He began with the description of how the lands were before their arrival as in where he says; “The two ridges lay side by side, one was Kameno, and the other was Makuyu Between them was a valley. It was called the valley of life. Behind Kameno and Makuyu were many more valleys and ridges, lying without any discernible plan. They were like many sleeping lion which never woke, they just slept, the deep sleep of their creator”. (1) The statement indicates that the people are of the same culture and tradition, preserved the do’s and don’ts of their ancestors, without any segregation or even interruption by somebody before white man arrived in their land, and at the same time an element of cultural nationalism. As people of the ridges live happily, practicing their religious and social lives as inherited from one generation to another. To the fact that they shared common heritage, preserved them and went together before the arrival of white man, who brought division and rift to them as a result of introducing something new to them as far caused disintegration among them.
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