The Kuranko, also called Koranko, Kolanko, Kooranko, Koronko, Kouranko, Kulanko, Kurako, Kuronko, Kuranké, or Karanko, are a Mande people living in Guinea and
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...
. The Koranko occupy a large section in a mountainous region within northeastern Sierra Leone and southern Guinea. Within this geographical region, different
dialects
The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of linguistic phenomena:
One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a ...
, as well as distinct social groupings can be found. In general, the Koranko are a peaceful people who have maintained a separate ethnic identity, despite years of tribal mixings. Each Kuranko
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...
is led by a chief and a group of elders.
The Koranko speak the Kuranko language (or Koranko), a dialect of the Mande branch of the Niger–Congo language family. The Kuranko are nominally an Islamic people, but many people in this isolated area still follow traditional religious beliefs, identifying as Muslim without adhering to all the strict protocols of that religion. The Kuranko speak a language similar to the
Manding languages
The Manding languages (sometimes spelt Manden) are a dialect continuum within the Mande language family spoken in West Africa. Varieties of Manding are generally considered (among native speakers) to be mutually intelligible – dependent on exp ...
, and their language can be understood by their neighbours and close allies the Mandinka and the
Susu people
The Susu people are a Mande-speaking ethnic group living primarily in Guinea and Northwestern Sierra Leone, particularly in Kambia District.
The Kuranko occupy a mountainous region within the northeastern Sierra Leone
highlands
Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau.
Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to:
Places Albania
* Dukagjin Highlands
Armenia
* Armenian Highlands
Australia
*Sou ...
, extending into Guinea. This region lacks adequate road systems and is not easily accessible, leaving the Kuranko socially isolated. This may explain why most Kuranko have held on to their traditional culture and
religion
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
.
History
The Kuranko moved into the territory of present-day
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...
from what is now Guinea, under the leadership of warrior Mansa Kama, who lived approximately between 1650 and 1720. Mansa Kama founded Kamadugu, now contained within the Sengbe Chiefdom of
Koinadugu District
Koinadugu District is a district in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. It is the largest District in Sierra Leone in geographical area, and one of the least most densely populated. Its capital and largest city is Kabala, which is also one of ...
, as well as Kholifa, which is still a chiefdom to this day. Kama travelled widely across the area with an Islamic alfa in the late 1600s, encountering numerous military battles on the way. This included establishing the town of Kamadugu, which is named after him. Eventually he settled in Rowala, which became the centre of the new Kuranko country, where he remained the leader until his death.
Economy
The Kuranko are primarily a
hunting
Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, ...
and
trading
Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market.
An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct excha ...
people, with these activities exceeding
farming
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peopl ...
as their primary employment. Since their origins were in the
savanna
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland- grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...
lands, they have taken active measures to preserve their habitat as this type, including setting fires as part of the hunting process, to ensure that large plant life and
woodland
A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (se ...
does not dominate. As the Kuranko have moved south over time, so they have maintained this savanna and burning lifestyle, leading to a gradual southward moving of the limit of the savanna lands. (This narrative is limited to the Mansa Kama era. However, the Kuranko history goes beyond the Kama, who was a newcomer to the scene at that time. this story needs to be told from the real Kuranko history perspective.)
Culture and customs
Men in the Kuranko culture undergo various initiation rituals on reaching puberty, becoming members of a secretive "club" when they do so. The initiation consists of a
circumcision
Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. Top ...
, training sessions, and the right to wear certain articles of clothing. Once initiated, men are free to marry, paying a
bride price
Bride price, bride-dowry ( Mahr in Islam), bride-wealth, or bride token, is money, property, or other form of wealth paid by a groom or his family to the woman or the family of the woman he will be married to or is just about to marry. Bride dow ...
to the family of the chosen woman. The Kuranko are polygamous, and some men have more than one wife.
The Kuranko people also utilize practices of the Bondo secret society which aims at gradually but firmly establishing attitudes related to adulthood in girls, discussions on fertility, morality and proper sexual comportment. The society also maintains an interest in the well-being of its members throughout their lives.
Religious and traditional beliefs
The Kuranko lands were one of the first areas of Sierra Leone to adopt Islam as its religion, and many Kuranko are nominally Muslim. However, the region is very isolated, and many of the more formal aspects of the Islamic faith are not adhered to. The people are also not politically Islamic, with the dichotomy between Catholic and Islamic African populations, not a major issue here.
In place of formal Islam, the people continue to believe in many aspects of their ancient religion.
The Kuranko believe that in the forests, the rivers, and the mountains live quasi-human beings known as Nyenne. These are "bush spirits," who are believed to influence Kuranko's life in different ways. Ancestral spirit and natural ecosystem forms the core of the Kuranko spiritual life
Kuranko patronyms
*Marah
*Kaloko
*Kargbo
*Koroma
Notable Kuranko people
* Mansa Kama, a great Kuranko warrior of northeast Sierra Leone
* Karefa Kargbo, Sierra Leonean politician
*
Kaifala Marah
Kaifala Marah (born in Koidu Town, Sierra Leone) is a Sierra Leonean politician, accountant, Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone (2016-2017), and Minister of Finance (2013-2016). On March 7, 2017, Dr. Marah resigned as governor in order to ...
, former Minister of Finance of Sierra Leone
*Aminata Kamissoko, Guinean musician
* Augustus Kargbo, Sierra Leonean footballer
*
Ibrahim Kargbo
Ibrahim Obreh Kargbo (born 10 April 1982) is a Sierra Leonean former soccer, football player. He ended his career with a suspension over match-fixing.
Career
Former teams are Old Edwardians F.C., Feyenoord Rotterdam, RWD Molenbeek, Sportin ...
, Sierra Leonean footballer
*
Kamso Mara
Youssouf Kamso Mara (born 24 December 1994) is a Guinean professional footballer who last played as a midfielder for the Czech club Slovan Liberec.
Professional career
Mara began his career in France before moving to the Czech Republic with Vlaš ...
, Guinean footballer
*
Mamoudou Mara
Mamoudou Mara (born 31 December 1990) is a Guinean professional footballer who plays as a defender for French club Montceau Bourgogne. He previously played in the French Ligue 2 with Arles-Avignon and for Swiss club Yverdon Sport FC
Yverdon ...