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TAKE IT TO THE STREETS: PERFORMING EKPE/MGBE POWER IN CONTEMPORARY CALABAR, NIGERIA By JORDAN A. FENTON A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2012 1 © 2012 Jordan A. Fenton 2 To the Nigerian families who made this possible—the family of Ntoe Patrick Inok Oquagbor V, the family of Mbong Atu Ausaji, and the family of Ekpenyong Bassey Nsa 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many institutions and people are to thank for gracious support and advice during the all phases of this dissertation. Fieldwork conducted in Cross River State, Nigeria, was generously funded by the Jeanne and Hunt Davis Research Travel Grant, Center for African Studies, University of Florida (2009) and the US Department of Education in the form of two Foreign Language Area Studies fellowships (2008 and 2009) and a Fulbright-Hays DDRA fellowship (2009-2010). Thanks to the Smithsonian Institution for funding research and writing phases of this project while I was in residence at the National Museum of African Art as a Smithsonian Predoctoral Fellow in 2011. I am forever thankful and indebted to my dissertation advisor, Robin Poynor, for his sincere efforts in making me a better thinker, writer, and person. While Robin is an influential teacher, as an advisor, there are no words that can succinctly summarize how remarkable and serious Robin is about mentoring his students. The dedication and time alone offered to his students speak to the personal importance he places on mentorship. I am so grateful for his assistance, guidance, and thoughtful constructive criticism offered over the years. I owe so much to him and words will never fully express the impression he has left on me. I also offer a special thanks to the rest of my dissertation committee: Victoria Rovine for her years of assistance, mentorship, and developing my writing skills, Gitti Salami and her constant support, thoughtful advice, and fieldwork preparation, and Susan O’Brien for her continued support and encouragement. I am indebted to Amanda Carlson for her generous assistance and advice over the years. Amanda has mentored and helped me in many capacities from fieldwork preparation, aid in establishing an Ejagham language program in Calabar, and thoughtful feedback on my work. I also thank Chris Kreamer and Mary Jo Arnoldi for their instrumental mentorship and guidance in 4 the development of my project and ideas. I am grateful to Ivor Miller for his assistance and support. I first met Ivor during the first weeks of fieldwork in Calabar and will never forget a random Saturday morning phone call that led to my first encounter with Mgbe ritual and masquerade. I thank Fred T. Smith, my M.A. advisor, for inspiring me and for his continued guidance. I also want to express my gratitude to Eli Bentor, Chris Slogar, Janet Stanley, Susan Cooksey, Jessica Martinez, Amy Staples, Amy Schwartzott, Chris Richards, Drew Thompson, Neelima Jeychandran, Pam Brekka, Jong Chul Choi, Nicholas Frech, and Joe Faulkner for their advice, encouragement, and support. During my time in Nigeria, I benefitted greatly from the hospitality, willingness to help, and friendships of so many individuals. I offer a special thanks to the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments, and especially the museum of Calabar, who were invaluable hosts during fieldwork. I am indebted to Sunday Adaka and the rest of the staff of the Old Residency Museum, Calabar, for their kind efforts. Thanks to Ndidem (Dr.) Thomas I. I. Oqua III, Grand Patriarch of the Qua Nation for supporting my research. I am grateful as well to Ntoe Patrick Inok Oquagbor V for taking me in as his own son, teaching me so many things about and beyond his culture, and supporting me in all my research endeavors. I offer a heartfelt thanks to Mbong Atu Assagi for teaching me Ejagham, Pidgin English, and helping me navigate the city, and her daughters, Majong and Biriwud, for embracing Sara, my wife, and me as part of their family. I would like to express my gratitude to Ekpenyong Bassey Nsa, who grew to become one of my very best friends—brothers as they call it in Nigeria—words will always fail to express the admiration and respect I have for him. I am indebted to Entufam Hayford S. Edet for taking me under his wing, teaching me many things about his culture, and, of course, for his patience. I offer thanks to Ubong Basil Ene, Lexay 1 (Alex Ema), and Okon Eyo for all they did 5 for me. I am also grateful to Edem Nyong Eti and the late Eme Ekpenyong Bassey for their help with Efik translation. Many thanks to chief Emmanuel Edem Bozo, chief Francais Edet, chief Joe Edet, chief Dennis Edet Oqua, the Nkonib (Ikot Ansa) Mgbe lodge members, chief Imona, Calabar Mgbe, Entufam Orok Etim Okon, Entufam Agbor Ojong Okongor, and Charles Oqua for their efforts and support. I also want to thank my father, mother, and brother for their continued encouragement and support. Most important of all, I thank Sara for all that she has contributed to my life. She has long been my infrastructure, and I am grateful for everything she has willingly sacrificed and endured so that this project and professional goals could come to fruition. 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...............................................................................................................4 LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................10 ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................................15 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................17 African Art History and the “Traditional”/Modern Dichotomy .............................................18 Cross River Art and Culture ...................................................................................................23 Calabar ....................................................................................................................................26 Pre-Colonial Calabar .......................................................................................................27 Colonial Calabar ..............................................................................................................30 Post-Colonial Calabar ......................................................................................................32 Ekpe/Mgbe and Nsibidi ..........................................................................................................35 Conceptual Framework ...........................................................................................................43 Ethnographic Approach ..........................................................................................................47 Structure and Chapter Summaries ..........................................................................................50 2 CONFRONTATIONS OF SPACE: THE EKPE/MGBE SOCIETY AND CHRISTIANITY IN CONTEMPORARY CALABAR .........................................................55 The House of Ekpe and Mgbe ................................................................................................56 Further Markers of Ekpe/Mgbe Space ....................................................................................60 Christianity and Ekpe: Early Confrontation ...........................................................................68 More Recent Confrontation and the Rhetoric of Demonization .............................................73 Local Newspaper Disputes ..............................................................................................74 Preaching against Ekpe/Mgbe .........................................................................................76 Reactions and Implications ..............................................................................................78 Internal Debates in Qua Mgbe Lodges Today ........................................................................79 To Pour or Not to Pour ....................................................................................................79 Disputing the Stone of Mgbe ...........................................................................................82 The Burning of a Lodge ..................................................................................................85 Taking it to the Streets ............................................................................................................87 3 CLAIMING SPACE THROUGH PUBLIC SPECTACLE: THE CONTEMPORARY INSTALLATION OF AN EKPE/MGBE CHIEF ................................................................101 Framing Ekpe/Mgbe Chieftaincy as Spectacle .....................................................................103 The Contemporary Ekpe/Mgbe Chieftaincy Spectacle .................................................106 Preparation .....................................................................................................................107 Oath and Initial Assembly .............................................................................................113 7 Installation .....................................................................................................................119 Declaration ....................................................................................................................123