Celebrating Womanhood: Bead Adornment as Female Power in Agwagune Culture of Nigeria
Keywords:
Womanhood, Beads, Female Power, Agwagune, CultureAbstract
This paper examines the role of women in traditional African society (Agwagune) through the agency of bead adornment. Agwagune is a close-knit community in the Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. The paper notes that in pre-colonial Africa, maidens exerted supernatural powers and influence in their communities through the adornment of beads on their waist. The paper adopts the qualitative research method, applying semi-structured interviews. Using the theory of Africanfuturism that focuses on African culture, history, and experiences, this paper argues that African values and cultures should be an integral part of the future where African spirituality and indigenous knowledge can serve as the foundation for modernity.
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