Non-Written History in Niger

In many African nations, non-written sources of history are incredibly important resources for discovering the history of the nation. Not until the travel logs, maps, and diaries of traders and explorers came along do historians have substantial written records of many regions. In the case of Niger, non-written sources play an integral role in the history of the nation.

Even today, ethnomusicologists are studying non-written sources to learn more about the complex history of this formerly colonized nation. UCLA Ethnomusicology student Eric Schmidt explains how he learned history from listening to radio stations in Niger. He says “you’re able to get a very clear sense of a colonial past with French-language stations, including Radio France International (RFI); past meeting present with traditional music sharing airtime with popular music from Niger, Mali, and elsewhere.”[1]

            Another form of non-written history that historians rely upon in Niger is oral history. The Sahel Oral History Project seeks to understand the history of social relationships, community interactions, and even farming practices, through gathering oral history. The creators of the project explain that learning from the oral histories “provides ample evidence that many standard generalizations simply do not stand up.”[2] This shows the importance of non-written history for those that wish to more fully study the region. While some written works may have relied upon generalizations about the community structures in Niger, the use of oral history gathering proved these generalizations wrong.

            Another example of non-written history in Niger is the study of art and clothing of people groups. This is a silver and braided leather amulet worn by the Tuareg people in Niger.

[3]

The Minneapolis Institute of the Arts includes this piece in its study “Art & Life in Africa,” which seeks to use art to study the different ways of living in different regions in Africa. This piece shows the deep spirituality of the people in the region and the importance of that spirituality to the community.

            Non-written history is not only an important part of studying history in these areas, it makes the history more alive and shows how everyday people interact with their communities and countries.

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[1] Eric Schmidt, “Nigerien Radio on a Nigerian Radio,” Ethnomusicology Review, last modified August 15, 2012, accessed January 27, 2016, http://ethnomusicologyreview.ucla.edu/content/nigerien-radio-nigerian-radio, p 3.

[2] Robert Perks, The Oral History Reader (UK: Psychology Press, 1998), 256.

[3] Tcherot (amulet). Art and Life in Africa, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis.

Bibliography

Schmidt, Eric. “Nigerien Radio on a Nigerian Radio.” Ethnomusicology Review. Last modified August 15, 2012, Accessed January 27, 2016. http://ethnomusicologyreview.ucla.edu/content/nigerien-radio-nigerian-radio, p 3.

  Perks, Robert. The Oral History Reader. UK: Psychology Press, 1998, 256.

  Tcherot (amulet). Art and Life in Africa, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis.