www.idosr.org Emeribe and Chinagorom

©IDOSR PUBLICATIONS International Digital Organization for Scientific Research ISSN: 2579-0773 IDOSR JOURNAL OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES 3(3): 12-23, 2018.

The Dynamics of Igbo Cutural Revitalization

1Mary Joy Emeribe and 2Longinus Chukwuemeka Chinagorom Page | 12 1Department of English Language and Literature School of Languages Alvan Ikoku Federal of Education, , , .

2Department of Linguistics and Igbo, Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT Language is a carrier of culture and so language and culture are inextricably bound together. The culture of the people finds reflection in the language they employ and thereby use their language in ways that reflect what they value. Ndiigbo constitute a cultural group and community, with a distinct identity. Culture is characterized especially by a communalistic social interaction with one another. The dynamic nature of culture is activated through interaction with other people. ‗Igboism‘ thus emerges the totality of experiences; negative and positive. The distinguishing mark of Ndiigbo is that they are continually in search of new and perhaps more result oriented for which they would like to achieve at all cost. They have as well given up a lot due to their natural quest to adapt and be accommodated by other cultures. The Igbo are ultra-republican and utilitarian in nature. In the face of these threats, the paper calls for urgent need of revitalizing the Igbo culture in order to restore the valuable aspects of the culture, its peculiarity and identity. The fruit of this work would go a long way in ameliorating the ugly aspects that negate their cultural values. The fruitful dialogue, and interaction with other cultural groups are expected to usher in firm panacea in re-positioning its members a true sense of self- acceptance. Keywords: culture, language, , values, identity, threats, revitalization

INTRODUCTION Chinua Achebe recounts his reminiscence whenever they are violated. These taboos before the coming of the White men on cut across killing somebody, stealing Igbo life scripted through his most popular promiscuity, kidnapping, sorcery and so novel, Things Fall Apart, taught us about on. Everyone is cautioned from childhood the dint of hard work and quest for dignity to desist from such acts that are offensive that characterizes and orders Igbo life [1]. [5]. The Igbo people believe that life is Before things started falling apart, a greater than wealth and so such names like typical Igbo man is known and seen as his ‘akuagwu’, ‘nwakaego’, ‘nwabugo’, brother‘s keeper. What concerns the ‘nwanne’, ‘nwabugwu’, ‘nwabueze’ and as others, concerns another [2]. Togetherness such, their care and respect for every was the basic necessity for development creature provokes love amongst them; and progress in communities in Igbo land thereby unity is assured in their and these transformed immensely the life communities. They are hardworking of communities and Igbo people. They people who do not believe in short cuts in relied so much on collective efforts for money making [6]. survival and achievement [3]. These Over the years, Ndigbo have recorded communal living find expression in words, enviable achievements through self-help names, or phrases like “gidigi bu ugwu and collective effort. This style life has eze( a trooping crowd is the king’s dignity), preoccupied their minds for many years of “ibu anyi danda‖ (loads do not weigh ants existence. But today, these ethos have down), ―agbakoo agbakoo nyuo mamiri ya been totally overtaken by irrelevant agboo ufuu‖ (when people urinate foreign alternative which have made them together, it foams very well), ―igwe bu ike aliens in their father land. Concerning this, (strength comes from the kinsmen‖, onye Osuji in Eze-Peace.. This is to say: ―just like ahala nwanne ya‖1 (nobody should every other culture and tradition, some of abandon his brother), among others [4]. these practices have been watered down Again, the Igbo of innocence in a kindred by incursion of western education [7]. In spirit have strong traditional and culture addition, social and economic imperative (taboos), which everyone frowns at have introduced their ameliorating 12 IDOSR JOURNAL OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES 3(3): 12-23, 2018. www.idosr.org Emeribe and Chinagorom practices amongst Igbo [8]. Today, the society, thereby living in false life. The reverse is the case. Instead of these only reasonable remedy for such mentality communal attributes, what we have and colonized people would be to revitalize experience is selfishness, self- their culture. The present paper seeks the aggrandizement, killing of innocent souls, dynamic ways to revitalize Igbo cultural I am because I am, one man show, count values [13]. me off syndrome. In their enterprising spirit, they have become aggressive Language and Self Identity Page | 13 individuals who are now exploitative, One‘s opinion is communicated to others grasping, greedy, jealous, and, even to inter-subjectively, artistically, their own brothers‘ wives, children and symbolically, linguistically and others. They are no longer their brother‘s incarnately, whereby an individual idea keeper [9]. They have turned to the biblical becomes accepted and understood. In spirit of Cain against his brother, Abel. The that case, meaning depends on spirit of selfishness, lack of moral communities, their history and situation. discipline, and respect to supreme beings It is precisely the existence of a common has driven the Igbo man to become a meaning that sustains a language, there kidnapper, murderer, a child trafficker, a could be some subdivisions of the sorcerer, and an armed robber. All these common meaning which eventually give negative attributes have slowed down the rise to secret societies; one could also rate of development amongst the Igbo [10]. talk of medical language, psychological And these negative low moral values language, legal language, philosophical indicate that the Igbo collective identity is language, and so on [14]. This means that dead and hence the need for revitalization. social divisions, be it class, group or club Exhuming precedes death. Revitalization create more meaning in the community suggests reawakening, giving life, strength in the form of symbols, symbols, signs, and energy to something on the verge of letters or language and thereby death and collapse. The various ways of contribute to the disintegration of the restructuring and revitalizing those I in a community. Bernard Longergan describes conflict Igbo cultural values can be the making of a community in this way: achieved with the use of prototype theory. A community is Way of looking not only at how concepts not a number of may be formed, that is at the cognitive men within a dimensions of linguistic behavior but also geographical at how we achieve our social competence frontier. It an in cultural values [11]. achievement of The historical experience of European and common colonization, foreign ideologies and meaning and devastating civil war distorted the Igbo there are kinds psyche and cultural vitality. This culture, and degrees of the universal, underwent what has been achievement. referred to as ‗pseudo- speciation‘, a Common distortion of external acquisition of meaning is decisive views of the Igbo into the Igbo potential when self-consciousness and cultural awareness. there is a Therefore it is quite evident that in order common field of to avoid imbalance of personality and experience, and acquisition of a sound identity, one has to to withdraw fight for continuity in culture that from common tolerates a systematic enlightenment and field is to get assures a stable individual identity. The out of touch. fact one has to identify oneself with some Common or one successful figure in the community judgments…. in order to feel accepted and to reduce common tension, one finds oneself in a conflict coheres or when one‘s people are accredited with a divides, begins negative identity and negative attributions or ends just culture. It is even worse when the people where the actually accept this negative and low common field or position [12]. The person involved would experience, therefore strive for the foreign ideals and common culture which are highly esteemed in one‘s communities 13 IDOSR JOURNAL OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES 3(3): 12-23, 2018. www.idosr.org Emeribe and Chinagorom

begin and end should therefore not be substituted [15]. but enriched to avoid conflict, Since common meaning gives rise disunity, and loss of identity [20]. to communities as well as a Conceptual Clarification: Igbo Cultural linguistic unity or group, and since values communities or groups come to Dynamism, as the topic suggests, projects stay through an accepted common and focuses on the varieties, and practical symbol around which the group manner where by the Igbo people could Page | 14 orientates itself and gives sense to make their culture and language come into its existence. One could therefore life in every aspect of life. The Igbo conclude that common meaning is tradition establishes a code of conduct or a symbol of unity or a creator of moral code embodied in Omenala – unity. However, where there are a customs. Omenala is the corpus of most multitude of meanings in a given a of the legal, social, moral and ritual norms given sphere, for example, in of Ndiigbo. In Omenala, ajoihe is anything language there would then be that is considered evil whether physical or divergent symbols as well [16]. moral, a sfortune or deliberate fault, while When one takes cognizance of the mmehie- transgression is a moral fault. fact that man acts when he speaks Ndiigbo distinguishes two kinds of moral because language is a part of faults, namely, bad behaviour or ajo human activity which is in omume which consists of breaches of rules connection with the rest of human of etiquette and social conventions. Other activities. One comes to see that minor faults as Joseph Amaegwu posits, common meaning which sustains a such as: not greeting elders, laziness, language is an idea, because people unhygienic habits, gossiping do not carry act according to the ideas they any specific sanctions, but they are already possess. Our ideas are generally condemned. Ajo-aru- bad deed is conversely derived from an another moral fault [21]. It is a deliberate impression; and impressions transgression of serious moral norms of constitute all our senses, passions the society.6 It has three qualities, it is and emotions [17]. That means that deliberate, it flouts the laws of the land; common meaning arises from ideas and it carries some social or mystical and impressions that are later sanctions or both. The Igbo tradition and generalized; their origin may be customs hold the following in high esteem: from individual thus the history of respect for elders, truth, and respect for common meaning. That means that life [22]. words have meaning for the A Classical Identity: Language and community alone to which they Environment belong, and using foreign words to ―Onye Igbo is in the first place an Igbo describe the same thing or person person, then politically a Nigerian and changes to a certain degree the idea thirdly, an African. His original of the thing or the person for the geographical location is in the Eastern part speaker [18]. No doubt, language of Nigeria but could now for many reasons unity creates human unity through be seen all over the federation, even the inter-subjective communication across the globe [23]. ‘ Anacletus on the basis of language symbol; Odoemena, captures in his book, the this human unity is a product of Dynamics of Cultural Revitalization, a mutual identification due to typical Igbo man as member of an ethnic common meaning [19]. Such a group, Onyigbo is bound to carry about community would definitely be with him some of the characteristics that disunited with the introduction of a distinguish him from any other African, new meaning or language. Such a which is his own contribution to African new meaning creates new symbols culture and identity [24]. and at the same time, confusion, It is precisely the existence of a misunderstanding, and non- common meaning that sustains a identification, possibly, social language; there could some division. Language therefore, being subdivisions of the common meaning a symbol, holds a group or which eventually give rise to secret community of individuals together, societies, medical language, legal, gives them a common identity, philosophical language, among others, idea, and impression. And since it is language that differentiates language is part of culture, it between man and make others 14 IDOSR JOURNAL OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES 3(3): 12-23, 2018. www.idosr.org Emeribe and Chinagorom understand him [25]. Speech is only the climatic nature of igbo land go a possible because within each society, long way in influencing the life, culture people agree to understand particular and psychology of Onyeigbo who has patterns of sound in particular way. to live and adapt himself to such a The Igbo speaks a common language moderate climate-‗always hot in the and can be said to possess in good day and cool in the night‘ with forest measure, similar social system. As a as defence, rainfall as a compensation result of the broad similarities, of their of the great heat for man, animals and Page | 15 culture they have been described by plants. These help in making him, to a Forde & Jones in Okafor & Emeka ―as a large extent, individual success, single people‘. There are however independent and amicable relation with differences in dialects and social God [29]. institutions [26]. One can say that the climate, and other The language of the people is Igbo geographical factors influence the which is classified among the Volta- temperament, housing, clothing, social Niger Congo language family. Orji relationship, indeed the culture of the succinctly points out that the Atlantic Igbo people just as they would do for Congo language family is a branch of every other nation and people. Good the Niger- Congo language family. In understanding of Igbo history , a single word with word presupposes an understanding of the assumes several meanings. Moreover, Igbo man‘s interaction with his proverbs and idioms are highly environment, which forms the bulwark important in the spoken language of of his culture from which he derives the people. Originally, the Igbos lived his personality and identity. We are of in small independent villages each of the opinion that adaptation is the which was ruled by elected council of wrong approach to natural elders, rather than chiefs 10. The geographical features, which are meant situation though highly democratic in to serve man‘s needs, for man is not nature, the political organization did meant to serve the imaginary interest not make them classes society. Rather of natural feature. That does not mean Igbo societies are highly stratified that man should go about annihilating along the lines of wealth, achievement and misusing the natural features, but and social rank. Dual incidence of rather, preserve them and nourish overcrowding and degrading of soil, them for his own interest and for the forced many Igbo people to migrate love of natural features. A culture born either to the cities or other parts of through a mere need for adaptation Nigeria [27]. cannot de deeply rooted and therefore Igbo land where most of Ndigbo dwell may be oppressive to self or group is situated in the eastern area of fulfilment and so would be temporal southern Nigeria, with the River Benue phenomenon. The history of Nndigbo in the North, River Niger in the west is not only an account of the efforts and Atantic Ocean in the South. The they have made to control and land is flat, with very few rivers like understand nature as well as their the Imo, Anambra, Oji, Njiaba, Oguta. efforts to manipulate it [30]. One could, in comparison with many The traditional occupation of the other African sub-regions say that this people of Igbo is farming at a area has fairly abundant sources of subsistence scale and complemented water supply. As for the large area, of with very small livestock keping. The , without natural water supply crops are mostly staple crops, like many parts of , , and including Syams, cassava, cocoa, , Owerri, their economic, agricultural maize, okro, mellon, pumkin and and domestic lives differ from that of beans. areas with rivers. Moreover, their Igbo Social values: / Family Life attempt to adapt themselves to their A value is a belief that something is good particular situation modifies their and desirable. It defines what is important culture and makes it different from worthwhile and striving for. Like norms, those of their neighbours in different values vary from society to society. Many environs [28]. norms can be seen as reflection of values. The rivers in any case influence not Shared norms of values are essential for only the economic and cultural life of the operation of human society. Since man the people who dwell near them but has instinct, his behavior must be guided also the climate of the whole region. So and regulated by norms. Unless norms are 15 IDOSR JOURNAL OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES 3(3): 12-23, 2018. www.idosr.org Emeribe and Chinagorom shared, members of a society would be initiation into a responsible and mature unable or even comprehend the behavior life. It is also seen as a fulfilment of one‘s of others. Similar arguments apply to manhood/womanhood and one‘s pledge to values. Without shared values, members of uphold the lineage blood. a society would be unlikely to cooperate Odoemenamaintains that ―an Igbo regards and work together. marriage as the core of their whole social structure‘. In this regard, one could hardly Morality is the most practical aspect of think of divorce. Through marriage, both Page | 16 culture and constitutes the nucleus of families are kept intact and the future of culture when one considers social culture the children reassured. A sound and as the material traces of ideas and ideals normal family life is guaranteed through a in the habits and association of man. Igbo marriage within a recognized cultural morality is the effort to maintain a system, the children are accepted in the continuity by avoiding all abnormality community and they mature without the which they regard as either expression of chance of any complex, thus, a guarantee divine dissatisfaction or offence to the for personality development, integrity and divine order. Human person has to control identity. one‘s nature and model it according to the Family is the basic unit of every society. It normal socially accepted form. Thus the is a group composed of a woman, her realities of economic life, technology and independent children and at least one everything conducive to human material adult male joined through marriage or well-being must be balanced by strongly blood relationship. Benedict XVI in Joseph developed spiritual, intellectual, moral Amaegwu [12]. The family is certainly a aesthetic values. Where therefore, such a grace from God, which reveals what he, balance exists, that, is where various himself, is: love. A love that is entirely cultural activities enjoy vital functions in gratuitous, that sustains fidelity without the whole structure. Indeed, the absence of limits, even in the moment of difficulty a balanced and harmony between spiritual and rejection. It reveals nature of God‘. and intellectual values could harm the Africans, especially the Igbos attach great moral, economic, political and social importance to family and family name, values of a people, thus making the people hence they work assiduously to see that subservient of ideas and ideals. Moreover,, their families are protected and catered one becomes a social slave to natural order for. The originality or individuality of and society in order to ensure continuity. African family emerges from the cultural One would agree with Karl Lamprecht, a context: that is why it is unthinkable to professor of History who believes that in a live in isolation of others in Africa. situation where one has no sense of Ndigbo and their family are extensive. It existence outside that of his natural group, includes all the living members and the it requires a hero to break the moralities dead ancestors. ―family in our sense and transcend the mass in order to live his includes not just the nuclear family of own life., whereby one could be in the mother and father, uncles and aunts, sense a Homo faber who subdues nature to nieces and nephews and cousins, grandpas one‘s own advantage and that of the and grandmas [13]. What it means is that a human race. We do not intend to give the person in Igbo land is defined in terms of impression that Igbo moral values are not the group he belongs, while community is progressive or genuine; rather, that they gained through the family, the lineage, the are too strict and impersonal, that is, do clan and the tribe. not take into consideration the human Respect for Dignity and Sanctity of Human persons, and since they are built on ideas life and ideals whose neglect constitutes a Some of the earlier practices the Igbo criminal offence. For the Igbo people, one people observe, which were the regarded maintains one‘s dignity when one as offence, like the killing or eating of a comports oneself according to the socially totem animal purposely, a wife of a titled order and conduct. man cooking for him during her menstrual Marriage as one of the Igbo social values period, someone dying of leprosy, small is the act of bond that connects pox, or dying after swearing an oath, and independent villages and makes them have so on. others include some offences some sense of blood relationship due to against the goddess, and therefore marriage contract between sons and against social stability, involuntary actions daughters. It is an important event in the like a baby coming out of the womb with life of every Igbo person. It is seen as an the feet instead of the head, a growing child cutting the upper tooth first, giving 16 IDOSR JOURNAL OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES 3(3): 12-23, 2018. www.idosr.org Emeribe and Chinagorom to twins. Twins were killed because the ahu- body. Igbo tradition teaches that life society considered it abnormal for a must be lived, enjoyed, and be whole, woman to give birth to two children at a honorable, above all, it must be long and time. But there are many other moral peaceful. values listed by Edmund Ilogu in his book Ndigbo always say chinwendu- meaning Christianity and Igbo Culture that are very ‗God owns life‘. Human life is sacred and positive and edifying. The former were cannot be taken away with impunity. mentioned examples because of their Hence, Isizoh in Amaegwu 15 succinctly Page | 17 negative character, especially the killing of posits ‗willful murder is an abomination, twins and human sacrifice, which, of sometimes requiring complicated rites of course, do not belong to moral laws but purification which may include going to have to do moral values. Those exile for several years and paying, for the observances of ‗moral values were to the upkeep of the family of the murdered people had to do with abominations, just person. Abortion is also regarded as an for the fact that they were not normal abomination‘. Suicide is also considered occurrences. This shows their rigidity and most abominable crime against humanity. subservience to the law of nature and its Hospitality: Oji, Morality, and Social Order signs, which they presume to master. central Africans and more especially the Igbo Culture regulates the standard by which cultural tradition view life spiritually and members of the community live as well as man is considered by virtue of what interactions among its members and human life stands for and is always related components. In this, more than in any to the after-life not as mere mater limited other respect, culture is central to life in to earthly life. In man, there is presence the community. Customs and conventions and power of spiritual element African have force of law and are complemented culture sees life as world – affirming, the by regulations enacted by peer groups. greatest and highest gift from God, Social groups, cults, guides and the divinities and ancestral spirit‘. Ancestors governing authority. Culture with its ‗reincarnate‘ in the life of the newly born customs and d conventions is therefore, children as signs of their benevolence and the essential mechanism in social order. interest in the communities. This life is Customs and conventions are generally sacred that it must be respected and localized within culture groups but certain protected. Wilful murder is an traits could be universal to the main abomination in both African and Igbo group. Because of this, even small tradition and culture and sometimes, communities have firm control of these requires complicated rites of purification customs and conventions and can that may induce going into exile for therefore exercise social control of its several years. This spiritual concept makes members. The individual is subject to the it imperative that Igbo from cradle to community- bows to its laws and grave find the face of God as the first and conventions and yield to all manner of ultimate cause of all things. Igbo world is sanctions Igbo generosity to strangers principally anthropocentric. Such that speaks volume in times of tribal war, human life is immensely valued, zealously generosity or hospitality towards strangers and religiously guarded; hence, anything is not compromised. Hostility towards that threatens life is ruthlessly dealt with. stranger or a traveler in one‘s territory is For instance, the presence of God not welcomed. A Stanger is protected and permeates African as well as Igbo life. The the arrival of any stranger to a community Igbo culture respects and dignifies man elicits a great honour to the host in because man is created by God who is the showing hospitality because the host first and ultimate cause of all things. That requires prestige in addition. Oji, as it is why Ndigbo call life ndubuisi – life popularly known in Igbo land means O- comes first. This is why an Igbo man can Omenala, J-jikoro, I—Igbo. Kolanut or oji is go any length in order to protect and a symbol of peace, respect, goodwill, preserve life, moves from one shrine to acceptability, is used to welcome the other searching for definite material strangers. It symbolizes anything that satisfaction bordering on life and health. 14 stands for love and unity. That is why it is Offence against human person attracts the used for every occasion in Igbo culture wrath of God, ancestors and the and it is one of the most surviving cultural community. Igbo philosophy begins with practices of the Igbo man. Once a person the concept of life – Ndu and man is called visits somebody, after receiving the visitor mma- ndu, ‘living beauty’. This mma ndu is before he announces the objective of his made up of ndu – life,uche- intellect and visit, the first thing the host does is to 17 IDOSR JOURNAL OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES 3(3): 12-23, 2018. www.idosr.org Emeribe and Chinagorom present kolanut to the visitor as a sign of category; more recently succinctly defines good will. The complicating aspects of it as the most central member of a kolanut as a cultural symbol are in its category [19]. presentation. Applying this theory in the area of Igbo Morality is the most practical aspect of cultural revitalization, it aims at cultural culture and constitutes the nucleus of issues pin-pointing those stimuli which culture when one considers social culture take salient position in the formation of as the material traces of idea and ideals in cultural category for revitalization. In Page | 18 the habits and association of men. Igbo other words, they are of greater significant morality is the Igbo effort to maintain to the categorization process. In this case, continuity by avoiding all abnormality the certain features of the Igbo values which they regard as either expression of (category) have equal status and thus Divine dissatisfaction or offence to the examples that represent all or most of divine order. Human person has to control those feature become the prototype for one‘s nature and model it according to the that category. Some values that do not normal socially accepted form. share the majority of these features may Ndigbo, call social order or custom still belong to that category. In the area of omenala, meaning the traditions of the social, religious, cultural, political, health, people. Morality as a part of omenala is among others form the prototype [20]. also a custom and as such a social order. A The Igbo people have rich cultural social order makes morality more of a heritage. And the cultural heritage group morality than individual morality. showcased that the Igbo cultures are Morality becomes a sort of socialization or diversified. It means that the people have education, the responsibility of the society cultural values which the people have to and not of parents only. For one to be harness. Taboo has this to say ‗based on accepted in one‘s society, presupposes observation that among the Igbo of Nigeria that one has successfully undergone this respect to parents, elders and any properly socialization process whereby one learns constituted authority is one of the core to avoid whatever is forbidden, including values. The Igbo no doubt acclaim and moral prohibitions. In so far as the Igbo promote respect to elders not only to [17]. Tradition, political and social systems parents or close relations as they are quite encourage diversification of interests, and aware that ‘nwa bu nwa oha’( the child to some extent, individual freedom and belongs to every) [21]. Hard work as competition, they equally determine the Tagboo posits is regarded as one of the rightness and goodness of every action values of an Igbo man. We are all according to the custom and tradition, habituated to labor from our earlier years. which is seen as the general guidelines of Everyone contributes something to the individual conduct and the way of life of common stock and as we are the ancestors who in one way also still rule unacquainted, we have no beggars. The the land. One way one may come to lazy ones are ridiculed, cajoled and discover that one of the main pillars of condemned publicly. As it regards human Igbo morality is justice based on the life, the place and sacrosanct respect of the human person, the consideration to human life in Igbo world community and nature. Also, economic view cannot be underestimated. Children situation also determines the moral are taught to be honest and truthful standard of a people. In the case of the especially as it relates to Human life. They Igbos, the flexibility of their social and believe that blood is equal to life and life political system, also influence their moral is equivalent to God. Hence, to discuss or standard. tamper, threaten or endanger one‘s life is Prototype Theory in the Igbo Culture considered a sacrifice or anathema. This Prototype theory as was propounded by also supports Amaegwu‘s view of how the Eleanor Rosch in the 1970s is a mode of Igbo people value life. According to him, graded categorization in cognitive science, Igbo is principally anthropocentric such where some members of a category are that human life is immensely valued, more central than others. It was a radical zealously and religiously guarded. departure from traditional necessary and Therefore, anything that threatens life is sufficient conditions which led to set – ruthlessly dealt with. That is why the Igbos theoretical approaches of extensional or consider suicide, kidnapping as most intentional semantics. Thus, instead of a abominable crime against humanity. definition based model. Thus, Roach Language and culture complement each defines it as a stimulus which takes a other, but most importantly, the Igbo salient position in the formation of a Language is a vehicle for cultural 18 IDOSR JOURNAL OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES 3(3): 12-23, 2018. www.idosr.org Emeribe and Chinagorom expression. Obieze points out that modern times with attendant sociological ‗language fosters culture and there are implications. many ways and forms of cultural The Igbo traditional religion has a place expression‘ those cultural expressions and for oracles and life after death. There are festivala among the Igbos are diverse. such oracular divinations. Such as Ibini They are expressed in Ugu-uzo,Iwa Akwa, Ukpabi of Arochukwu, Agbala of , Iri- Ji, Ita- Okazi, Onwu-Oru Urrata, Oru Igwe ka ala of Umunneoha, Efuru of Ukehe, Owerri, Iwa ji, Ilu Nwanyi, among others. Arushi of Okija, among others. All these Page | 19 Igbo language is always the medium of oracles and shrines in addition to the communication whenever these position occupied by the Supreme Being ceremonies are displayed [20]. For the fact constitute a rallying point of unity among that the Ndigbo are the people who appear the Igbos. The oracles are believed to be to be people of perpetually celebrating, responsible for all those who deviate from this gives credence to Okafor & Emeka the normative behaviors and in most orientation that in every festival, there are cases, visit defaulters with pestilence and rituals and ceremonies. Religion is very death. It is sad to note that the level of predominant in determining and degeneration of the Igbo cultural and instituting festivals in Igbo land [21]. religious values is alarming. Thus Joseph Some of the constituents of the religious Amaegwu remarks ‗in this present and moral values practiced by the Igbo dispensation, the western excessive people are many. Traditional religion in utilitarian values have caused many Igbo land is a way of life. Because of that families in the West to push their elderly men are held accountable to these forces parents and family members out of their of their actions. They also try to relate to families to the nursing homes [22]. These them through appropriate ceremonies and families have forgotten that confining festivals. their elderly parents to nursing homes, Many of these festivals and ceremonies they themselves suffer as they miss the and rituals are based on religion. Many opportunity to make their young ones beliefs in the Igbo traditional religion tend benefit from the life- long accumulated to guide human actions or explain experiences and the wisdom of the old. puzzling natural phenomena. Some of The Igbo cultural death as Amaegwu these believes are: reincarnation, maintains that with globalization of free retribution, remuneration, retribution, market economy and the accompanying divination, it is also believed that life is a promotion of utilitarian and hedonistic continuum and that the dead live in the values of the West, human life has become land of the dead organized in much the valueless and meaningless. Life has same way as the land of the humans. The become the cheapest commodity to Igbo tradition establishes a code of dispense with as a result of excessive conduct or moral code embodied in hedonism and capitalism of the West. In Omenala or customs. Omenala is the most Western countries the emphasis is on corpus of most of the legal, moral, and mercy killing, legalization of abortion, ritual norms of Ndiigbo. And so, in moral euthanasia or facilitated assisted suicide. and religious codes, we found the above Marriage as well has lost its dignity. issues as data presented. Among the moral Divorce is a wind that blows no one any values placed high among the Igbo and good. Divorce rate has symmetrically enshrined in the religion is chastity. increased while marriage has significantly Chastity before marriage is held in a very declined. There are fewer second high esteem in Igbo religion and culture , while most people live longer [23]. Chastity is regarded as the pillar of periods of their lives in single state. every marriage and the rewards are many Divorce affects children negatively and and varied ranging from trust in both even makes them promiscuous [17]. parties and the avidity of for outsiders to Homosexualism, lesbianism and other marry from products of such chaste aberration of dignified married life are the homes. Rape and incest, adultery and greatest human deviant behaviour. These other amorous conducts are seriously ungodly act of homosexual relation of frowned at. same sex marriages not only is against the Kindness and hospitality are other moral cultural sensibility of Nigerians and other values emerging from Igbo religion and African countries, but also against socio culture. The Igbo of Nigeria are kind and cultural and religious beliefs of our hospitable. They believe like the Yourba as people. For Odoeemna, morality is the Ademilokun reiterates, they do not take most practical aspect of culture and likely these moral virtues except in constitutes the nucleus of culture when 19 IDOSR JOURNAL OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES 3(3): 12-23, 2018. www.idosr.org Emeribe and Chinagorom one considers social culture as the writes its own history. These facts make material traces of idea and in the habit and one to ask whether a foreign people or association of men. Igbo morality is the community who either directly or Igbo effort to maintain continuity by indirectly negated or created as inferior avoiding all abnormality which they regard the culture of a people can at the same as either expression of divine time write a genuine and objective history dissatisfaction or offence to the divine of those people they consider inferior. order. Human person has to control one‘s To save the culture and the people Page | 20 nature and model it according to the dominated by such an over bearing culture normal socially accepted form [24]. from disintegrate ion, splitting into The people Igbo are known for communal autonomous groups, and searching for a living, hospitality, warm and welcoming false and unnatural identity, one must the people. But as a result of degeneration of revitalize the culture by first rewriting the our cultural and moral values, people are history to correct historical errors which becoming individualistic. This ugly may have been created where the common situation provoked the Pope Benedict XV to history was written by people from the so warn the people Christians about threat of called ‗higher‘ culture. In line with that, it individualism in in the face of the is by re-writing the history to show the challenges posed by today‘s culture, there inhumanity and uncivilized nature of the is need for active dynamism aimed at opponents and at the same time showing promoting the fundamental moral values one‘s uprightness, mistakes, and that underpin social living and identity of innocence, finding archaeological facts to the old continent. support historical claims as well as trying Revitalization of Igbo Culture to pick out some contradicting facts from Carl Jung views man as a combination of the ancient and modern history of the technology and causality. This means that people written by the colonizers. man‘s behavior I s conditioned by his Judging people by their own ancient individual and racial history as well as by standards one could find several heroes his aims and aspirations (technology), and natural figures who did so much whereby the past as actuality and future as under given conditions, the purpose of potentiality direct and influence one‘s which is to create a greater past and the identity and behavior [25]. The past is for same time, bring out the virtues and the individual life not only a frame work of highlight the ultimate aim of the culture. reference but also a symbol of unity In this case, one tries with all experiences because one lives on past experiences one has gathered to work for an acceptable from which one makes the complexes of means of achieving these ends which must choices that creates one‘s identity. This be connected with and relevant to old feeling of identity secures that of integrity, means. On the other hand, one has to which is itself, a feeling of correctness abandon new aims or ends, propagated by about one‘s participation in the universe. new culture, which are not found in the The experience of a community is handed old culture, such as atheism, down to the next generation as a frame individualism, immorality, among others. work or reference and guide. This frame The Igbo people could through such means work of reference is otherwise known as gradually distinguishes themselves and culture, which is inevitable in every their identity from the dominant over community with a history: a community bearing culture. The redemption, has a history because it works to survive revamping, exhuming and revitalization of and possess implements with which it the culture of Ndigbo subdued by another notes so and which latter survives the culture is tantamount to a redemption and community [26]. When the past and revitalization of a people‘s and eventually present begin to be derogated by another the individual‘s identity. Culture as the culture or group, whereby the latter is way of life of a people or a group is considered superior to the former, then responsible for their being a group or a the supposed inferior culture can no people because it distinguishes them from longer act as a frame work of reference or other groups or peoples. Culture should an ideal, especially for the younger therefore be seen as a guide to individual generations. community life. Being the theoretical The fact is that a community or a people standard, regulates and influences actions can create a history which it did not but does not determine actions. The very possess, or refute a history and write or fact that culture could be limited implies create a new one; every generation that it could be imperfect, and so, it is not understands the past differently and only dynamic but also in the process of an 20 IDOSR JOURNAL OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES 3(3): 12-23, 2018. www.idosr.org Emeribe and Chinagorom unending longing for perfection, most about man and nature, one must learn often expressed through and in interaction about language. Ndigbo must therefore with other cultures To revitalize culture must begin to revamp their language; the should be to in a position to reconcile language has Igbo cultural heritage stored itself with the 20th century man that is it in it. This is line with Obinna as regards has to be equipped to assimilate certain the Odenigbo as a means of encouraging characteristics of the time. It has to learn and repositioning the Igbo language, he assimilate instead of being assimilated, a says that Odenigbo is a medium of Page | 21 process we choose to call reconciliation in evangelization. Jesus Christ, Ode n’igwe a narrow sense. In a wider and more (who resonates in heaven), came down in urgent sense, it must reconcile the people the world and became Ode n’ uwa( and with the culture of their fore fathers which resonates in the world). This same Jesus they abandoned in the face of more landed in Igboland and became Ode n’ Igbo aggressive and self-imposing culture, as (Jesus who resonates in Igboland. The real well as reconcile the people with one meaning of Oden Igbo is Jesus Christ who another, with God and with nature. To is resonating into the Igbo world to doziela achieve such ends, the culture has to be omenala – rectify Igbo customs and not only revitalized but also updated, traditions. There is also an empirical meaning that shortcomings of the old evidence from the data presented that the culture have to be eliminated, certain good news of salvation of Christ of aspects like religion ‗metamorphosed‘ Odenigbo is out to spread will permeate through a process of a gradual every nook and cranny of our society will metabolism. Modern technology and bring healing and forgiveness so that science should acculturated in the every Igbo person will see Christ in one revitalized culture instead of being merely another. adopted. For this purpose, the history and Recommendations and Way Forward culture of Ndigbo have to be looked at The following recommendations are made from a purely African point of view for the to the Igbos for effective and dynamic sake of Africanism and the truth about ways to revitalize their cultures. Africans and their past. Another such ways Enculturation of their cultural, social and of recapturing Igbo cultural values is living religious values in the gospel of Jesus Igbo names. This is in line with the views Christ. Encouraging the teaching and the Ohaneze Ndigbo that Igbo names are speaking of Igbo language in our homes, life in its totality not mere appellations institutions of learning, the church and the and there lies African theology, society at large. Supporting and awarding philosophy, culture and religion. In Igbo the Igbos who excels in dignified life nation, Igbo names take first place and various spheres of life. Putting sanctions whoever does not have Igbo names has no on those who violate our cultures as a identity in the society. This is because deterrent for others. Igbo names are history, religion, lineage as ● Making Odenigbo Lecture compulsory for well as existence. This fulfils the Igbo every Igbo person both at home and adage that states ‘aha onye na- edu ya Diaspora. (one; name leads or guards him/her). 27 ● Creating a constant forum where Ndiigbo Inculturating Igbo cultural and religious gather and discuss their common mission practices in the faith believe and church‘s and vision. Implementing the communiqué activities are desirable means by which the realized from ISA Conferences and other church and culture disuse. In n the light of Academic conferences organized by Igbo the above, submission, Obinna teaches scholars. Embracing one another in love that at the heart of the Christian faith is knowing that we all share the same our Lord Jesus Christ and the heart of the patrimony. Decolonization of the Igbo Igbo culture are the Igbo people. mind set, believing in ourselves, and being Therefore, essentially we are dealing with proud of our of our culture and traditions. the relationship between Jesus Christ and Encourage and promote Igbo cultural Igbo people. It is from this angle that we musicians, and other artistes that project can talk of faith in Jesus Christ blending Igbo culture since our language is with Igbo culture to become a new way of embedded in arts and culture. life of the Igbo people [28]. Revamping the Igbo language as a way of rectifying degenerated Igbo culture is the keystone of culture and for one to learn

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CONCLUSION We have in this paper attempted to bring out some pragmatic measures are given by the the traditional Igbo life, culture and values, Igbo themselves that will redirect them to which differentiate the Igbo community from their cultural values. Igbo people as a nation any other group of the world and thereby give with different dialects, cultures, traditions them some sort of identity. Climate and and values cannot benefit from these various physical factors play an undeniable role in peoples and cultures unless they are given the their life history and culture. The Igbo people room to develop their natural endowments forPage | 22 have very acclaimed cultural, moral, social their own good and that of the state. and religious values. These have emerged from their in-depth religious insight and the The unity of the Ndigbo in general and is the fact that they guard all the principles of the aim of cultural revitalizations, this cannot be faith jealously. However, the Igbo people achieved without the recognition of the suffer in their cultural degeneration as a people‘s common interest and history. result of globalization. From the fore going, REFERENCES

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25.Anacletus, Odoemena The Dynamics of Cultural Revitalization, 45.

Page | 23 26. Ibid ,55.

27. Ibid , 99

28.Obinna Anthony ‗Christian Faith and Igbo Culture in Dialogue‘ Splendour Magazine

29.Mandoza, D.W..‘Language and identity‘. In Chambers, J.K.,Trudgil, P. & Schilling Estes, N. (eds) the handbook of language variation and change Oxford: Blackwell 2004 475-499).

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