Ebu: a Fascinating Case Study of Language and Culture Preservation

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Ebu: A Fascinating Case Study of Language and Culture Preservation Author: Elizabeth Odilile Ofili, MD, MPH. Atlanta Georgia This introductory essay is a brief synopsis of an attempt to document my fascination with the emergence of the “ Igala diaspora” The Igala people reside in current day Kogi State in Central Nigeria. The Igala diasporal include communities that trace their language and culture to Igala, however, they have migrated to the surrounding Southern Nigeria states, including Delta and Edo. I am most familiar with the Ebu community in the Oshimili North Local Government of Delta State, Nigeria. My family is from Ebu, and my Dad told us the story of how the Ebu people left Igala land around the 17th Century AD, and migrated South to the current location just west on the bank of the river Niger, in Delta State. I will save the details for my full essay, however, it is quite fascinating to me that despite being surrounded by Igbo speaking communities, Ebu people have retained the essence of the Igala language. There are unique cultural practices in Ebu that suggest that the community has adapted portions of Edo and Igbo culture while retaining distinct elements of their culture. With its current estimated population of 15,000, this unique culture and history should be carefully researched and documented for posterity. Indeed the people of Ebu, provide a fascinating case study of language and cultural preservation that should be the topic of many future essays. I look forward to contributing to this body of

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