Discover The Hausas | Looking At A People Beyond The Stereotype | Lifestyle | Amebo Online Newspaper

For many people in Lagos and other Western states in Nigeria, the average Hausa person is looked at as not being educated or smart or even worthy of any respect. Most people view them as violent and should be avoided. However, all these assertions are mostly from a place of misguided assumptions.

You will find out that most people who live with this kind of stereotypical mindset, more often than not, have never visited the Northern part of the country before. Therefore, most times they make their assertions from the things they see around them in Lagos and so on.

In all honesty, there are some acts which are indeed terrible, really, that a few people from the North do but this is characteristic of every tribe in Nigeria and the world over. It is therefore necessary to clear the air about the reality about Hausa people. Here are few things you should know about the Hausa tribe.

History

The Hausas are found in many West African countries include Cameroon, Ghana, Mali, and so on. With the decline of the Nok and Sokoto, who had previously controlled Central and Northern Nigeria between 800 BCE and 200 CE, the Hausa were able to emerge as the new power in the region.

Closely linked with the Kanuri people of Kanem-Bornu (Lake Chad), the Hausa aristocracy adopted Islam in the 11th century CE. In 1810, the Fulani invaded the Hausas and conquered the lands, hence, many people who live in the North today have a blend of Hausa and Fulani origin and are usually called Hausa-Fulani.

People and Culture

One key element of culture is language, and just like in many tribes and countries, the Hausas have quite a number of indigenious languages which still distinguish them from each other including Bwari, Gbagi, Kanuri and so on. There are about 30 million Hausa people making them the most populous tribe in West Africa.

The Hausa people have a very receptive and trusting heart (you can ask those who travel to the North for Youth Service). They pay a lot of attention to respect and homage. In the Hausa tribe, men squat to greet older people or richer people hailing "rankadede" meaning may you live long.

The fathers are called "baba", the mothers, "mama", the young girls, "yarinya", the young boys, "yaro". Many Hausas are very hospitable to strangers and visitors, especially when you can speak their language even if you are stuttering with it. Due to their vast lan mass, they are mostly farmers and cattle ranchers. They are also usually found as miners as well.

Their culture can be expressed in their various traditional dishes which include Tuwo-shinkafa, Tuwo-semovita (more recent though), Fura de' nunu, dan wake (bean dumplings), masa/sinasir, ramon kan rago (ram head soup), miyan geda (groundnut soup), Miyan zogale (moringa soup), and many more. Hausas love to pay plenty attention to their health when it comes to dishes.

Their dresses also show their conservative culture as the men usually are found wearing "babariga" or kaftan or traditional origin. The women are usually in their "abaya" which means wrappers, as well as blouses and hijab. Due to globalization, some younger Hausas have evolved in their dressing due to Western influences.

The Hausas are mostly muslims.

Art and Music

If you are conversant with the Hausas, will agree that they are creative people. This creativity is visible in their unique sound. Long before now, the Hausas had been involved in pottery, architecture and fabric or textile making. They have unique buildings and houses with very colourful paintings and illustrations.

Their art and even music has received quite a lot of influence from the Arab community and even parts of Asia. Hausas also love to dance, this is one thing you will notice many youths being involved in. They also love wrestling, both the local type and the foreign. The ancient Hausas were also popular for their "kakaaki" a local instrument that resembles a trumpet but a lot longer and thinner.

The Hausas have ruled Nigeria for the most times since independence. They also have quite a number of emirates and are ruled by Emirs. The Sokoto Caliphate is believed to be the highest empire in the Hausa land and the Sultan of Sokoto is regarded as the head of the muslim community in Nigeria.

We hope we have been able to point out a few things about the Hausas that should interest you and next tme, before you judge any of them wrongly you'd have a change of mind.

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