Niominka people: Difference between revisions

Niominka
Total population
	10000
Regions with significant populations
Languages
	Seereer-Siin
Religion
	Islam, animism

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The Niominka people (also called Nyominka) are an ethnic group in Senegal living on the islands of the Saloum River.

They are a subgroup of the Serer, descended from the Guelwar dynasty.

Population

Their territory is called the Gandoul. Most of the Niominka live in its eleven large villages, which include Niodior, Dionewar, and Falia.

They represent a little less than 1% of the population of Senegal.

Being island-dwellers, they participate in both agriculture and aquaculture. The primary agricultural produce is made up of rice, millet, and peanuts. As for the aquaculture, the men fish and the women gather shellfish, although environmental problems have become an aquacultural threat.

The Niominka are also beginning to look into tourism.

Bibliography

Transclusion error: {{En}} is only for use in File namespace. Use {{langx|en}} or {{in lang|en}} instead. Virginia Coulon (Spring 1973). "Niominka Pirogue Ornaments". African Arts. 6 (3): 26–31. doi:10.2307/3334691.
Template:Fr Joseph Kerharo (1964). "Les plantes médicinales, toxiques et magiques des Niominka et des Socé des îles du Saloum (Sénégal)". Acta tropica (8): 279–334. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
Template:Fr F. Lafont (1938). "Le Gandoul et les Niominkas". Bulletin du Comité d'Études Historiques et Scientifiques de 1'AOF. XXI (3): 385–450.
Template:Fr Assane Niane (1995). Les Niominka de l’offensive musulmane en 1863 à l’établissement du protectorat français en 1891 : Le Gandun dans la maîtrise du royaume du Saalum. Dakar: Université Cheikh Anta Diop. p. 81.
Template:Fr R. Van Chi Bonnardel (1977). "Exemple de migrations multiformes intégrées : les migrations de Nyominka (îles du Bas-Saloum sénégalais)". Bulletin de l'IFAN. B. 39 (4): 837–889.

Filmography

Le Mbissa, a documentary film by Alexis Fifis and Cécile Walter, produced by the IRD [1]

External links

The Niominka

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{multiple image
-| header    = Serer Kings
-| footer    = Two great Serer Kings from the [[Kingdom of Sine]].  The first picture is of Maat Sine (King of Sine) Ama Joof Gnilane Faye Joof who reigned from 1840 to 1853. He was from the Royal House of Semou Njekeh Joof ("Mbind" or "Kerr" Semou Njekeh Joof).  He is one of few precolonial [[Senegambian]] kings that became immortalised. This picture was taken by L'abbé David Boillat in 1850 (three years before the death of the King).
-The second picture is of Maat Sine Kumba Ndoffene Fa Ndeb Joof who reigned from 1897 to 1924.  He was from the Royal House of Boury Gnilane Joof ("Mbind" or "Kerr" Boury Gnilane Joof).
-| width     = 90
-| image1    = SererMan.jpg
-| image2    = Buur Sine Kumba Ndoffene Fa Ndeb Joof.jpg
-}}
 {{Infobox Ethnic group
 |group      = Niominka
@@ Line 42: / Line 33: @@
 |ref10      =
 |languages  = [[Seereer-Siin language|Seereer-Siin]]
-|religion  = [[Animism]] (Serer Religion)
+|religions  = [[Islam]], [[animism]]
 |related    =
 |footnotes  =
 }}
-{{ethnic group|
-|group= Overall Serer Population
-|poptime=Over 1.8 million<ref>Agence Nationale de Statistique et de la Démographie. Estimated figures for 2007 in Senegal alone</ref>
-|popplace={{flagcountry|Senegal}} (1,840,712.1),
-{{flagcountry|Gambia}} (31,900),
-{{flagcountry|Mauritania}} small number (3500)
-also found overseas.
-|rels= [[Serer Religion]], some practice [[Catholicism]] and a very small number practice [[Islam]].<ref>[http://www.joshuaproject.net/people-profile.php Joshua Project. Note that you may be directed to the Afghanistan page which is first alphabetically.  Select Senegal under country and select Serer-Sine people.]</ref>
-|langs=[[Serer language|Serer proper]], [[Cangin languages]], [[Wolof language|Wolof]]<br />[[French language|French]] (Senegal and Mauritania),<br />[[English language|English]] (The Gambia),
-|related=[[Wolof people]], [[Toucouleur people]] and [[Lebou people]]
-}}
 The '''Niominka people''' (also called '''Nyominka''') are an ethnic group in [[Senegal]] living on the islands of the [[Saloum River]].
-They are a part of the [[Serer people|Serer ethnic group]] and are closely related to the [[Guelowar]] of Sine-Saloum.
+They are a subgroup of the [[Serer people|Serer]], descended from the [[Guelwar]] dynasty.
 ==Population==
 Their territory is called the [[Gandoul]]. Most of the Niominka live in its eleven large villages, which include [[Niodior]], [[Dionewar]], and [[Falia]].
-They represent a little less than 1% of the population of Senegal.  However, as part of the [[Serer people]] to which they belong, they collectively make up the third largest ethnic group in Senegal.<ref>Agence Nationale de la Statistique et de la Démographie</ref> They are also found in [[The Gambia]].
+They represent a little less than 1% of the population of Senegal.
-Being island-dwellers, they participate in both [[agriculture]] and [[aquaculture]]. The primary agricultural produce is made up of [[rice]], [[millet]], and [[peanuts]]. As for the aquaculture, the men fish and the women gather shellfish.  Unfortunately environmental problems have become an aquacultural threat.  Therefore, the Niominka are also beginning to look into tourism.
+Being island-dwellers, they participate in both agriculture and aquaculture. The primary agricultural produce is made up of [[rice]], [[millet]], and [[peanut]]s. As for the aquaculture, the men fish and the women gather shellfish, although environmental problems have become an aquacultural threat.
-== Language ==
-They speak a dialect of the [[Serer language]] also called ''Niominka''.
+The Niominka are also beginning to look into tourism.
-==History==
-{{multiple image
-|header     = Serer Civilisation
-| footer    = The first picture is of the [[Senegambian stone circles|Senegambia Stone Circles]] (megaliths) which runs from [[Senegal]] all the way to [[The Gambia]] and described by [[UNESCO]] as "the largest concentration of stone circles seen anywhere in the world". The second picture is in (modern day [[Mauritania]])see [[West Saharan montane xeric woodlands]].  The third picture to the right is of [[Tassili n'Ajjer]].  Click on relevant links to learn more.
-| width     = 150
-| image1    = Wassu Stone Cirles shaunamullally 02.jpg
-| image2    = Hoggar10.jpg
-| image3    = Tassili n’Ajjer National Park NASA Landsat 7 (2000).jpg
-}}
-The [[Serer people]] to which they belong are the oldest inhabitants of [[Senegambia]] along with the [[Jola people]]. Their Serer ancestors were dispersed throughout the Senegambian Region and it was them who built the [[Senegambian stone circles|megaliths of Senegambia]].<ref>Henry Gravrand. La Civilisation Sereer - Pangool.Published by Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Senegal. 1990. Page 77 ISBN:2-7236-1055-1</ref><ref>Gambian Studies No. 17. “People of The Gambia. I. The Wolof.” By David P. Gamble & Linda K. Salmon with Alhaji Hassan Njie. San Francisco 1985 </ref>
-The Serer people are also the ancestors of the [[Wolof people]], [[Lebou people]] and [[Toucouleur people]].<ref>Senegambian Ethnic Groups: Common Origins and Cultural Affinities Factors and Forces of National Unity, Peace and Stability. By Alhaji Ebou Momar Taal. 2010</ref><ref>Gambian Studies No. 17. “People of The Gambia. I. The Wolof.” By David P. Gamble & Linda K. Salmon with Alhaji Hassan Njie. San Francisco 1985</ref>
-Their people, the Serer, were not only members of the royal dynasty of [[Takrur]], High Priests and Priestess of the Kingdom's main religion, the land owners passed down through the "Lamanic" lineage (descendants of the original founders, kings and land owners - in Serer culture), but they also brought civilisation there more than two thousand years ago.
-The following is a is a quote from the historian Henry Gravrand author of "La Civilisation Sereer, Pangool" as well as "La Civilisation Sereer, Cossan":
-''"Since the publication of "Cossan" (history), I took as a starting point of the Sereer (Serer) story in [[Takrur|Tekrur]] over 2000 years ago, I noted an important discovery. In the middle of the [[Sahara]], in the [[Tassili n'Ajjer|Tasili]] the rock carvings listed by [[Henri Lhote]], appears the traces of the present "Sereer Cossan" (Serer history) or their ancestors, a period dating back to the third or fourth millennium. This engraving represents the Sereer initiation Star (Serer Cosmology),  with two coiled snakes, symbols of the "Pangool" (ancestral spirits also ancient Serer Saints in the Serer Religion)... The rock where the Star appears is the Sereer symbols of the Pangool which was probably a place of worship."''<ref>Henry Gravrand. La Civilisation Sereer - Pangool.  Published by Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Senegal. 1990. Page 9. ISBN: 2-7236-1055-1</ref>
-At Takrur, after several Serer victories against [[Islamization]] and [[Arabization]], they were finally defeated by the Almoravid Islamic coalition - a coalition made up of Arab-Berbers and their African converts such as Toucouleurs and [[Fula people|Fulas]] who were the first to convert and chose to abandon their religion.  That was in 1035 AD during the reign of King [[War Jabi]] - a part Toucouleur, part Soninke and part Mandinka of the Manna (Manneh) Dynasty who launched a revolution against the ruling elite. At that time, War Jabi introduced Islamic [[Sharia law]] and after the final defeat of the Serer people of Takrur, the Serer still refused to submit to a foreign religion (Islam) but instead decided to move down south to join their distant relatives and preserve their honour.
-According to Elisa Daggs, only the powerful Serer tribes to whom the Serer-Niominka descended from resisted conversion whilst the others ethnic groups (i.e. the [[Toucouleur people|Toucouleurs]] and [[Fula people|Fula]] who were also living at Takrur at
-the time with the Serers) easily submitted to the foreign invaders.  The following is a quote from Elisa Daggs' book: "All Africa: All its political entities of independent or other status":
-''"The [[Islamic religion]] which dominates [[Senegal]] today was carried from Mecca into North Africa after the seventh century by ... the Sahara by the Arabs and Arabized Berbers into Senegal. Only the powerful Serer tribes resisted conversion..."''<ref>Elisa Daggs. All Africa: All its political entities of independent or other status.  Hasting House, 1970. ISBN: 0803803362, 9780803803367</ref>
-The Serer-Niominka also have Mandinka ancestors called the [[Guelowar]], who came from [[Kaabu]] in the 14th century escaping the Battle of Turubang 1335.  They were part of the royal dynasty of Kaabu and were being massacred by the Nyanthio dynasty of Kaabu.[[Image:Serer Religious Ceremony.jpg|thumb| left|The symbole of the Ndut Initiation]]   Although the Nyanthios and Geulowars were relatives, the Battle of Turubang 1335 was a dynastic war between two maternal royal houses ("The House of Nyanthio" and "The House of Guelwar"). "Turubang" in Mandinka means to wipeout a clan or family.
-After their defeat, their Mandinka ancestors escaped to the [[Kingdom of Sine|Serer Kingdom of Sine]] and were granted asylum by the Serer nobility of Sine.  The Serer paternal noble families such as [[Faye (surname)]], [[Diouf]] or [[Joof]], [[Njie]] or N'diaye etc, married the Guelowar women and it was the offsprings of these marriages that provided the Guelowar maternal dynasties and Serer paternal dynasties of the [[Kingdom of Sine]] (1350 AD) and later the [[Kingdom of Saloum]] (1494 AD). The dynasties of these respective Serer Kingdoms lasted upto 1969.  That was 9 years after modern day [[Senegal]] gained its independence from France in 1960.<ref>Alioune Sarr,Histoire du Sine-Saloum. Introduction, bibliographie et Notes par Charles Becker, BIFAN, Tome 46, Serie B, n° 3-4, 1986-1987</ref><ref>Martin A. Klein,Islam and Imperialism in Senegal Sine-Saloum, 1847-1914, Edinburgh At the University Press (1968)</ref><ref>Lucie Gallistel Colvin. Historical Dictionary of Senegal. Scarecrow Press/ Metuchen. NJ - London (1981) ISBN 081081885x</ref>
-== Religion ==
-[[File: Graves of the Sereres-1821.jpg|thumb| 1821 - Serer final resting place with Serer grave diggers.  The top points are directed towards the Gods]]
-They practice the [[Serer Religion]] which involves honouring the ancestors covering all dimensions of life, death, cosmology etc.<ref>Issa Laye Thiaw. "La Religiosite de Seereer, Avant et pendant leur Islamisation". Ethiopiques no: 54, Revue semestrielle de Culture Négro-Africaine. Nouvelle série, volume 7, 2e Semestre 1991 </ref><ref>Henry Gravrand. La Civilisation Sereer - Pangool.  Published by Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Senegal. 1990. Page 9. ISBN: 2-7236-1055-1</ref>
-== See Also ==
-=== Related Ethnic Groups and Dialect ===
-*[[Serer people]]
-*[[Serer-Ndut]]
-*[[Serer-Noon]]
-*[[Serer-Safene]]
-*[[Serer-Laalaa]]
-*[[Serer-Sine]]
-*[[Serer-Palor]]
-=== Other Ethnic Groups ===
-*[[Ethnic groups in Senegal]]
-*[[List of African ethnic groups]]
-=== Serer Kingdoms ===
-*[[Kingdom of Sine]]
-*[[Kingdom of Saloum]]
-*[[Kingdom of Baol]]
-*[[Biffeche]]
-=== Serer Demographics ===
-*[[Demographics of Senegal]]
-=== Presidents of Senegal ===
-*[[List of Presidents of Senegal]]
-== Notes ==
-{{Reflist|}}
-==Language Bibliography==
+==Bibliography==
-=== English Language Bibliography ===
-*{{en}} Gambian Studies No. 17. “People of The Gambia. I. The Wolof.” By David P. Gamble & Linda K. Salmon with Alhaji Hassan Njie. San Francisco 1985
-*{{en}} Senegambian Ethnic Groups: Common Origins and Cultural Affinities Factors and Forces of National Unity, Peace and Stability. By Alhaji Ebou Momar Taal. 2010
-*{{en}} Martin A. Klein,Islam and Imperialism in Senegal Sine-Saloum, 1847-1914, Edinburgh At the University Press (1968)
-*{{en}} Lucie Gallistel Colvin. Historical Dictionary of Senegal. Scarecrow Press/ Metuchen. NJ - London (1981) ISBN 081081885x
-*{{en}} Elisa Daggs. All Africa: All its political entities of independent or other status.  Hasting House, 1970. ISBN: 0803803362, 9780803803367
 *{{en}} {{Cite journal|author=Virginia Coulon|title=Niominka Pirogue Ornaments|url=http://jstor.org/stable/3334691|journal=African Arts|volume=6|issue=3|date=Spring 1973|pages=26–31|doi=10.2307/3334691}}
-=== French Language Bibliography ===
-*{{fr}} Issa Laye Thiaw. "La Religiosite de Seereer, Avant et pendant leur Islamisation". Ethiopiques no: 54, Revue semestrielle de Culture Négro-Africaine. Nouvelle série, volume 7, 2e Semestre 1991
-*{{fr}} Alioune Sarr,Histoire du Sine-Saloum. Introduction, bibliographie et Notes par Charles Becker, BIFAN, Tome 46, Serie B, n° 3-4, 1986-1987
-*{{fr}} Henry Gravrand. La Civilisation Sereer - Pangool.Published by Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Senegal. 1990. Page 77 ISBN:2-7236-1055-1
 *{{fr}} {{Cite journal|author=Joseph Kerharo|coauthor=Jacques G. Adam|title=Les plantes médicinales, toxiques et magiques des Niominka et des Socé des îles du Saloum (Sénégal)|journal=Acta tropica|issue=8|date=1964|pages=279–334}}
 *{{fr}} {{Cite journal|author=F. Lafont|title=Le Gandoul et les Niominkas|journal=Bulletin du Comité d'Études Historiques et Scientifiques de 1'AOF|date=1938|series=XXI|issue=3|pages=385–450}}
@@ Line 170: / Line 59: @@
 ==Filmography==
 *''Le Mbissa'', a documentary film by Alexis Fifis and Cécile Walter, produced by the [[Institut de recherche pour le développement|IRD]] [http://www.audiovisuel.ird.fr/fiches_film/mbissa.htm]
+==Related articles==
+* [[Ethnic groups in Senegal]]
+* [[List of African ethnic groups]]
 ==External links==
 * [http://www.lequotidien.sn/pleinepage/index.cfm?var_pp=74 The Niominka]
 [[Category:Ethnic groups in Senegal]]
-[[Category:Ethnic groups in the Gambia]]
-[[Category:Ethnic groups in Guinea-Bissau]]
-[[Category:Ethnic groups in Mauritania]]
-[[Category:Languages of Senegal]]
-[[Category:Languages of the Gambia]]
-[[Category:Languages of Mauritania]]
-[[Category:Ethnic groups in Africa]]
-[[Category:Languages of Africa]]
-[[Category:History of Senegal]]
-[[Category:History of the Gambia]]
-[[Category:History of Mauritania]]
-[[Category:History of Africa]]
-[[Category:Prehistoric Africa]]
-[[Category:History by ethnic group]]
-[[Category:African royalty]]
-[[Category:Sahelian kingdoms]]
-[[Category:Animism]]
-[[Category:Wars involving Senegal]]
-[[Category:Military history of Africa]]
-[[Category:Battles involving the states and peoples of Africa]]
-[[Category:Wars involving the states and peoples of Africa]]
-[[Category:African civilizations]]
-[[Category:States of pre-colonial Africa]]
-[[Category:French West Africa]]
-[[Category:Islam-related controversies]]
-[[Category:Islamic fundamentalism]]
-[[Category:Islamism in Africa]]
-[[Category:Jihad]]
-[[Category:Islam and other religions]]
-[[Category:History of Islam]]
-[[Category:Serer people]]
-[[Category:Serer language]]
-[[Category:Serer history]]
 [[fr:Niominka]]