The Oku Trail (Ketiãntian ? Bkuo): Tracing Roots, Footprints and the Edification of a Cultural Space: Cultural Anthropology

Recognising that the Oku cultural space is characterised by scattered pieces of literature on various themes, this book therefore tries to fill this paucity of information by focusing on issues such as the roots or traces of Oku origin, the physical features, the political and social organisation, traditional religion and medicine, relation with other fondoms within the grassfields, socio-economic development and political evolution. From this perspective, the analyses go beyond mere presentation of historical facts. Every topic is preceded with a context interspersed with relevant literature on social anthropology. Nevertheless, the migration and integration of the Kokefem people into the Ntul society has been viewed from a historical background, in which a complete genealogy of the royal family is traced and analysed in detail. This book is presented in eleven chapters. The first chapter traces the origin of the Oku people from Tikari through the lendary Kokefem/Kovifem right up to the present settlement. It equally traces the path and events that led to the integration of the Kokefem people into the Ntul society. The physical features of the fondom and their effects on development are treated under chapter two. Here the effects of the relief, climate, vegetation and drainage on the human development are examined. Chapter three presents the political organisation and institutions of power while chapter four treats political organisation and institutions of prestige. This chapter equally treats the evolutionary nature of some of the institutions such as the royal family masquerades, language and dance. Chapter five presents the Oku social organisation or structure with emphasis on the family, succession and marriage while chapter six presents royal funerals and enthronement. Chapter seven presents the Oku traditional religion. Here, some of the basic features of this religion such as ancestral worship, juju and