Dan, Yakuba in Guinea

Introduction / History

The Dan (Gio) are located in Guinea, northeastern Liberia and in Cote d’Ivoire. The terrain of the area ranges from forests in the south to savanna grasslands in the north. According to oral tradition, centuries ago the Dan migrated from present-day Guinea and Mali into their current locations in Liberia and Cote d’Ivoire.

For many years, the Dan fought with the surrounding peoples and were proud of their fierce, war-like reputation. Along with their Mande-speaking neighbors, the Yakuba Dan invaded the coastal region, replacing some of the Atlantic tribes and pushing back the Kru. After Liberia became a nation in 1847, the new government in Monrovia began pacifying these warring peoples. By the early 1900s, peace had been achieved, and administrative controls had been established.

The Yakuba Dan speak a Mande language that has many different accents. Depending on the distances that separate one group from another, the Dan language may differ in some spoken words and accents.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The Yakuba Dan are primarily farmers, clearing forest land each year to grow their crops. They cultivate staple crops such as rice, cassava and sweet potatoes. They also grow cash crops such as cocoa, coffee and rubber. Wives have a small plot of ground to grow vegetables for their households or sell in the market. They gather greens from domestic and wild plants in the forest. They extract palm oil from the many wild palm oil trees and then use it for fuel and cooking.

Yakuba Dan men do most of the agricultural work, but women help with the harvesting and weeding. Men also do all of the hunting and most of the fishing, while women tend to such domestic duties as caring for the children and preparing the meals. Children help by chasing wild animals and birds away from the crops. The Yakuba Dan raise livestock such as cattle, sheep and goats. They eat these animals only on special ritual occasions that involve feasts.

Yakuba Dan villages are divided into quarters, each housing an extended family or lineage. Each quarter is headed by a "quarter chief," who is chosen either for being the oldest male in the family or for having the most aggressive personality. Although the village or town chief administers authority over the whole village, the real power comes from the council of elders who assist the chief in all decisions.

Yakuba Dan art usually has spiritual significance. They have elaborately carved masks, each with a different purpose. They have musicians who are called upon to summon spirits, solve sorcery problems and heal.

Traditional Yakuba Dan huts were small, single-room dwellings made of mud and thatch. Each wife of a man had her own hut where her children lived until they were old enough to move out. Today, houses are large and rectangular and have several rooms. Instead of living in separate houses, multiple wives live in different rooms in the same house with their husbands.

Yakuba Dan men have their own "secret society," which marks their initiation into manhood and guides them throughout their lives. The men's society is controlled by the elders, who act as a source of power for the community. Boys initiated into the society are prepared to encounter the mysteries of the spirit world and learn the rules of adult Dan men. Women have a similar society.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Yakuba Dan believe in a supreme god named Zlann, who created the universe and everything in it. They do not believe that man can reach this god; thus, they do not worship him. Instead, a spiritual power called Zu acts as the mediator between the people and the supreme god. They believe they get in contact with Zu through dreams.

What Are Their Needs?

The Yakuba Dan have Scriptures translated into their language, but the majority follow their traditional religion. They need local evangelists and the spiritual hunger to listen with their hearts and minds.

Prayer Points

Ask the Lord of the harvest to call missionaries to take the good news to the Dan.
Ask the Holy Spirit to show mission agencies focusing on the Dan culturally relevant ways to reach them.
Ask the Lord to mightily use Dan believers to minister to their own people.
Pray for the Yakuba Dan to have a strong spiritual hunger that will lead them to the cross.

Text Source:   Joshua Project