Serer-Ndut people

Serer Kings

Kings of Sine (left to right) : Maad a Sinig Ama Joof Gnilane Faye Joof and Maad a Sinig Kumba Ndoffene Fa Ndeb Joof.

The Serer-Ndut or Ndut also spelt (Ndoute or N'doute) are an ethnic group in Senegal numbering 38600^[1] They are part of the Serer people who collectively make up the third largest ethnic group in Senegal.^[2] The Serer-Ndut live mostly in central Senegal in the district of Mont-Roland, northwest of the city of ancient Thiès.

Culture

Their language Ndut, is one of the Cangin languages, closely related to Palor. Like the other Cangin languages, the speakers are ethnically Serers but they do not speak the Serer-Sine language.

Symbol of the Ndut initiation rite, a rite of passage in Serer religion and culture.

Their language is not a dialect of Serer-Sine (or Serer proper).^[3] The people are agriculturalists and lake fishermen.

Religion

Serer-Ndut people traditionally and still practice the Serer religion which involves honouring the ancestors covering all dimensions of life, death, cosmology etc.^[4][5] Their name for the Supreme Deity (Roog - in Serer religion) is Kopé Tiatie Cac - (God the grandfather in the Ndut language).^[6] The Ndut initiation rite, a rite of passage in Serer religion takes its name from the Ndut language. Some Serer-Ndut are Catholic. The main Catholic mission is at the town of Tiin.

History

The Serer people to which they are a sub-group of are the oldest inhabitants of Senegambia along with the Jola people. Their ancestors were dispersed throughout the Senegambia Region and it is suggest that they built the Senegambian stone circles^{[7][8][9][10]} although other sources suggest it was probably the Jola.^[9][11]

The Ndut were also the original founders of Biffeche as well as the Mt Rolland.^{[12][13][14][15]} During the colonial period of Senegal, both the French administration and the Muslim communities of Senegal tried to annihilate the Serer-Ndut people.^[16][17] They failed to achieve their objectives.

Notes

1. Lewis, M. Paul (ed.), 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Ethnologue.com Figures of 2007
2. Agence Nationale de la Statistique et de la Démographie
3. Guillaume Segerer & Florian Lionnet 2010. "'Isolates' in 'Atlantic'". Language Isolates in Africa workshop, Lyon, Dec. 4
4. 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
5. Gravramd, Henry, "La Civilisation Sereer - Pangool, Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Senegal, (1990), p. 9. ISBN 2-7236-1055-1
6. (French) Ndiaye, Ousmane Sémou, "Diversité et unicité sérères : l’exemple de la région de Thiès", Éthiopiques, no 54, vol. 7, 2e semestre 1991
7. Gravrand, Henry, "La Civilisation Sereer - Pangool", Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Senegal, 1990, p. 77, ISBN 2-7236-1055-1
8. Gambian Studies No. 17., "People of The Gambia. I. The Wolof with notes on the Serer and the Lebou", By David P. Gamble & Linda K. Salmon with Alhaji Hassan Njie, San Francisco (1985)
9. Espie, Ian, "A thousand years of West African history: a handbook for teachers and students", Editors : J. F. Ade Ajayi, Ian Espie, Humanities Press (1972), p 134, ISBN 0-391-00217-1
10. (French) Becker, Charles: "Vestiges historiques, trémoins matériels du passé clans les pays sereer". Dakar. 1993. CNRS - ORS TO M (Excerpt) (Retrieved : 28 June 2012)
11. Hughes, Arnold; David Perfect (4th revised edition, 2008). Historical Dictionary of The Gambia. Scarecrow Press. p. xix. ISBN 978-0-8108-5825-1. Check date values in: |date= (help)
12. Gravrand, Henry, "La civilisation Sereer - Cosaan : les origines, vol.1, pp. 140–146, Nouvelles Editions Africaines, 1983, ISBN 2-7236-0877-8
13. More about the Ndut : Dupire, Marguerite, "Sagesse sereer: Essais sur la pensée sereer ndut":
14. Klein, Martin A., "Islam and Imperialism in Senegal, Sine-Saloum", pp VII-5, Edinburgh University Press, (1968), ISBN 0-85224-029-5
15. Ndut-people in Lingua Món Casa de les Llengües
16. Becker, Charles, "Les Serer Ndut: Études sur les mutations sociales et religieuses", Microéditions Hachette (1974)
17. Echenberg, Myron J, "Black death, white medicine: bubonic plague and the politics of public health in colonial Senegal, 1914-1945", pp 141–146, Heinemann (2002), ISBN 0-325-07017-2

Bibliography

• Thiaw, Issa Laye, "La Religiosite de Seereer, avant et pendant leur Islamisation", [in] Ethiopiques no: 54, Revue semestrielle de Culture Négro-Africaine, Nouvelle série, volume 7, 2e Semestre (1991)
• Dione, Salif, "L'APPEL du Ndut. ou l'initiation des garcons Seereer", IFAN Cheikh Anta Diop (2004)
• Gravrand, Henry, "La Civilisation Sereer - Pangool", vol.2, Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du Senegal, (1990), p 9 and 77, ISBN 2-7236-1055-1
• Echenberg, Myron J, "Black death, white medicine: bubonic plague and the politics of public health in colonial Senegal, 1914-1945", pp 141–146, Heinemann (2002), ISBN 0-325-07017-2
• Gravrand, Henry, "La civilisation Sereer - Cosaan : les origines, vol.1, pp. 140–146, Nouvelles Editions Africaines, 1983, ISBN 2-7236-0877-8
• Dupire, Marguerite, "Sagesse sereer: Essais sur la pensée sereer ndut":
• Becker, Charles, "Les Serer Ndut: Études sur les mutations sociales et religieuses", Microéditions Hachette (1974)
• Klein, Martin A., "Islam and Imperialism in Senegal, Sine-Saloum" 1847-1914, pp VII-5, Edinburgh University Press, (1968), ISBN 0-85224-029-5
• Daggs, Elisa, "All Africa: All its political entities of independent or other status", Hasting House, (1970), ISBN 0-8038-0336-2
• Taal, Alhaji Ebou Momar, "Senegambian Ethnic Groups: Common Origins and Cultural Affinities Factors and Forces of National Unity, Peace and Stability" (2010)
• Gamble, David P., & Salmon, Linda K., (with Njie, Alhaji Hassan), "Gambian Studies No. 17 : People of The Gambia. I. The Wolof, with notes on the Serer and Lebou", San Francisco (1985)