The Bedick, or Bedik, are a minority

ethnic group An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

of Africa. They live in villages in the most isolated area of eastern

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 � ...

, in the

Arrondissement of Bandafassi Bandafassi is a town in south-eastern Senegal about from Dakar near the borders with Mali and Guinea. It constitutes about half of the territory of the Arrondissement of Bandafassi of the Kédougou Department, eastern Senegal, ...

.BANDAFASSI DSS, SENEGAL
is one of their settlements. The Bedick speak the

Bedik language Bedik (Budik, endonym ''Ménik, Onik''), also ''Banda'', is a Senegambian language of Senegal and Guinea spoken by traditional hunter-gatherers. Other names include Bande, Basari du Bandemba, Bedik, Budik, Manik, Münik, Onik, Tandanke, Tenda, Ten ...

br>
and their religion is a syncretism, blend between their

animist Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, Soul, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct Spirituality, spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—Animal, animals, Plant, plants, Ro ...

roots and a more recent

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

influence. More connected with

Guinea Conakry Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...

than with Senegal, Bedick people have contact with other ethnic groups like

Bassari The Bassari are people who live in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. The total population is between 10,000 and 30,000. Most of the Bassari are concentrated on either side of the Senegal-Guinea border southwest of Kedougou, Kédougou R ...

and Serer. Their ancestors are the families Keita and Camera that came from Mali because of the War led by Alpha Yaye coming from

Fouta Djalon Fouta Djallon ( ff, 𞤊𞤵𞥅𞤼𞤢 𞤔𞤢𞤤𞤮𞥅, Fuuta Jaloo; ar, فوتا جالون) is a highland region in the center of Guinea, roughly corresponding with Middle Guinea, in West Africa. Etymology The Fulani people call the r ...

Gallery

Bedik ceramic pots in storage area, Southeast Sénégal (West Africa) (4232333462).jpg, Bedick ceramic pots in storage. Bedik hairstyling, Iwol, southeast Senegal (431680801).jpg, Bedick hairstyling in Iwol. Bedik hairstyling, Iwol, southeast Senegal (West Africa) (989178952).jpg, Bedick hairstyling in Iwol. Bedik Houses and large clay pots, Iwol, Southeast Sénégal (West Africa) (431681034).jpg, Bedick houses in Iwol. Bedik village of Iwol, Southeast Sénégal (462983188).jpg, Image of Iwol. Bedik village Southeast Sénégal (West Africa) (4231572359).jpg, Bedick village. Bedik Woman, Iwol, Sénégal (West Africa) 1982 (2545056327).jpg, Bedick woman, Iwol. Offerkipsenegal.jpg, Bedick diviner sacrifices a chicken. BedikDiviner.jpg, Bedick diviner predicting outcomes by examining the organs of a sacrificed chicken. BedikStatues.jpg, Bedick statue from village of Ibel. BedikVillage.jpg, Bedick village. BedikWoman.jpg, Bedick woman at Iwol. Large clay pot for brewing alcoholic beverage in the Bedik village of Iwol in southeastern Senegal (West Africa) (536275763).jpg, Large clay pot for brewing alcoholic beverage at Iwol. SEN Village Chief Theodore.jpg, "Village chief of Boula Téné, Theodore Mada Keita, holds up the fonio grain

Digitaria exilis ''Digitaria exilis'', referred to as findi or fundi in areas of Africa, such as The Gambia, with English common names white fonio, fonio millet, and hungry rice or acha rice, is a grass species. It is the most important of a diverse group of wild ...

that helps feed his family in southern Senegal. Boula Tene is a Bedik village of 200 in the southeast of Senegal, Tambacounda region. Trees near a Bedik village, southeast Sénégal (west Africa) (2734407024).jpg, Trees at the edge of a Bedick village.

References

Ethnic groups in Senegal {{Senegal-stub