Passam, Kpasam in Nigeria

Introduction / History

The Kpasam people group belong to the Isam ethnic group and refer to their language as Nyesam. They call their territory Asam, or ‘The Mountain’. ‘The Mountain’ is the original settlement of the Isam people. It is strategically located near an ample water supply and the summit provides protection against wild animals and enemies. The Isam believe the caves in the mountain is where god-spirits linger and human souls rest before the after-life. Nowadays, the mountain is the ceremonial ground for various festivals and funerals.

Kpasam live in the villages of Kpasham, Dakli, and Dem along the Numan-Julingo Road in Numan LGA (Local Government Area) in Adamawa State. A traditional Isam compound usually has at least one basic round hut of clay or mud bricks, a straw grass rooftop, and a dry grass fence that surrounds the area. Non-traditional structures, such as schools, medical centers, some private homes, and most churches are generally square and made of cement.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Kpasam people engage in seasonal farming due to climatic variations, growing groundnuts called bambara, other nuts, rice, maize, corn, guinea corn, cassava, and yams. They celebrate “the harvest feast” (known as Yale or ja?a?le?) during the entire month of November, offering gratitude to the god ?e?bi?e?. Kpasam people are also hunters. The rite of passage, known as bi?nzu?lu?m, involves boys becoming men by learning to hunt, showing endurance, and becoming independent. The Hunter’s Feast (bi?nwo?be?) is a tribute to the best hunter. The people dance around the head of the biggest animal caught during hunting time. Videos depicting various aspect of Kpasam culture, including rites of passage, funerals, dances, hunting, grinding, and games, can be found on Youtube.

Hospitality is important to the Kpasam people, and they get along well with neighboring people groups.

They are organized in a democratic chieftaincy with the division of clans, who each fulfill specific functions. Men tend to be the leaders in the community, holding positions of power in the villages and representing their people on the national level. An elder’s forum is a group of men from all clans to whom people address their problems and concerns before taking the case to the chief. Women care for the children and run the household, often providing financial support.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Kspasam community practices a traditional religion called ?u?ku?. People believe in union with spirit ancestors in the afterlife. A smaller percentage have become Christians, but syncretism with the animistic believes of the traditional religion is common and Christian families abide by the rules and customs of their traditional heritage too. Non-Evangelical Protestant denominations tend to focus on issues of social justice more than on personal salvation. Some other Kpasam people have converted to Islam.

What Are Their Needs?

Nyesam is used as a first language by all in the ethnic community. It is not known to be taught in schools. Since few evangelicals can be found among the Kpasam people and there is little historical presence of Christianity, they may be considered unreached. A collection of related audio Bible stories and evangelistic messages, which explain salvation, and basic Christian teaching are available at globalrecordings.net. Providing them with additional Bible portions in their mother tongue is key to their spiritual well-being.

Prayer Points

Pray Kpasam people will access the Bible stories available online to grow in their Christian faith.
Pray Kpaham community and church leaders will seek assistance to assess their language vitality and determine their development and translation needs.
Pray the few Kpasam people can receive God’s Word in their mother tongue to grow in their faith and share the gospel message with others in their community.

Text Source:   Joshua Project