Sherbro people
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The Sherbro people are a
native people Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
of
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 , Sierra ...
, who speak the
Sherbro language The Sherbro language (also known as Southern Bullom, Shiba, Amampa, Mampa, and Mampwa) is an endangered language of Sierra Leone. It belongs to the Mel languages, Mel branch of the Niger–Congo language family. While Sherbro has more speake ...
; they make up 1.9% of Sierra Leone's population or 134,606. The Sherbro are found primarily in their
homeland A homeland is a place where a cultural, national, or racial identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethni ...
in
Bonthe District Bonthe District is a district that comprises several islands and mainland of the Atlantic Ocean in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone. Bonthe is one of the sixteen districts of Sierra Leone. Its capital is the town of Bonthe Island and its la ...
, where they make up 40% of the population, in coastal areas of Moyamba District, and in the
Western Area The Western Area or Freetown Peninsula (formerly the Colony of Sierra Leone) is one of five principal divisions of Sierra Leone. It comprises the oldest city and national capital Freetown and its surrounding towns and countryside. It covers an a ...
of Sierra Leone, particularly in
Freetown Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and p ...
. During pre-colonial days, the Sherbro were one of the most dominant ethnic group in Sierra Leone, but in the early 21st century, the Sherbro comprise a small minority in the nation. The Sherbro speak their own language, called
Sherbro language The Sherbro language (also known as Southern Bullom, Shiba, Amampa, Mampa, and Mampwa) is an endangered language of Sierra Leone. It belongs to the Mel languages, Mel branch of the Niger–Congo language family. While Sherbro has more speake ...
. The Sherbro are divided into two main groups: the Sherbro in Southeastern Sierra Leone, and the Sherbro in the
Western Area The Western Area or Freetown Peninsula (formerly the Colony of Sierra Leone) is one of five principal divisions of Sierra Leone. It comprises the oldest city and national capital Freetown and its surrounding towns and countryside. It covers an a ...
of Sierra Leone. The Sherbro in Southeastern Sierra Leone, which is home to most of the Sherbro population of Sierra Leone, are a close ally of their neighbor the
Mende people The Mende are one of the two largest ethnic groups in Sierra Leone; their neighbours, the Temne people, constitute the largest ethnic group at 35.5% of the total population, which is slightly larger than the Mende at 31.2%. The Mende are pr ...
, and most Sherbro in Southeastern Sierra Leone speak the
Mende language Mende (''Mɛnde yia'') is a major language of Sierra Leone, with some speakers in neighboring Liberia and Guinea. It is spoken by the Mende people and by other ethnic groups as a regional lingua franca in southern Sierra Leone. In southern Sier ...
and they have integrated large amounts of the Mende tradition along with their native Sherbro tradition. However, the Sherbro in the Western Area (in and around
Freetown Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and p ...
) are traditionally allies of the
Krio people The Sierra Leone Creole people ( kri, Krio people) are an ethnic group of Sierra Leone. The Sierra Leone Creole people are lineal descendant, descendants of freed African-American, Afro-Caribbean, and Liberated African slaves who settled in t ...
; and Sherbro in the Western Area in Sierra Leone have also integrated large amounts of Krio tradition. Unlike most Sherbro in Southeastern Sierra Leone, most Sherbro in the Western Area of Sierra Leone do not speak the Mende language. Politically the vast majority of Sherbro support the
Sierra Leone People's Party The Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) is one of the two major political parties in Sierra Leone, along with its main political rival the All People's Congress (APC). It has been the ruling party in Sierra Leone since April 4, 2018. The SLPP do ...
(SLPP). The current president of Sierra Leone
Julius Maada Bio Julius Maada Wonie Bio (born 12 May 1964) is a Sierra Leonean politician, and the current president of Sierra Leone since 4 April 2018. He is a retired brigadier general in the Sierra Leone Army and was the military head of state of Sierra Leo ...
is a Mende-speaking ethnic SherbroAlexander, O. (2022, May 21). Julius Maada Wonie Bio (1964- ). from the southeastern hinterland of the country. The Sherbro are primarily
fisherman A fisher or fisherman is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishers and fish farmers. Fishers may be professional or recreati ...
and traders. They have a rich culture and have integrated some
western culture Leonardo da Vinci's ''Vitruvian Man''. Based on the correlations of ideal Body proportions">human proportions with geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius in Book III of his treatise ''De architectura''. image:Plato Pio-Cle ...
and ideals. Their culture is unlike that of all other ethnic groups in Sierra Leone. The ethnic group in the nation whose culture is similar (in terms of embrace of Western culture) are the
Krio people The Sierra Leone Creole people ( kri, Krio people) are an ethnic group of Sierra Leone. The Sierra Leone Creole people are lineal descendant, descendants of freed African-American, Afro-Caribbean, and Liberated African slaves who settled in t ...
, descended largely from African Americans (known as Black Loyalists), who had been freed from slavery by the British during the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
, resettled in
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...
, and then chose to go to Freetown in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. after the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
. The Sherbro and the Krio are close allies; they have intermarried since early colonial settlements in the 1790s. The Sherbro have been an indigenous people in the territory now known as Sierra Leone. In the 18th century, they began to get involved in the
slave trade Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
and became more powerful than the European slave traders. They began to employ the
Mende people The Mende are one of the two largest ethnic groups in Sierra Leone; their neighbours, the Temne people, constitute the largest ethnic group at 35.5% of the total population, which is slightly larger than the Mende at 31.2%. The Mende are pr ...
to work for them to find slaves to meet the growing demand. In the 1920s, the Sherbro people were still being ruled by their own chiefs.


History

The Sherbro were one of many indigenous peoples living in the territory of Sierra Leone before the colonial era. The first interaction with
European European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
s came during the 15th century, when
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
explorers, settlers, and traders came to the area. The English followed soon after and, in the 1620s, they had a number of agents trading and purchasing items in the Sherbro Country. The Sherbro intermarried with them. Like the later Krio, who developed in Sierra Leone after the colony was established, the Sherbro have a more westernized culture than that of other indigenous ethnic groups there.Ménard, Anaïs. 2015. ''Beyond Autochthony Discourses: Sherbro Identity and the (Re-)Construction of Social and National Cohesion in Sierra Leone''. PhD Thesis, Philosophische Fakultät I, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle/Saale. From the beginning of the settlement of liberated slaves in Sierra Leone, the ancestors of the Krio generally intermarried with their allies the Sherbro.


Relationship with the Krios

Many Sherbro assimilate as Krio, as they share the Christian faith and Western names. According to Anaïs Ménard, the only Sierra Leonean ethnic group whose culture is similar (in terms of its embrace of Western culture) are Westernized members of the Sherbro people. Because some of the Sherbro interacted with Portuguese and English traders and intermarried with them in the mid-fifteenth to eighteenth centuries (producing Afro-European clans such as the
Sherbro Tuckers The Tuckers of Sherbro are an Afro-European clan from the Southern region of Sierra Leone. The clan's progenitors were an England, English trader and agent, John Tucker, and a Sherbro princess. Starting in the 17th century, the Tuckers ruled over ...
and
Sherbro Caulkers The Caulker family of Sierra Leone is an influential family which was established by the English slave trader Thomas Corker Thomas Corker (1669-1670 - 10 September 1700, Falmouth, Cornwall) was known as an English agent for the Royal African Comp ...
), some of the Sherbro have a more westernized culture than that of other Sierra Leone ethnic groups. As Creoles settled in places such as
Bonthe Bonthe is a coastal town located on Sherbro Island in Bonthe District in the southern Province of Sierra Leone. The town lies on the eastern shore of Sherbro Island, on the Sherbro River estuary. Bonthe is about 60 miles south-west of Bo and 187 ...
for trading and missionary purposes, the Creoles intermarried with their allies the Sherbros from as far back as the 18th century. However, since the independence of Sierra Leone, all ethnic groups in Sierra Leone have been inter-marrying increasingly.


Notable Sherbro

*
Julius Maada Bio Julius Maada Wonie Bio (born 12 May 1964) is a Sierra Leonean politician, and the current president of Sierra Leone since 4 April 2018. He is a retired brigadier general in the Sierra Leone Army and was the military head of state of Sierra Leo ...
, current president of
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 , Sierra ...
* Sarah Tucker (model), Sarah Tucker,
model A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure. Models c ...
and
beauty pageant A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now evolved to include inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, ...
contestant who represented Sierra Leone at the
Miss World 2018 Miss World 2018, the 68th edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 8 December 2018 at the Sanya City Arena in Sanya, China. Manushi Chhillar of India crowned her successor Vanessa Ponce of Mexico at the end of the event. She is the fi ...
*
Thomas Corker Thomas Corker (1669-1670 - 10 September 1700, Falmouth, Cornwall) was known as an English agent for the Royal African Company on York Island (now Sherbro, Sierra Leone). He married a Sherbro woman and had two sons with her before his early death ...
– (died 1700) British-born Irish man and progenitor of the Sherbro Caulker clan *
Kpana Lewis Kpana Lewis (April 19, 1830 – May 10, 1912) was a Sherbro people, Sherbro Tribal chief, chief from Sierra Leone and an opponent of colonial rule of the British Empire, British. He exercised strong influence over all Sherbro chiefs. Part of his ...
(1830–1912), Sherbro chief and opponent of colonial rule * Barnabas Root (born ''Fahma Yahny'') (died 1877), clergyman and missionary to his nation *
John Karefa-Smart Dr. John Albert Musselman Karefa-Smart (17 June 1915 – 26 August 2010) was a Sierra Leonean politician, medical doctor and university professor. He served as the first Foreign Minister under Sierra Leone's first Prime Minister, Sir Milton Mar ...
, politician and former leader of the
United National People's Party The United National People's Party is a political party in Sierra Leone. In 1996, the UNPP received 21.6% of the votes in the parliamentary election, winning 17 of the 68 seats. UNPP candidate John Karefa-Smart finished second to current preside ...
(UNPP) *
John Akar John Joseph Akar (1927–1975) was a Sierra Leonean entertainer, writer, and diplomat. He served as Sierra Leonean ambassador to the United States. Today, he is probably best known for composing the music of Sierra Leone's National Anthem. Ear ...
, entertainer; he composed the music of Sierra Leone's national anthem *
Henry M. Joko-Smart Dr. Henry M. Joko-Smart (born 15 June 1934 Bonthe, British Sierra Leone) is a former Sierra Leonean law professor, educator and Supreme Court of Sierra Leone, Supreme Court justice. Early life Joko-Smart attended St. Edward's Secondary School ...
, former Supreme Court Justice of Sierra Leone *
Desmond Luke Desmond Edgar Fashole Luke (6 October 1935 – 27 February 2021)Lans Gberie"Desmond Luke: A Profile in Courage" ''The Patriotic Vanguard'' (Sierra Leone), 13 January 2011. was a former politician and lawyer in Sierra Leone. Luke served as foreig ...
, former Foreign Minister and Chief Justice of Sierra Leone *
Patricia Kabbah Patricia Kabbah (; 17 March 1933 – 8 May 1998) was a Sierra Leonean lawyer who served as First Lady of Sierra Leone from 1996 to 1998. She was the first wife of Sierra Leone's third president, Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. She is widely regarded as o ...
, late First Lady of Sierra Leone and late wife of former President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah *
John Kizell John Kizell was an American immigrant to Sierra Leone, who became a leader in Sierra Leone as it was being developed as a new British colony in the early nineteenth century. Believed born on Sherbro Island, he was captured and enslaved as a child, ...
, African-American immigrant to Sierra Leone born on
Sherbro Island Sherbro Island is in the Atlantic Ocean, and is included within Bonthe District, Southern Province, Sierra Leone. The island is separated from the African mainland by the Sherbro River in the north and Sherbro Strait in the east. It is long ...
*
Paul Kpaka Paul Kpaka (born 7 August 1981) is a former Sierre Leonean footballer who played as a striker. Early life Paul Kpaka was born into the Sherbro Rogers family in Kenema, the third largest city in Sierra Leone. He is a member of the famous Sher ...
, footballer, Sierra Leone *
Christian Caulker Christian Caulker (born 25 December 1988) is a Sierra Leonean association football, footballer who plays for Maryland Bobcats FC as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. Family heritage Christian Caulker is of Sherbro people, Sherbro ...
, footballer, Sierra Leone *
Gibril Wilson Gibril Donald Wilson (born November 12, 1981) is a former American football safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the New York Giants in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee. W ...
,* John Trye * Michael Tommy, footballer, Sierra Leone *
B. J. Tucker Baigeh Joe Tucker (born October 12, 1980) is a former professional football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers. He also was a member of the BC Lions in the Canadian Football Leag ...
, an
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
with the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
of the NFL. * Seniora Doll, Sherbro princess during the early years of Sierra Leone * Peter L. Tucker, Chief Executive for the Commission for Racial Equality (UK) *
Joseph Christian Humper Joseph Christian Humper (born 2 June 1946, in Sherbro Island, Sierra Leone) is a bishop in the United Methodist Church. He serves as chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Sierra Leone. He began his service as Bishop in 1993, during th ...
, a bishop in the United Methodist Church *
Thomas Caulker Thomas Canry Caulker (1846–1859), ( Sherbro) was born into a prominent African family, and his father ruled as King of Bompey, an African polity established in 1820 in what is now Sierra Leone. Caulker is among an early generation of West Afric ...
, King of Bumpey * Yeami Dunia * Christian Moses * Daniel Francis * Kevin Wright * George Davies * Kwame Quee *
Steven Caulker Steven Roy Caulker (born 29 December 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Süper Lig club Fatih Karagümrük. Born in England, he represents and captains the Sierra Leone national team. Caulker started his profe ...
* Prince Barrie * John Keister


Clans

* Sherbro Charley * Sherbro Bullom *
Sherbro Caulkers The Caulker family of Sierra Leone is an influential family which was established by the English slave trader Thomas Corker Thomas Corker (1669-1670 - 10 September 1700, Falmouth, Cornwall) was known as an English agent for the Royal African Comp ...
* Sherbro Clevelands * Sherbro Hubbards * Sherbro Macfoy * Sherbro Rogers * Sherbro Rutile *
Sherbro Tuckers The Tuckers of Sherbro are an Afro-European clan from the Southern region of Sierra Leone. The clan's progenitors were an England, English trader and agent, John Tucker, and a Sherbro princess. Starting in the 17th century, the Tuckers ruled over ...


See also

*
Thomas Corker Thomas Corker (1669-1670 - 10 September 1700, Falmouth, Cornwall) was known as an English agent for the Royal African Company on York Island (now Sherbro, Sierra Leone). He married a Sherbro woman and had two sons with her before his early death ...
, Chief Royal African agent in Sherbro country * Seniora Doll, married Thomas Corker; their descendants are the Shenge and Bonthe Caulkers


Notes


References

*Adam Jones (1983). ''History in Africa'', Vol. 10, pp. 151–162. {{DEFAULTSORT:Sherbro People Female genital mutilation Female genital mutilation by country