The Serer-Laalaa or Laalaa are part of the Serer ethnic group of

Senegambia The Senegambia (other names: Senegambia region or Senegambian zone,Barry, Boubacar, ''Senegambia and the Atlantic Slave Trade'', (Editors: David Anderson, Carolyn Brown; trans. Ayi Kwei Armah; contributors: David Anderson, American Council of Le ...

( Senegal and the

Gambia The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...

). They live in Laa (var : Lâ), the Léhar Region, which comprises eighteen villages north of

Thies Thies may refer to * Thiès, a city in Senegal **Université de Thiès in Senegal **Olympique Thiès, a Senegalese football club **Roman Catholic Diocese of Thiès **Thiès Department *Thiès Region in western Senegal *Thies (name) See also

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and whose inhabitants are Serer-Laalaa. Although the people are ethnically Serer, their language Laalaa (or Lehar) is not a dialect of the Serer-Sine language, but—like Saafi, Noon, Ndut and Palor, one of the Cangin languages.

Other names

Serer-Lehar, Serer-Lehaar, Serer-Laalaa, Serer-Laal, Serer-Lala, Laalaa or just Serer.

Culture

Their language, Laalaa or Lehar, is one of the Cangin languages, closely related to the Noon and Saafi languages, and more distantly related to Serer proper. They are people who once practiced agro-pastoral activities. Nowadays, agricultural activities predominate their lives. Livestock has been virtually decimated by repeated droughts in the late 1990s. The Laalaa have a younger generation of many intellectuals, a typical Serer traite.

Population

The number of speakers of their language is 12,000 in Senegal excluding the Gambia where they are also present. As part of the Serer ethnic group, they collectively make up the third largest ethnic group in Senegal numbering over 1.8 million. The Laalaa (also called Léhar) are mostly found in the north of

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around the villages of Pambaal, Bargaro and Duuña. They have about 18 villages namely: Baam, Bapat, Bargaro, Besi, Bicoona, Duuñë, Gogona, Haak, Jalkin, Jëëfuñ, Joy, Kaadaan, Kii, Kolobaan, Pambal, Sowaaboon, Tuuba and Yindën. The Laalaa are also found outside the region of Thies. A large Laalaa community migrated between 1984 and 1986 to Saal Ngeen in the

Tambacounda Region Tambacounda, formerly known as ''Sénégal Oriental'', is a region of Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal ...

History

Religion

They practice the

Serer religion The Serer religion, or ''a ƭat Roog'' ("the way of the Divine"), is the original religious beliefs, practices, and teachings of the Serer people of Senegal in West Africa. The Serer religion believes in a universal supreme deity called Roog (o ...

which involves

ancestor veneration The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of t ...

, covering all dimensions of life, death and space. Gravrand, Henry, "La Civilisation Sereer - Pangool", Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Senegal, 1990, p 9, Some Serer-Laalaas are Christians or Muslims whose conversion is very recent (like most Serer converts to Islam).Abbey, M T Rosalie Akouele. ''Customary Law and Slavery in West Africa.'' Trafford Publishing, 2011. , p 481-482 Both the Christian and Muslim groups mix it with Serer religion whilst the Ultra orthodox follow orthodox Serer religion.

Notes

Bibliography

*Gambian Studies No. 17. “People of the Gambia. I. The Wolof. With notes on the Serer and Lebou” By David P. Gamble & Linda K. Salmon with Alhaji Hassan Njie. San Francisco 1985 *Senegambian Ethnic Groups: Common Origins and Cultural Affinities Factors and Forces of National Unity, Peace and Stability. By Alhaji Ebou Momar Taal. 2010 *Elisa Daggs. All Africa: All its political entities of independent or other status. Hasting House, 1970. , {{Ethnic groups in Senegal Serer people