The Bobo Tribe

The Bobo Tribe

There is a tribe of African Americans located in the western Burkina Faso and Mali. This tribe is called the Bobo people. They are known for their mask that they wear with extremely elborate outfits for celebrations. The Bobo people are primarily an agricultural society. There population includes about 100,000 individuals. Since the Bobo have lived in this area of Africa for centuries the Bobo have their own primary language, which is simply called "Bobo" or "Mande."

The main goal of the Bobo culture is the restore the nature in which man has destroyed. The people attempt to restore nature through sacrifices and ceremonies. The Bobo believe in a couple different Gods. Their primary God in which they believe in and worship is Wuro whom is responsible for ordering the land, or in other words ordering all things in the world into two. Wuro is also the creator of Bobo. He is never physically represented and according to the Bobo is unable to be described in words. Their second main God is Dwo, whom is revealed during masking ceremonies. The God Dwo is said to choose to live in a mask until worn. once his spirit lives in the wearer, the wearer is then said to be able to communicate to others Dwo's wills.