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class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Traditional_social_structure" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Traditional_social_structure"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Traditional social structure</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Traditional_social_structure-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Secret_societies" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Secret_societies"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Secret societies</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Secret_societies-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Secret societies subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Secret_societies-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Poro_society" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Poro_society"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.1</span> <span>Poro society</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Poro_society-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Sande_society" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Sande_society"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.2</span> <span>Sande society</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Sande_society-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Sande_hierarchy" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Sande_hierarchy"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4.3</span> <span>Sande hierarchy</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Sande_hierarchy-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Female_culture" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Female_culture"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Female culture</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Female_culture-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Female culture subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Female_culture-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Arts" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Arts"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.1</span> <span>Arts</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Arts-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Mende_masks" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Mende_masks"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.1.1</span> <span>Mende masks</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Mende_masks-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Dancing" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Dancing"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.2</span> <span>Dancing</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Dancing-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-The_role_of_Gonde" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#The_role_of_Gonde"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.2.1</span> <span>The role of Gonde</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-The_role_of_Gonde-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Ndoli_jowei" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Ndoli_jowei"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.2.2</span> <span>Ndoli jowei</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Ndoli_jowei-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-White_clay" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#White_clay"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.3</span> <span>White clay</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-White_clay-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Hair" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Hair"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.4</span> <span>Hair</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Hair-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Female_Circumcision" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Female_Circumcision"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.5</span> <span>Female Circumcision</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Female_Circumcision-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Neck_rings" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Neck_rings"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.6</span> <span>Neck rings</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Neck_rings-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Kikakui_syllabary" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Kikakui_syllabary"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>Kikakui syllabary</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Kikakui_syllabary-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Politics" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Politics"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>Politics</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Politics-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Women's_political_influence_in_Mende_society" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Women's_political_influence_in_Mende_society"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>Women's political influence in Mende society</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Women's_political_influence_in_Mende_society-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Notable_people" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notable_people"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>Notable people</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Notable_people-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Notable people subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Notable_people-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Politicians" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Politicians"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9.1</span> <span>Politicians</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Politicians-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Entertainers" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Entertainers"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9.2</span> <span>Entertainers</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Entertainers-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Football_stars" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Football_stars"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9.3</span> <span>Football stars</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Football_stars-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Others" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Others"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9.4</span> <span>Others</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Others-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">10</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Notes" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notes"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">11</span> <span>Notes</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Notes-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">12</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Mende people</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 23 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-23" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">23 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B4%D8%B9%D8%A8_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%8A" title="شعب الميندي – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="شعب الميندي" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mendov%C3%A9" title="Mendové – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Mendové" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mende_(Volk)" title="Mende (Volk) – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Mende (Volk)" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mend%C3%A9" title="Mendé – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Mendé" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eo mw-list-item"><a href="https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mendeoj" title="Mendeoj – Esperanto" lang="eo" hreflang="eo" data-title="Mendeoj" data-language-autonym="Esperanto" data-language-local-name="Esperanto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Esperanto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%85_%D9%85%D9%86%D8%AF" title="مردم مند – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="مردم مند" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mend%C3%A9_(peuple)" title="Mendé (peuple) – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Mendé (peuple)" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-gl mw-list-item"><a href="https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pobo_mende" title="Pobo mende – Galician" lang="gl" hreflang="gl" data-title="Pobo mende" data-language-autonym="Galego" data-language-local-name="Galician" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Galego</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hr mw-list-item"><a href="https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mende" title="Mende – Croatian" lang="hr" hreflang="hr" data-title="Mende" data-language-autonym="Hrvatski" data-language-local-name="Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Hrvatski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orang_Mende" title="Orang Mende – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Orang Mende" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mende_(popolo)" title="Mende (popolo) – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Mende (popolo)" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-kk mw-list-item"><a href="https://kk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B5_(%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8B%D2%9B)" title="Менде (халық) – Kazakh" lang="kk" hreflang="kk" data-title="Менде (халық)" data-language-autonym="Қазақша" data-language-local-name="Kazakh" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Қазақша</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mende_(volk)" title="Mende (volk) – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Mende (volk)" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nn mw-list-item"><a href="https://nn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mendefolk" title="Mendefolk – Norwegian Nynorsk" lang="nn" hreflang="nn" data-title="Mendefolk" data-language-autonym="Norsk nynorsk" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Nynorsk" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk nynorsk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mende_(grupa_etniczna)" title="Mende (grupa etniczna) – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Mende (grupa etniczna)" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B5_(%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4)" title="Менде (народ) – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Менде (народ)" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sr mw-list-item"><a href="https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B5" title="Менде – Serbian" lang="sr" hreflang="sr" data-title="Менде" data-language-autonym="Српски / srpski" data-language-local-name="Serbian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Српски / srpski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sh mw-list-item"><a href="https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mende" title="Mende – Serbo-Croatian" lang="sh" hreflang="sh" data-title="Mende" data-language-autonym="Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски" data-language-local-name="Serbo-Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mendet" title="Mendet – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Mendet" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mende" title="Mende – Swedish" lang="sv" hreflang="sv" data-title="Mende" data-language-autonym="Svenska" data-language-local-name="Swedish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Svenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ta mw-list-item"><a href="https://ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%86%E0%AE%A9%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%87_%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D" title="மென்டே மக்கள் – Tamil" lang="ta" hreflang="ta" data-title="மென்டே மக்கள்" data-language-autonym="தமிழ்" data-language-local-name="Tamil" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>தமிழ்</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B5_(%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4)" title="Менде (народ) – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Менде (народ)" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-kge mw-list-item"><a href="https://kge.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jolma_Mende" title="Jolma Mende – Komering" lang="kge" hreflang="kge" data-title="Jolma Mende" data-language-autonym="Kumoring" data-language-local-name="Komering" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Kumoring</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><span class="wb-langlinks-edit wb-langlinks-link"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q1262400#sitelinks-wikipedia" title="Edit interlanguage links" class="wbc-editpage">Edit links</a></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="vector-page-toolbar"> <div class="vector-page-toolbar-container"> <div id="left-navigation"> <nav aria-label="Namespaces"> <div id="p-associated-pages" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-associated-pages" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul 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div:not(.notheme){background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table tr{display:table-row!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}</style><table class="infobox vcard"><caption class="infobox-title fn org">Mende</caption><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-image"><span class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="/wiki/File:SierraLeoneHofstra7.12_(cropped).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/SierraLeoneHofstra7.12_%28cropped%29.jpg/220px-SierraLeoneHofstra7.12_%28cropped%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="200" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/SierraLeoneHofstra7.12_%28cropped%29.jpg/330px-SierraLeoneHofstra7.12_%28cropped%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/SierraLeoneHofstra7.12_%28cropped%29.jpg/440px-SierraLeoneHofstra7.12_%28cropped%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="670" data-file-height="608" /></a></span><div class="infobox-caption">Mende musicians in 1936</div></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color:#b0c4de;">Regions with significant populations</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data">2,108,232<sup id="cite_ref-Census2015_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Census2015-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> <span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Flag_of_Sierra_Leone.svg/23px-Flag_of_Sierra_Leone.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="15" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Flag_of_Sierra_Leone.svg/35px-Flag_of_Sierra_Leone.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Flag_of_Sierra_Leone.svg/45px-Flag_of_Sierra_Leone.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="900" data-file-height="600" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Sierra_Leone" title="Sierra Leone">Sierra Leone</a> <br /> (<a href="/wiki/Bo_District" title="Bo District">Bo District</a>, <a href="/wiki/Bonthe_District" title="Bonthe District">Bonthe District</a>, <a href="/wiki/Moyamba_District" title="Moyamba District">Moyamba District</a>, <a href="/wiki/Pujehun_District" title="Pujehun District">Pujehun District</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kenema_District" title="Kenema District">Kenema District</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kailahun_District" title="Kailahun District">Kailahun District</a>, <a href="/wiki/Western_Area" title="Western Area">Western Area</a>)<br /> <sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>46,413<span class="flagicon"><span class="mw-image-border" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Flag_of_Liberia.svg/23px-Flag_of_Liberia.svg.png" decoding="async" width="23" height="12" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Flag_of_Liberia.svg/35px-Flag_of_Liberia.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Flag_of_Liberia.svg/46px-Flag_of_Liberia.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1140" data-file-height="600" /></span></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Liberia" title="Liberia">Liberia</a><br /></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color:#b0c4de;">Languages</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><a href="/wiki/Mende_language" title="Mende language">Mende</a> • <a href="/wiki/English_language" title="English language">English</a> • <a href="/wiki/Krio_language" title="Krio language">Krio</a></td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color:#b0c4de;">Religion</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><a href="/wiki/Islam" title="Islam">Islam</a> 68% • <a href="/wiki/Christianity" title="Christianity">Christianity</a> 30% • <a href="/wiki/Traditional_African_religion" class="mw-redirect" title="Traditional African religion">Traditional</a> 2%</td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" class="infobox-header" style="background-color:#b0c4de;">Related ethnic groups</th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="infobox-full-data"><a href="/wiki/Vai_people" title="Vai people">Vai</a>, <a href="/wiki/Gbandi" class="mw-redirect" title="Gbandi">Gbandi</a>, <a href="/wiki/Gola_people" title="Gola people">Gola</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kpelle_people" title="Kpelle people">Kpelle</a>, <a href="/wiki/Loko_people" title="Loko people">Loko</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Loma_people" title="Loma people">Loma people</a> </td></tr></tbody></table> <p>The <b>Mende</b> are one of the two largest <a href="/wiki/Ethnic_groups_in_Sierra_Leone" title="Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone">ethnic groups in Sierra Leone</a>; their neighbours, the <a href="/wiki/Temne_people" title="Temne people">Temne people</a>, constitute the largest <a href="/wiki/Ethnic_groups_in_Sierra_Leone" title="Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone">ethnic group</a> at 35.5% of the total population, which is slightly larger than the Mende at 31.2%.<sup id="cite_ref-Census2015_1-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Census2015-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The Mende are predominantly found in the <a href="/wiki/Southern_Province,_Sierra_Leone" title="Southern Province, Sierra Leone">Southern Province</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Eastern_Province,_Sierra_Leone" title="Eastern Province, Sierra Leone">Eastern Province</a>. The Mende are mostly farmers and hunters. Some of the major cities with significant Mende populations include <a href="/wiki/Bo,_Sierra_Leone" title="Bo, Sierra Leone">Bo</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kenema,_Sierra_Leone" class="mw-redirect" title="Kenema, Sierra Leone">Kenema</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kailahun" title="Kailahun">Kailahun</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Moyamba" title="Moyamba">Moyamba</a>. </p><p>Like a majority of African nations, Sierra Leone's political parties are often tied to specific ethnic groups and have been dominated by the Mende, on the one hand, and the Temne and their long-time political allies, the <a href="/wiki/Limba_people_(Sierra_Leone)" title="Limba people (Sierra Leone)">Limba</a>, on the other. The Mende are known to typically support the <a href="/wiki/Sierra_Leone_People%27s_Party" title="Sierra Leone People's Party">Sierra Leone People's Party</a> (SLPP), while the Temnes and Limbas are associated with the <a href="/wiki/All_People%27s_Congress" title="All People's Congress">All People's Congress</a> party (APC). </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: History"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In their oral tradition, the Mende describe themselves as being a mixture of two peoples: their original members were hunters and fishers who sparsely populated the area in small peaceful settlements, and their leaders came later, in a recent historical period, bringing with them the arts of war, and also building larger, more permanent villages. This is supported by analyses of their language and culture, which show signs of a layering of two different forms; they have both matrilineal and patrilineal inheritance, for instance.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> These leaders described in oral histories were almost certainly <a href="/wiki/Mane_people" title="Mane people">Mane people</a> who descended into the coastal lowlands from the area near <a href="/wiki/Moussadou" title="Moussadou">Moussadou</a>, <a href="/wiki/Guinea" title="Guinea">Guinea</a> in the 16th century. They conquered and mixed with the native <a href="/w/index.php?title=Bullom_people&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Bullom people (page does not exist)">Bullom people</a> to form the Mende.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTERodney1967236–7_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FOOTNOTERodney1967236–7-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Regional warfare throughout the 19th century led to the capture and sale of many Mende-speakers into <a href="/wiki/Slavery" title="Slavery">slavery</a>. Most notable were those found aboard the <i><a href="/wiki/La_Amistad" title="La Amistad">Amistad</a></i> in 1839. They eventually won their freedom and were repatriated. This event involved fifty-two free Mende people, stolen by <a href="/wiki/Portugal" title="Portugal">Portuguese</a> slavers in 1839, who were shipped via the <a href="/wiki/Middle_Passage" title="Middle Passage">Middle Passage</a> to <a href="/wiki/Havana,_Cuba" class="mw-redirect" title="Havana, Cuba">Havana, Cuba</a>, where they were sold to Cuban sugar plantation owners, José Ruiz and Pedro Montes. </p><p>After working the plantation, they were placed on the schooner <a href="/wiki/La_Amistad" title="La Amistad">Amistad</a> and shipped to another Cuban plantation. On the way, they escaped their bondage and were led in a rebellion by <a href="/wiki/Sengbe_Pieh" class="mw-redirect" title="Sengbe Pieh">Sengbe Pieh</a>. They told the crew to return them to <a href="/wiki/Africa" title="Africa">Africa</a>. Their efforts to return home were frustrated by the ship's remaining crew, who navigated up to the United States. The ship was intercepted off <a href="/wiki/Long_Island" title="Long Island">Long Island</a>, <a href="/wiki/New_York_(state)" title="New York (state)">New York</a>, by a U.S. Coastal brig. The Cubans merchants Ruiz and Montes denounced the Mende and asserted that they were their property. <a href="/wiki/Amistad_(case)" class="mw-redirect" title="Amistad (case)">The ensuing case</a>, heard in <a href="/wiki/Hartford,_Connecticut" title="Hartford, Connecticut">Hartford</a> and <a href="/wiki/New_Haven,_Connecticut" title="New Haven, Connecticut">New Haven, Connecticut</a>, affirmed that the captives were free, and resulted in the return of the thirty-six surviving Mende to their homes. </p><p>In the Americas, especially the <a href="/wiki/United_States" title="United States">United States</a>, researchers<sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Words_to_watch#Unsupported_attributions" title="Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Words to watch"><span title="The material near this tag possibly uses too-vague attribution or weasel words. (December 2023)">who?</span></a></i>]</sup> have discovered that elements of African culture had long persistence. In some areas where there were large groups of enslaved Africans, they kept much of their heritage. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Language">Language</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Language"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The Mende people speak the <a href="/wiki/Mende_language" title="Mende language">Mende language</a> (also called Boumpe, Hulo, Kossa, or Kosso), which belongs to the <a href="/wiki/Mande_languages" title="Mande languages">Mande language branch</a> of the proposed <a href="/wiki/Niger%E2%80%93Congo_languages" title="Niger–Congo languages">Niger-Congo language family</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In the 1930s <a href="/wiki/African-American" class="mw-redirect" title="African-American">African-American</a> linguist <a href="/wiki/Lorenzo_Dow_Turner" title="Lorenzo Dow Turner">Lorenzo Dow Turner</a> found a <a href="/wiki/Gullah" title="Gullah">Gullah</a> family in coastal <a href="/wiki/Georgia_(U.S._state)" title="Georgia (U.S. state)">Georgia</a> that had preserved an ancient song in the Mende language ("A waka"), passing it down for 200 years. In the 1990s three modern researchers – <a href="/wiki/Joseph_Opala" title="Joseph Opala">Joseph Opala</a>, Cynthia Schmidt, and Tazieff Koroma — located a Mende village in Sierra Leone where the same song is still sung today. The story of this Mende song, and its survival in both Africa and the US, is chronicled in the documentary film <i>The Language You Cry In</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Traditional_social_structure">Traditional social structure</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Traditional social structure"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The Mende are divided into five clans: the <i>Kpa-Mend</i>e, who are predominantly in the Moyamba district to the south; <i>the Golah-Mende</i>, who inhabit the Gola forest between Kenema and Pujehun districts into Liberia; <i>Sewa-Mende</i>, who settled along the Sewa River; the <i>Vai-Mende</i>, who are also in Liberia and the Pujehun district of Sierra Leone; and the <i>Koh-Mende</i>, who are a dominant tribe in Kailahun district.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The Mende traditionally live in <a href="/wiki/Villages" class="mw-redirect" title="Villages">villages</a> of 70 to 250 residents, which are situated from 1.5 to 5 kilometers apart. There is little or no mechanization over the greater part of rural Mende country. Mende farmers use hoes and machetes, but few other tools. The Mende are generally known as growers of <a href="/wiki/Rice" title="Rice">rice</a> and several other crops, practicing <a href="/wiki/Crop_rotation" title="Crop rotation">crop rotation</a> to protect soil productivity. Coffee, cocoa, and ginger are grown as cash crops, whereas rice, pepper, groundnuts, beniseed (also known as sesame seeds), and <a href="/wiki/Palm_oil" title="Palm oil">palm oil</a> are grown for local consumption. Rice cooperatives have been formed in some <a href="/wiki/Rural_areas" class="mw-redirect" title="Rural areas">rural areas</a>. </p><p>Traditionally, Mende farming has been carried out by labour groups organised on a local basis and moving from farm to farm (NIIP, 1973).<sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability"><span title="The citation is not specific enough to facilitate source verification (June 2022)">not specific enough to verify</span></a></i>]</sup> Work is divided by gender: men attend to the heavy work of clearing the land for planting rice, while women clean and pound rice, fish, and weed the planted crops. This routine is followed during ten months of every year, with a couple of months left around the <a href="/wiki/New_Year" title="New Year">New Year</a>, when they can spend more time in the village engaging in domestic pursuits like house building. </p><p>The Mende are patrilineal, patrilocal, and polygamous. The household unit is represented by at least one man and perhaps several of his brothers, with all of their wives and children. One or more brothers and married sisters usually leave sooner or later and are incorporated into other residential units. The senior male has <a href="/wiki/Moral_authority" title="Moral authority">moral authority</a>—the right to respect and obedience—over the family as a whole, especially with regard to the negotiation of debts, damages, and bride-wealth.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (October 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Secret_societies">Secret societies</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Secret societies"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Poro_society">Poro society</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Poro society"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Poro" title="Poro">Poro</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:SierraLeone_Hofstra_374.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/SierraLeone_Hofstra_374.jpg/220px-SierraLeone_Hofstra_374.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="171" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/SierraLeone_Hofstra_374.jpg/330px-SierraLeone_Hofstra_374.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/SierraLeone_Hofstra_374.jpg/440px-SierraLeone_Hofstra_374.jpg 2x" data-file-width="4403" data-file-height="3417" /></a><figcaption>Boys returning from their initiation in the <a href="/wiki/Poro" title="Poro">Poro</a>, 1936. Photo by <a href="/wiki/Sjoerd_Hofstra" title="Sjoerd Hofstra">Sjoerd Hofstra</a></figcaption></figure> <p>The greatest <a href="/wiki/Sins" class="mw-redirect" title="Sins">sins</a> a Mende man can commit is to give away the secrets of their tribe.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (May 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> The <i><a href="/wiki/Poro" title="Poro">Poro society</a></i> is the male equivalent to the female <i><a href="/wiki/Sande_society" title="Sande society">Sande society</a></i>. When inducted into this society, Mende boys are initiated into manhood. Many of their rituals parallel those of the Sande society. </p><p>During their training, the initiates learn everything that is essential for the survival of the community. The process is described as being reborn, transformed, and—during a masquerade—as being "regurgitated" into fully socialized adult men.<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The Poro prepares men for leadership in the community, so they might attain wisdom, accept responsibility, and gain power.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (October 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> It begins with the child's grade of discovery, followed by extensive training and service. During the seven-year initiation period, the young men converse with each other using a secret language and <a href="/wiki/Passwords" class="mw-redirect" title="Passwords">passwords</a>, known only to other Poro members. The member always knows and understands what is being said. This is part of the mystery of this secret society.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (October 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>At the beginning, young men aged 20 are called into the society and are trained by the group above them, along with a few elders. There is much work to be done during the initiation process. Dancing the masks is part of this work, but not the most important part. Only through work does the dance of the mask become meaningful. </p><p>The Mende have always had a remarkable enthusiasm for secret societies. According to Kenneth Little, writing in the 1960s, even the prevalence of Poro societies was far more widespread among Mende than Temne.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Sande_society">Sande society</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Sande society"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Sande_society" title="Sande society">Sande society</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:SierraLeone015.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/SierraLeone015.jpg/220px-SierraLeone015.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="200" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/SierraLeone015.jpg/330px-SierraLeone015.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/SierraLeone015.jpg/440px-SierraLeone015.jpg 2x" data-file-width="5359" data-file-height="4883" /></a><figcaption>Mende women with a masked <a href="/wiki/Sande_society" title="Sande society">Sande society</a> leader.</figcaption></figure> <p>All Mende women when they reach <a href="/wiki/Puberty" title="Puberty">puberty</a> begin the initiation process into the <i><a href="/wiki/Sande_society" title="Sande society">Sande society</a></i>. The goals of this secret society are to teach young Mende women the responsibilities of <a href="/wiki/Adulthood" class="mw-redirect" title="Adulthood">adulthood</a>. The girls are taught to be hardworking and modest in their behavior, especially towards their elders.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (May 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> Sande influences every aspect of a Mende woman's life; it is present before birth and still present after. </p><p>Sande is the guardian of women: their protector and guide through life. It is Sande that grants a woman with an identity and a personality. The Sande society is concerned with defining what it is to be human and with discovering the ways of promoting love, justice, and harmony. It is a moral philosophy that focuses on the perpetual refinement of the individual. </p><p>Sande leaders serve as models to women in the community. They exemplify the highest of Mende ideals, and they have the duty of enforcing positive social relationships and of removing any harm that might come to women in their community. "This is Sande; women together in their womanhood, in a free exchange of words and actions among sisters. Wherever two or three women are gathered together, there is the spirit of Sande." </p><p>Sande groups conduct masked performances that embody the Sande guardian spirit, who is associated with water and rivers. Descriptions of the society and its masquerade events have been made by visitors since the seventeenth century.<sup id="cite_ref-n_12-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-n-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Sande_hierarchy">Sande hierarchy</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Sande hierarchy"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The Sande society is organized by a <a href="/wiki/Hierarchy" title="Hierarchy">hierarchy</a> a number of positions all around. The <i>sowie</i> are the highest-ranking leaders of the group. It is their job to model to the Mende women the most important Mende social values. It is also their duty to enforce proper social relationships and to remove anything that might be harmful to the women in their community. </p><p>The sowie have control over certain sacred knowledge that is essential to the development of success and happiness in an individual, and also to the well-being of the community. They are the experts of the Sande women and have access to spirit <a href="/wiki/Ancestors" class="mw-redirect" title="Ancestors">ancestors</a> and forces of nature.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (October 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p>The rank below sowie is <i>ligba</i>. There are two grades within ligba; Ligba Wa (senior) and Ligba Wulo (junior). In any group there is only one Ligba Wa; she is an executive officer in Sande. Before a woman can take a leadership role in artistic activities she must be eligible at least as a Ligba Wulo. </p><p>An ordinary member is referred to as <i>nyaha</i>. The word indicates that the Sande initiation makes a woman of a child, and every woman into a wife.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (October 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> An initiate in training is called <i>mbogdoni</i>. A non-member is <i>kpowa</i>. As a noun kpowa means "an ignoramus, stupid, retarded, a fool" as a verb it means "to become insane or deranged." </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Female_culture">Female culture</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Female culture"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Arts">Arts</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Arts"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Mende_masquerades" class="mw-redirect" title="Mende masquerades">Mende masquerades</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Sierra_Leone_village_woman.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Sierra_Leone_village_woman.jpg/220px-Sierra_Leone_village_woman.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="180" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Sierra_Leone_village_woman.jpg/330px-Sierra_Leone_village_woman.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Sierra_Leone_village_woman.jpg/440px-Sierra_Leone_village_woman.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1280" data-file-height="1048" /></a><figcaption>A Mende woman in the village of Njama quee in Moyamba District.</figcaption></figure> <p>Much Mende art is in the form of jewelry and carvings. The masks associated with the fraternal and sorority associations of the <a href="/wiki/Marka_people" title="Marka people">Marka</a> and the Mende are probably the best-known and finely crafted in the region. The Mende also produce beautifully woven fabrics which are popular throughout western Africa, and gold and silver necklaces, bracelets, armlets, and earrings. </p><p>The bells on the necklaces are of the type believed capable of being heard by spirits, ringing in both worlds, that of the ancestors and the living. Mende hunters often wear a single bell that can be easily silenced when stealth is necessary. Women, on the other hand, often wear multiple bells, referring to concepts of community, since the bells ring harmoniously together. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Mende_masks">Mende masks</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Mende masks"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Masks are the collective Mind of Mende community; viewed as one body, they are the Spirit of the Mende people. The Mende masked figures are a reminder that human beings have a dual existence; they live in the concrete world of flesh and material things and the spirit world of dreams, faith, aspirations and imagination. </p><p>The features of a Mende mask convey Mende ideals of female <a href="/wiki/Morality" title="Morality">morality</a> and physical beauty. They are unusual because the masks are worn by women.<sup id="cite_ref-derby_13-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-derby-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The bird on top of the head represents a woman's natural intuition that lets her see and know things that others can't. The high or broad forehead represents good luck or the sharp, contemplative mind of the ideal Mende woman. Downcast eyes symbolize a spiritual nature and it is through these small slits that a woman wearing the mask would look out of. The small mouth signifies the ideal woman's quiet and humble character. The markings on the cheeks are representative of the decorative scars girls receive as they step into womanhood. The scars are a symbol of her new, harder life. The neck rolls are an indication of the health of an ideal woman. They have also been called symbols of the pattern of concentric, circular ripples the Mende spirit makes when emerging from the water.<sup id="cite_ref-n_12-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-n-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In the Mende culture, full-figured women are beautiful. The intricate hairstyles reveal the close ties within a community of women. The holes at the base of the mask are where the rest of the costume is attached. A woman who wears these masks must not expose any part of her body or a <a href="/wiki/Vengeful_spirit" class="mw-redirect" title="Vengeful spirit">vengeful spirit</a> may take possession of her. Women often cover their bodies with masses of raffia or black cloth. </p><p>When a girl becomes initiated into the Sande society, the village's master woodcarver creates a special mask just for her. Helmet masks are made from a section of tree trunk, often of the kpole (cotton) tree, and then carved and hollowed to fit over the wearer's head and face.<sup id="cite_ref-n_12-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-n-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The woodcarver must wait until he has a dream that guides him to make the mask a certain way for the recipient. A mask must be kept hidden in a secret place when no one is wearing it. </p><p>These masks appear not only in initiation rituals but also at important events such as funerals, arbitrations and the installation of chiefs.<sup id="cite_ref-n_12-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-n-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Examples of these masks appear in museums. Various Mende masks, specifically Sowei Masks, were the focus of a 2013 exhibition in the <a href="/wiki/British_Museum" title="British Museum">British Museum</a>, exploring the Sowei traditions.<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Dancing">Dancing</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Dancing"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Learning dance is a harsh discipline that every Mende girl must tackle. Girls practice for hours at a time until they drop from <a href="/wiki/Fatigue_(medical)" class="mw-redirect" title="Fatigue (medical)">exhaustion</a>. <i>Ndoli jowei</i>, the expert in dancing, is in charge of teaching young Mende girls to dance. When girls make a mistake in the steps, they are whipped with a switch until they get it right. </p><p>Often girls are awoken in the middle of the night to practice the dance; sometimes they are forced to stay awake for nearly 48 hours dancing almost the entire time. By the end of their brutal training, the girls have transformed into young woman who are tough and confident even in the harshest of conditions. They are in great physical shape and have endurance and stamina. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="The_role_of_Gonde">The role of Gonde</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: The role of Gonde"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The traditional character of <i>Gonde</i> is also a <i>Ndoli jowei</i> or dance instructor, but rather than a harsh enforcer, she acts as the comic relief. Gonde becomes a friend to the initiates, amusing them to help them forget the hard ordeals they are going through. She coaches the slower dancers, encouraging them to work hard. "Gonde is a funny, lovable character who lightens the gloom and reminds everyone that Sande is not always so deadly serious." </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Ndoli_jowei">Ndoli jowei</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Ndoli jowei"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Ndoli jowei is the principal spirit for celebration, although she also appears on other occasions besides celebrations. In Sande initiation, there are three major events in which the ndoli jowei appear publicly. The first occurs 1–3 days after the initiates have been taken into the bush to be circumcised. This event is known as <i>yaya gbegbi</i>. </p><p>At this time the ndoli jowei comes into town with a group of Sande women while the initiates stay in the bush recovering from their operations. The women come into town to tell men they have initiated people into Sande. They go through the town waving leaves and gathering food and other supplies that they need. </p><p>Ndoli jowei does not dance on this occasion because it is not yet time for celebration. She is there only as a reminder of the powerful medicine which has been summoned by the Sande session. This validates the unruly behavior of the Sande women. </p><p>The next time ndoli jowei appears is at a minor feast called <i>Kpete gbula yombo le</i> or <i>Sowo mba yili gbi</i>. At this occasion, an announcement is made to inform people of the date for the <i>gani</i> celebration; which is the last event of the Sande initiation that ndoli jowei appears at. At this time, the new initiates are brought into town for the first time since the initiation process began; accompanied by ndoli jowei. This is a happy occasion where dances are performed by both the maskers and the initiates. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="White_clay">White clay</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: White clay"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Bundu_girls_whitened.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Bundu_girls_whitened.jpg/220px-Bundu_girls_whitened.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="300" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Bundu_girls_whitened.jpg/330px-Bundu_girls_whitened.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Bundu_girls_whitened.jpg/440px-Bundu_girls_whitened.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1798" data-file-height="2455" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Sande_society" title="Sande society">Sande society</a> initiates marked with white clay and animal fat, called <i>Hojo</i> or <i>Wojeh</i>.</figcaption></figure> <p><i>Hojo</i> is a white <a href="/wiki/Clay" title="Clay">clay</a> that Mende women use to mark their territory. The clay comes from the water like many other aspects of Sande. Its smooth, shiny surface reflects light, making it eye-catching. Hojo is found in a scale of colors from beige to pure white. The pure white Hojo is rarer, found only deep beneath the surface of the water. Hojo and Sande are parallel in that they are both well hidden and secretive in its purest form. </p><p>White is the color of Sande. To the Mende, the pureness of white signifies the cleanliness and absence of imperfections. "It shows a 'harmlessness'; it is void of all things evil and is thus 'a positive and helpful color. White is symbolic of the spirit world and also of the secret parts of society where people aim for the highest standards. </p><p>Objects and people who are marked with Hojo are under Sande protection and control. They are subject to the authority of Sande law and punishment. Initiates are colored with this white clay to show that they are the property of Sande. This signifies that they are under the protection of Sande and should not be fooled with. <i>Sowei</i>, the judge of women, wears white to represent clear thinking and justice. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Hair">Hair</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: Hair"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>A woman's hair is a sign of <a href="/wiki/Femininity" title="Femininity">femininity</a>. Both thickness and length are elements that are admired by the Mende. Thickness means the woman has more individual strands of hair and the length is proof of strength. It takes time, care and patience to grow a beautiful, full head of hair. Ideas about hair root women to nature, the way hair grows is compared to the way forests grow. </p><p>The vegetation on earth is the "hair" on the head of Mother Nature in the same way the hair on the head of a woman is her "foliage." (Boone) A woman with long, thick hair illustrates a life force, she may be blessed with a green thumb giving her the ability to have a promising farm and many healthy children. </p><p>Hairstyles are very important in Mende society. A Mende woman's hair must be well groomed, clean, and oiled. Hair must be tied down under strict control and shaped into intricate, elegant styles for the sake of beauty and sex appeal. Dirty, disheveled hair is a sign of insanity. A woman who does not groom and maintain her hair has neglected the community's standards of behavior. Only a woman in mourning can let her hair loose. The Mende find unarranged "wild" hair immoral and associate individuals who possess this trait with wild behavior. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Female_Circumcision">Female Circumcision</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=16" title="Edit section: Female Circumcision"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>A key element of Sande initiation is the <a href="/wiki/Clitoridectomy" title="Clitoridectomy">clitoridectomy</a>, or <a href="/wiki/Female_genital_mutilation" title="Female genital mutilation">female genital mutilation</a>. This surgery is supposed to foreshadow the pain a Mende woman experiences during <a href="/wiki/Childbirth" title="Childbirth">childbirth</a>.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (October 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> The shock of this experience also tests a Mende woman's physical endurance. The shared pain of the clitoridectomy creates permanent bonds among the initiates.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (May 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> Vows that express a social bond are taken after the operation; these vows are a metaphor for the support the women will have during the pains of childbirth. </p><p>This procedure is considered necessary to change Mende children, who are considered to be of neutral sex before the procedure, to <a href="/wiki/Heterosexual" class="mw-redirect" title="Heterosexual">heterosexual</a>, gendered adults. Traditional female circumcision is thought to remove the female's residue of maleness.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (May 2022)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Neck_rings">Neck rings</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=17" title="Edit section: Neck rings"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The neck rings at the base of the mask are an exaggeration of actual neck creases. Mende people consider a beautiful neck to be one with rings as it shows adolescent girls becoming ready for childbearing by the increase in body fat.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The rings indicate prosperity and wholesome living, and are given by God to show his affection for a fortunate few. </p><p>The rings also indicate a relationship with the divine: the <i>Sowo</i> itself is a deity from the waters, and the neck rings represent the concentric waves that are formed on still water by Sowo's head breaking through the surface. The spirit comes from the water, and what the human eye sees on the necks of women "is human in form, but divine in essence", as portrayed in the mask. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Kikakui_syllabary">Kikakui syllabary</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=18" title="Edit section: Kikakui syllabary"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Mende_Kikakui_script" title="Mende Kikakui script">Mende Kikakui script</a> was invented in 1917 by Muhamad Turay and popularized by his son-in-law <a href="/wiki/Kisimi_Kamara" title="Kisimi Kamara">Kisimi Kamara</a> (c. 1890–1962), a <a href="/wiki/Kuranko_people" title="Kuranko people">Kuranko</a> man in Sierra Leone. During the 1920s and 1930s, he ran a school in southern Sierra Leone to teach 'Ki-ka-ku'. The syllabary became a popular method of keeping records and writing letters and achieved widespread use for a time.<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> During the 1940s, the British set up the Protectorate Literacy Bureau in the city of <a href="/wiki/Bo,_Sierra_Leone" title="Bo, Sierra Leone">Bo</a> to teach the Mende to read and write with <a href="/wiki/Africa_Alphabet" title="Africa Alphabet">an alphabet</a> based on the <a href="/wiki/Latin_script" title="Latin script">Latin script</a>, and Kikakui's use declined.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The <a href="/wiki/Mende_Kikakui_script" title="Mende Kikakui script">Mende script</a> has been described as a "failed script".<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>American historian <a href="/wiki/Konrad_Tuchscherer" title="Konrad Tuchscherer">Konrad Tuchscherer</a>, while researching his Ph.D. thesis for the <a href="/wiki/School_of_Oriental_and_African_Studies" class="mw-redirect" title="School of Oriental and African Studies">School of Oriental and African Studies</a> in London during Sierra Leone's civil war, found that instead of impeding his research the war actually advanced it. Thousands of Mendes were taking shelter in huge refugee camps surrounding the cities of <a href="/wiki/Bo,_Sierra_Leone" title="Bo, Sierra Leone">Bo</a> and <a href="/wiki/Kenema,_Sierra_Leone" class="mw-redirect" title="Kenema, Sierra Leone">Kenema</a>, and the people living in those camps were organized according to their home chiefdoms, making it possible for Tuchscherer to survey the entire Mende region (about half of Sierra Leone's territory) in a small space and a short period of time.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (July 2023)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> He found that the Mende syllabary, far from being forgotten, was still being used by quite a few people, mostly elderly men.<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Politics">Politics</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=19" title="Edit section: Politics"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Politics" title="Politics">politics</a> of Sierra Leone have traditionally been dominated by the Mende. <sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2021)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> The <a href="/wiki/Sierra_Leone_People%27s_Party" title="Sierra Leone People's Party">Sierra Leone People's Party</a> (SLPP), which is one of the two major <a href="/wiki/Political_party" title="Political party"> political parties</a> in the country, is predominantly based among the Mende people. The SLPP gets most of its support in Mende- predominate south-east region of Sierra Leone. </p><p>Most of the country's top government positions have been held by the Mende.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (November 2023)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> Sierra Leone's first <a href="/wiki/Prime_minister" title="Prime minister">Prime minister</a> <a href="/wiki/Sir" title="Sir">Sir</a> <a href="/wiki/Milton_Margai" title="Milton Margai">Milton Margai</a>, who led the country to independence from the <a href="/wiki/United_Kingdom" title="United Kingdom">United Kingdom</a> on April 27, 1961 was a prominent member of the Mende ethnic group. Other prominent Sierra Leonean politicians from the Mende ethnic group include the country's second prime minister <a href="/wiki/Sir" title="Sir">Sir</a> <a href="/wiki/Albert_Margai" title="Albert Margai">Albert Margai</a>, who was also the younger brother of Milton Margai; former commander of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces and former Sierra Leone's <a href="/wiki/Head_of_state" title="Head of state">head of state</a> <a href="/wiki/Brigadier" title="Brigadier">Brigadier</a> <a href="/wiki/David_Lansana" title="David Lansana">David Lansana</a>; former Sierra Leone's vice president <a href="/wiki/Albert_Joe_Demby" title="Albert Joe Demby">Albert Joe Demby</a>; former Sierra Leone's vice president and <a href="/wiki/Attorney_general" title="Attorney general">attorney general</a> <a href="/wiki/Solomon_Berewa" title="Solomon Berewa">Solomon Berewa</a>. </p><p>Former Sierra Leone's vice president minister of Justice and Attorney General <a href="/wiki/Francis_Minah" title="Francis Minah">Francis Minah</a> and <a href="/wiki/Samuel_Hinga_Norman" title="Samuel Hinga Norman">Samuel Hinga Norman</a>, who was Sierra Leone's <a href="/wiki/Minister_of_Defense" class="mw-redirect" title="Minister of Defense">minister of Defense</a> and former leader of the <a href="/wiki/Militant_(word)" class="mw-redirect" title="Militant (word)">militant</a> group the <a href="/wiki/Civil_Defense_Forces" class="mw-redirect" title="Civil Defense Forces">Civil Defense Forces</a> (commonly known as the <a href="/wiki/Kamajors" title="Kamajors">Kamajors</a>). Sierra Leonean politician <a href="/wiki/Charles_Margai" title="Charles Margai">Charles Margai</a>, who is the leader of one of the country's main opposition party the <a href="/wiki/People%27s_Movement_for_Democratic_Change" title="People's Movement for Democratic Change">People's Movement for Democratic Change</a> (PMDC). He is also the son of former prime minister Albert Margai and the nephew of Milton Margai; and former Sierra Leone's <a href="/wiki/Minister_of_finance" class="mw-redirect" title="Minister of finance">minister of finance</a> <a href="/wiki/John_Oponjo_Benjamin" title="John Oponjo Benjamin">John Oponjo Benjamin</a>, who is currently the National Leader of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP).<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Women's_political_influence_in_Mende_society"><span id="Women.27s_political_influence_in_Mende_society"></span>Women's political influence in Mende society</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=20" title="Edit section: Women's political influence in Mende society"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The Mende are a well-documented example of a <a href="/wiki/Non-western" class="mw-redirect" title="Non-western">non-western</a>, <a href="/wiki/Pre-industrial_society" title="Pre-industrial society">pre-industrial society</a> in which, at least historically, women took more political leadership positions relative to men. In the <a href="/wiki/Pre-colonial" class="mw-redirect" title="Pre-colonial">pre-colonial</a> era, the Mende had female chiefs and war leaders. One such female chief, <a href="/wiki/Madam_Yoko" title="Madam Yoko">Madam Yoko</a> (1849–1906), was the leader of the vast Kpa Mende Confederacy. She was formally recognized by the British as a <a href="/wiki/Paramount_Chief" class="mw-redirect" title="Paramount Chief">Paramount Chief</a> in 1894, ruling an area that was eventually divided into fourteen chiefdoms.<sup id="cite_ref-MacCormack_1974_21-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-MacCormack_1974-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Although it is impossible to know the extent to which other Mende women rose to leadership positions comparable to Madam Yoko's, historians believe that perhaps fifteen to twenty percent of the local leaders with whom the British negotiated at the time of colonial consolidation were women. The pattern continues to this day. According to MacCormack, "Contemporary women paramount chiefs are equally prominent, and their political influence now extends into national and international arenas. In 1988, thirteen of the 146 paramount chiefs were female."<sup id="cite_ref-MacCormack_1974_21-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-MacCormack_1974-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Day_1988_22-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Day_1988-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>MacCormack further notes, "There is a tendency in Western culture to define women as weak and needing protection, since they bear children. In West Africa the same biological facts are given a different cultural interpretation. The bearing of children demonstrates that women are strong and active agents in a society, capable of holding political office."<sup id="cite_ref-MacCormack_1974_21-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-MacCormack_1974-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Lynda Rose Day, another authority on Mende female chiefs, writes that "Women rise naturally to leadership positions when they are senior wives in large <a href="/wiki/Polygynous" class="mw-redirect" title="Polygynous">polygynous</a> households, when they are the oldest living relatives of a large landholding descent group, or when they are heads of local Sande chapters. Mothers with many children are seen as strong, capable authority figures."<sup id="cite_ref-Day_1988_22-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Day_1988-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notable_people">Notable people</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=21" title="Edit section: Notable people"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Politicians">Politicians</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=22" title="Edit section: Politicians"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/John_Oponjo_Benjamin" title="John Oponjo Benjamin">John Oponjo Benjamin</a>, current leader of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) and Finance minister of Sierra Leone from 2002 to 2007.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Solomon_Berewa" title="Solomon Berewa">Solomon Ekuma Berewa</a>, former Vice-President of Sierra Leone from 2002 to 2007 and former Sierra Leone's Attorney General.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Augustine_Bockarie" title="Augustine Bockarie">Augustine Bockarie</a>, member of parliament of Sierra Leone representing Kono District.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sam_Bockarie" title="Sam Bockarie">Sam Bockarie</a>, former leader of the <a href="/wiki/Revolutionary_United_Front" title="Revolutionary United Front">Revolutionary United Front</a> indicted for war crimes.<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/J._B._Dauda" title="J. B. Dauda">Joseph B. Dauda</a>, former Sierra Leone minister of finance, former member of parliament and former minister of trade.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Albert_Joe_Demby" title="Albert Joe Demby">Albert Joe Demby</a>, former vice-president of Sierra Leone.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Joseph_Ganda_(bishop)" title="Joseph Ganda (bishop)">Joseph Ganda</a>, Sierra Leonean Archbishop.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shirley_Gbujama" title="Shirley Gbujama">Shirley Gbujama</a>, Sierra Leone Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1996 to 1997 and Sierra Leone minister of social welfare Gender and Children Affairs from 2002 to 2007.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ella_Koblo_Gulama" title="Ella Koblo Gulama">Ella Koblo Gulama</a>, the first woman to be elected in the parliament of Sierra Leone and the first woman to be elected as cabinet minister of Sierra Leone.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Septimus_Kaikai" title="Septimus Kaikai">Septimus Kaikai</a>, Sierra Leone minister of Information and Communication from 2002 to 2007</li> <li><a href="/wiki/John_Karimu" title="John Karimu">John Karimu</a>, former Sierra Leone minister of Finance and former Commissioner of the Sierra Leone National Revenue Authority (NRA.)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Allieu_Kondewa" title="Allieu Kondewa">Allieu Kondewa</a>, former commander of the <a href="/wiki/Civil_Defence_Forces" title="Civil Defence Forces">Civil Defence Forces</a> and convicted war criminal.<sup id="cite_ref-auto_24-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-auto-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bernadette_Lahai" title="Bernadette Lahai">Bernadette Lahai</a>, Sierra Leonean politician and currently a member of Parliament representing Kenema District.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/David_Lansana" title="David Lansana">David Lansana</a>, former Head of State of Sierra Leone, convicted of treason and subsequently executed.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Albert_Margai" title="Albert Margai">Albert Margai</a>, second prime minister of Sierra Leone from 1964 to 1967; the brother of Sir Milton Margai and father of <a href="/wiki/Charles_Margai" title="Charles Margai">Charles Margai</a>.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Charles_Margai" title="Charles Margai">Charles Francis Margai</a>, Sierra Leonean politician and leader of the People's Movement for Democratic Change (PMDC) political party.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Milton_Margai" title="Milton Margai">Milton Margai</a>, Sierra Leone's first prime minister from 1961 to 1964.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Francis_Minah" title="Francis Minah">Francis Minah</a>, Sierra Leone's minister of Justice and Attorney General from 1978 to 1985 and Sierra Leone's vice president from 1985 to 1987. Convicted of treason and subsequently executed.<sup id="cite_ref-apnews_26-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-apnews-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mary_Musa" title="Mary Musa">Mary Musa</a>, current mayor of Koidu.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Solomon_Musa" title="Solomon Musa">Solomon Musa</a>, vice chairman of the NPRC, a military government that ruled Sierra Leone from 1992 to 1996.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Samuel_Hinga_Norman" title="Samuel Hinga Norman">Samuel Hinga Norman</a>, founder and leader of the <a href="/wiki/Civil_Defence_Forces" title="Civil Defence Forces">Civil Defence Forces</a>, indicted for war crimes.<sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Joe_Robert_Pemagbi" title="Joe Robert Pemagbi">Joe Robert Pemagbi</a>, current Sierra Leone ambassador to the United Nations.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bindi_Hindowa_Samba" title="Bindi Hindowa Samba">Bindi Hindowa Samba</a>, paramount chief of Bo District.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hindolo_Trye" title="Hindolo Trye">Hindolo Trye</a>, former Sierra Leone Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/David_Woobay" title="David Woobay">David Woobay</a>, current mayor and Council Chairman of Moyamba.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Entertainers">Entertainers</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=23" title="Edit section: Entertainers"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Emmerson_(Sierra_Leonean_musician)" class="mw-redirect" title="Emmerson (Sierra Leonean musician)">Emmerson Amidu Bockarie</a>, Sierra Leonean musician.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Isata_Mahoi" title="Isata Mahoi">Isata Mahoi</a>, Sierra Leonean actress.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sahr_Ngaujah" title="Sahr Ngaujah">Sahr Ngaujah</a>, actor and director.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Football_stars">Football stars</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=24" title="Edit section: Football stars"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Patrick_Bantamoi" title="Patrick Bantamoi">Patrick Bantamoi</a>, Sierra Leonean football player.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Issa_Kallon" title="Issa Kallon">Issa Kallon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kemokai_Kallon" title="Kemokai Kallon">Kemokai Kallon</a>, former Sierra Leonean football player.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mohamed_Kallon" title="Mohamed Kallon">Mohamed Kallon</a>, Sierra Leonean football player.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Musa_Kallon" title="Musa Kallon">Musa Kallon</a>, former Sierra Leonean football player.</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Sahr_Lahai" title="Sahr Lahai">Sahr Lahai</a>, Sierra Leonean football player.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Alpha_Lansana" title="Alpha Lansana">Alpha Lansana</a>, Sierra Leonean football player.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mustapha_Sama" title="Mustapha Sama">Mustapha Sama</a>, Sierra Leonean football player.</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Julius_Wobay" title="Julius Wobay">Gibrilla Woobay</a>, Sierra Leonean football player.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Osman_Yunis" title="Osman Yunis">Osman Yunis</a>, Sierra Leonean football player.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sullay_Kaikai" title="Sullay Kaikai">Sullay Kaikai</a>, Sierra Leone football player.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tejan_Koroma" title="Tejan Koroma">Tejan Koroma</a>, American football player</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Winston_Ceesay" title="Winston Ceesay">Winston Ceesay</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Others">Others</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=25" title="Edit section: Others"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Augustine_Gbao" title="Augustine Gbao">Augustine Gbao</a>, former leader of the <a href="/wiki/Revolutionary_United_Front" title="Revolutionary United Front">Revolutionary United Front</a> and convicted war criminal<sup id="cite_ref-Gbao1_28-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Gbao1-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Gbao2_29-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Gbao2-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Moinina_Fofana" title="Moinina Fofana">Moinina Fofana</a>, former commander of the <a href="/wiki/Civil_Defense_Forces" class="mw-redirect" title="Civil Defense Forces">Civil Defense Forces</a> and convicted war criminal<sup id="cite_ref-auto_24-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-auto-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Joseph_Cinqu%C3%A9" title="Joseph Cinqué">Joseph Cinqué</a>, born Sengbe Pieh, victim of the Atlantic slave trade and leader of the rebellion on ship The Amistad. Tried and freed in the trial <i><a href="/wiki/United_States_v._The_Amistad" title="United States v. The Amistad">United States v. The Amistad</a></i>.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Justin_Mensah-Coker" title="Justin Mensah-Coker">Justin Mensah-Coker</a>, rugby union player.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=26" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>Fage, John D. History of Africa. Routledge; 4th edition (2001).</li> <li><i>Among the Mende in Sierra Leone. The letters from Sjoerd Hofstra (1934–1936)</i>. Ed. and transl. by Marijke Gijswijt-Hofstra. Leiden, African Studies Centre, 2014. <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9789054481386" title="Special:BookSources/9789054481386">9789054481386</a></li> <li>Kenneth Little, The Mende of Sierra Leone. London, 1967.</li> <li>Olson, James S. The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary (1996).</li> <li>National Institute of Industrial Psychology (Great Britain). Occupational Psychology (1973).</li> <li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFRodney1967" class="citation journal cs1">Rodney, Walter (1967). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/179481">"A Reconsideration of the Mane Invasions of Sierra Leone"</a>. <i>The Journal of African History</i>. <b>8</b> (2): 219–46. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1017%2FS0021853700007039">10.1017/S0021853700007039</a>. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/179481">179481</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:163011504">163011504</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">16 July</span> 2023</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Journal+of+African+History&rft.atitle=A+Reconsideration+of+the+Mane+Invasions+of+Sierra+Leone.&rft.volume=8&rft.issue=2&rft.pages=219-46&rft.date=1967&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A163011504%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F179481%23id-name%3DJSTOR&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1017%2FS0021853700007039&rft.aulast=Rodney&rft.aufirst=Walter&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F179481&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMende+people" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notes">Notes</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=27" title="Edit section: Notes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-Census2015-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Census2015_1-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Census2015_1-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://sierraleone.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/National%20Analytical%20Report.pdf">"Sierra Leone 2015 Population and Housing Census National Analytical Report"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. <i>Statistics Sierra Leone</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">28 March</span> 2020</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Statistics+Sierra+Leone&rft.atitle=Sierra+Leone+2015+Population+and+Housing+Census+National+Analytical+Report&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fsierraleone.unfpa.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fpub-pdf%2FNational%2520Analytical%2520Report.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMende+people" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation journal cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://minorityrights.org/country/liberia/">"Liberia - World Directory of Minorities & Indigenous Peoples"</a>. <i>Minority Rights Group</i>. June 19, 2015.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Minority+Rights+Group&rft.atitle=Liberia+-+World+Directory+of+Minorities+%26+Indigenous+Peoples&rft.date=2015-06-19&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fminorityrights.org%2Fcountry%2Fliberia%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMende+people" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5475.htm">"Sierra Leone"</a>. <i>U.S. Department of State</i>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=U.S.+Department+of+State&rft.atitle=Sierra+Leone&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2F2009-2017.state.gov%2Fr%2Fpa%2Fei%2Fbgn%2F5475.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMende+people" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Little, pp 25, 28. He cites F.W.H Midgeod, <i>A View of Sierra Leone</i>, (1926) on the Mende racial mixture.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FOOTNOTERodney1967236–7-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FOOTNOTERodney1967236–7_5-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="#CITEREFRodney1967">Rodney 1967</a>, pp. 236–7.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.mustgo.com/worldlanguages/mende/">"Mende Language – Structure, Writing & Alphabet – MustGo"</a>. <i>MustGo.com</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2022-12-03</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=MustGo.com&rft.atitle=Mende+Language+%E2%80%93+Structure%2C+Writing+%26+Alphabet+%E2%80%93+MustGo&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mustgo.com%2Fworldlanguages%2Fmende%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMende+people" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190507202020/http://www.folkstreams.net/film-detail.php?id=270">"The Language You Cry In | Folkstreams"</a>. <i>www.folkstreams.net</i>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.folkstreams.net/film-detail.php?id=270">the original</a> on 2019-05-07<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2021-05-20</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.folkstreams.net&rft.atitle=The+Language+You+Cry+In+%26%23124%3B+Folkstreams&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.folkstreams.net%2Ffilm-detail.php%3Fid%3D270&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMende+people" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Thomas-Houston, Marilyn M. “The Language You Cry In: The Story of a Mende Song.” American Anthropologist 101.4 (1999): 826–828. Print.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://aaregistry.org/story/the-mende-people/">"The Mende People, a story"</a>. <i>African American Registry</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2022-12-03</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=African+American+Registry&rft.atitle=The+Mende+People%2C+a+story&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Faaregistry.org%2Fstory%2Fthe-mende-people%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMende+people" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-10">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPerani_and_Smith1998" class="citation book cs1">Perani and Smith, Judith and Fred (1998). <i>The Visual Arts of Africa: Gender, Power, and Life Cycle Rituals</i>. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. pp. 88–91. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-13-442328-3" title="Special:BookSources/0-13-442328-3"><bdi>0-13-442328-3</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Visual+Arts+of+Africa%3A+Gender%2C+Power%2C+and+Life+Cycle+Rituals&rft.place=Upper+Saddle+River%2C+New+Jersey&rft.pages=88-91&rft.pub=Prentice-Hall%2C+Inc.&rft.date=1998&rft.isbn=0-13-442328-3&rft.aulast=Perani+and+Smith&rft.aufirst=Judith+and+Fred&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMende+people" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-11">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFKenneth_Little1967" class="citation journal cs1">Kenneth Little (1967). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=sGsS-NbVDPsC&pg=PA163">"Voluntary Associations in Urban Life: A Case Study in Differential Adaptation"</a>. <i>Social Organization: Essays Presented to Raymond Firth</i>: 163. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780714610597" title="Special:BookSources/9780714610597"><bdi>9780714610597</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Social+Organization%3A+Essays+Presented+to+Raymond+Firth&rft.atitle=Voluntary+Associations+in+Urban+Life%3A+A+Case+Study+in+Differential+Adaptation&rft.pages=163&rft.date=1967&rft.isbn=9780714610597&rft.au=Kenneth+Little&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fbooks.google.com%2Fbooks%3Fid%3DsGsS-NbVDPsC%26pg%3DPA163&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMende+people" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-n-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-n_12-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-n_12-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-n_12-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-n_12-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Web page titled <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.neuberger.org/africanArtDetail.php?pid=89&catname=MASKS+AND+MASQUERADES">"HELMET MASK/Ndoli Jowei"</a> at the Newberger Museum of Art website, dated June 2, 2005, updated November 19, 2008, retrieved September 11, 2009</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-derby-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-derby_13-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20111021172706/https://www.derby.gov.uk/LeisureCulture/MuseumsGalleries/WorldtreasureMendeMask.htm">Mende Mask</a>, Treasures of Derby, Derby.gov.uk (cached), accessed July 2011</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-14">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/sowei_mask.aspx">"Sowei Mask: Spirit of Sierra Leone"</a>. The British Museum<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">27 April</span> 2013</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Sowei+Mask%3A+Spirit+of+Sierra+Leone&rft.pub=The+British+Museum&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.britishmuseum.org%2Fwhats_on%2Fexhibitions%2Fsowei_mask.aspx&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMende+people" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPerani_and_Smith1998" class="citation book cs1">Perani and Smith, Judith and Fred (1998). <i>The Visual Arts of Africa: Gender, Power, and Life Cycle Rituals</i>. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. p. 92. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-13-442328-3" title="Special:BookSources/0-13-442328-3"><bdi>0-13-442328-3</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Visual+Arts+of+Africa%3A+Gender%2C+Power%2C+and+Life+Cycle+Rituals&rft.place=Upper+Saddle+River%2C+New+Jersey&rft.pages=92&rft.pub=Prentice-Hall%2C+Inc.&rft.date=1998&rft.isbn=0-13-442328-3&rft.aulast=Perani+and+Smith&rft.aufirst=Judith+and+Fred&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMende+people" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-16">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Konrad_Tuchscherer" title="Konrad Tuchscherer">Konrad Tuchscherer</a>, African Script and Scripture: The History of the Kikakui (Mende) Writing System for Bible Translations," African Languages and Cultures, 8, 2 (1995), pp. 169–188. <<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1771691">https://www.jstor.org/stable/1771691</a>></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-17">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071214153102/http://www.sierra-leone.org/heroes7.html">"Sierra Leone Heroes"</a>. <i>Sierra Leone</i>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.sierra-leone.org/heroes7.html">the original</a> on 2007-12-14<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">20 July</span> 2023</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Sierra+Leone&rft.atitle=Sierra+Leone+Heroes&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sierra-leone.org%2Fheroes7.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMende+people" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-18">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Unseth, Peter. 2011. Invention of Scripts in West Africa for Ethnic Revitalization. In <i>The Success-Failure Continuum in Language and Ethnic Identity Efforts</i>, ed. by Joshua A. Fishman and Ofelia García, pp. 23–32. New York: Oxford University Press.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-19">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFEversonTuchscherer2012" class="citation web cs1">Everson, Michael; Tuchscherer, Konrad (2012-01-24). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2012/12023-n4167-mende.pdf">"N4167: Revised proposal for encoding the Mende script in the SMP of the UCS"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. Working Group Document, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=N4167%3A+Revised+proposal+for+encoding+the+Mende+script+in+the+SMP+of+the+UCS&rft.pub=Working+Group+Document%2C+ISO%2FIEC+JTC1%2FSC2%2FWG2&rft.date=2012-01-24&rft.aulast=Everson&rft.aufirst=Michael&rft.au=Tuchscherer%2C+Konrad&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.unicode.org%2FL2%2FL2012%2F12023-n4167-mende.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMende+people" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-20">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090425111540/http://www.news.sl/drwebsite/publish/article_200511934.shtml">"Applauding SLPP's John O. Benjamin: Sierra Leone News"</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.news.sl/drwebsite/publish/article_200511934.shtml">the original</a> on 2009-04-25<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2009-10-28</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Applauding+SLPP%27s+John+O.+Benjamin%3A+Sierra+Leone+News&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.news.sl%2Fdrwebsite%2Fpublish%2Farticle_200511934.shtml&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMende+people" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-MacCormack_1974-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-MacCormack_1974_21-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-MacCormack_1974_21-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-MacCormack_1974_21-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMacCormack1974" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Madam_Yoko:_Ruler_of_the_Kpa_Mende_Confederacy&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Madam Yoko: Ruler of the Kpa Mende Confederacy (page does not exist)">MacCormack, Carol P.</a> (1974). Michele Z. Rosaldo and Louise Lamphere (ed.). <span class="id-lock-registration" title="Free registration required"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/womanculturesoci00rosarich"><i>Woman, culture, and society</i></a></span> (Reprint. ed.). Stanford, Calif.: Stanford Univ. Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8047-0850-9" title="Special:BookSources/0-8047-0850-9"><bdi>0-8047-0850-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Woman%2C+culture%2C+and+society&rft.place=Stanford%2C+Calif.&rft.edition=Reprint.&rft.pub=Stanford+Univ.+Press&rft.date=1974&rft.isbn=0-8047-0850-9&rft.aulast=MacCormack&rft.aufirst=Carol+P.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fwomanculturesoci00rosarich&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMende+people" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Day_1988-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Day_1988_22-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Day_1988_22-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDay1988" class="citation book cs1">Day, Lynda Rose (1988). <i>The Female Chiefs of the Mende, 1885–1977: Tracing the Evolution of an Indigenous Political Institution</i>. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Wisconsin-Madison.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Female+Chiefs+of+the+Mende%2C+1885%E2%80%931977%3A+Tracing+the+Evolution+of+an+Indigenous+Political+Institution&rft.pub=Ph.D.+dissertation%2C+University+of+Wisconsin-Madison&rft.date=1988&rft.aulast=Day&rft.aufirst=Lynda+Rose&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMende+people" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-23">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20170912073545/http://www.rscsl.org/Other-Cases.html">"Sam Bockarie"</a>. <i>www.rscsl.org</i>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.rscsl.org/Other-Cases.html">the original</a> on 2017-09-12<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2022-05-10</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.rscsl.org&rft.atitle=Sam+Bockarie&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rscsl.org%2FOther-Cases.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMende+people" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-auto-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-auto_24-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-auto_24-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7035190.stm">"Jail for S Leone self-defence duo"</a> <i>BBC News</i> 9 October 2007.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-25">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFVanguard2009" class="citation web cs1">Vanguard, The Patriotic (2009-07-21). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.thepatrioticvanguard.com/34-years-after-the-execution-of-mohamed-sorie-fornah-and-14-others">"34 years after the execution of Mohamed Sorie Fornah and 14 others"</a>. <i>The Patriotic Vanguard</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2018-07-13</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=The+Patriotic+Vanguard&rft.atitle=34+years+after+the+execution+of+Mohamed+Sorie+Fornah+and+14+others&rft.date=2009-07-21&rft.aulast=Vanguard&rft.aufirst=The+Patriotic&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thepatrioticvanguard.com%2F34-years-after-the-execution-of-mohamed-sorie-fornah-and-14-others&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMende+people" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-apnews-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-apnews_26-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.apnews.com/984b27b0479c90a4cb47a13106ad8120">"Former Vice President Convicted Of Treason, Sentenced To Death"</a>. <i>AP News</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2018-07-09</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=AP+News&rft.atitle=Former+Vice+President+Convicted+Of+Treason%2C+Sentenced+To+Death&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apnews.com%2F984b27b0479c90a4cb47a13106ad8120&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMende+people" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-27">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/sierra_leone_trial/cases/norman.html">"Sierra Leone trial cases"</a>. <i>www.americanradioworks.publicradio.org</i>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.americanradioworks.publicradio.org&rft.atitle=Sierra+Leone+trial+cases&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Famericanradioworks.publicradio.org%2Ffeatures%2Fsierra_leone_trial%2Fcases%2Fnorman.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AMende+people" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Gbao1-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Gbao1_28-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7910841.stm">S Leone trio guilty of war crimes</a> BBC New, 25 February 2009</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Gbao2-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Gbao2_29-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.sierraexpressmedia.com/archives/1987">Appeals Chamber Upholds Sentences for Convicted Revolutionary United Front Leaders</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20111004091729/http://www.sierraexpressmedia.com/archives/1987">Archived</a> October 4, 2011, at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> Sierra Express Media, October 26, 2009</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Mende_people&action=edit&section=28" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Commons-logo.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/12px-Commons-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/18px-Commons-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/24px-Commons-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="1376" /></a></span> Media related to <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Mende_people" class="extiw" title="commons:Category:Mende people">Mende people</a> at Wikimedia Commons</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.neuberger.org/africanArtDetail.php?pid=89&catname=MASKS+AND+MASQUERADES">Pictures and detailed description of a <i>Ndoli Jowei</i> Mende mask</a> at the Neuberger Museum of Art</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://hdl.handle.net/1887/24890"><i>Among the Mende in Sierra Leone. The letters from Sjoerd Hofstra (1934–36)</i>. Leiden, African Studies Centre, 2014 (Open Access) </a></li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:" · 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Liberia">Ethnic groups in Liberia</a></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bassa_people_(Liberia)" title="Bassa people (Liberia)">Bassa</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Americo-Liberian_people" title="Americo-Liberian people">Congo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gbandi_people" title="Gbandi people">Gbandi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gio_people" class="mw-redirect" title="Gio people">Gio</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gola_people" title="Gola people">Gola</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Grebo_people" title="Grebo people">Grebo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jabo_people" title="Jabo people">Jabo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kissi_people" title="Kissi people">Kissi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kpelle_people" title="Kpelle people">Kpelle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Krahn_people" title="Krahn people">Krahn</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kru_people" title="Kru people">Kru</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Loma_people" title="Loma people">Loma</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mano_people" title="Mano people">Mano</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Mende</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vai_people" title="Vai people">Vai</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Ethnic_groups_in_Sierra_Leone" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Ethnic_groups_in_Sierra_Leone" title="Template:Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Ethnic_groups_in_Sierra_Leone" title="Template talk:Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Ethnic_groups_in_Sierra_Leone" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Ethnic_groups_in_Sierra_Leone" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Ethnic_groups_in_Sierra_Leone" title="Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone">Ethnic groups in Sierra Leone</a></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Fula_people_of_Sierra_Leone" title="Fula people of Sierra Leone">Fula</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kissi_people" title="Kissi people">Kissi</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kono_people" title="Kono people">Kono</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sierra_Leone_Creole_people" title="Sierra Leone Creole people">Krio</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kru_people" title="Kru people">Kru</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kuranko_people" title="Kuranko people">Kuranko</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Limba_people_(Sierra_Leone)" title="Limba people (Sierra Leone)">Limba</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Loko_people" title="Loko people">Loko</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mandingo_people_of_Sierra_Leone" title="Mandingo people of Sierra Leone">Mandingo</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Mende</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oku_people" class="mw-redirect" title="Oku people">Oku</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sherbro_people" title="Sherbro people">Sherbro</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Susu_people" title="Susu people">Susu</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Temne_people" title="Temne people">Temne</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vai_people" title="Vai people">Vai</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yalunka_people" title="Yalunka people">Yalunka</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Mandé_peoples" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Mand%C3%A9_peoples" title="Template:Mandé peoples"><abbr title="View this 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class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bobo_people" title="Bobo people">Bobo people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kpee_language" title="Kpee language">Kpee people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Samo_language_(Burkina)" title="Samo language (Burkina)">Samo people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sembla_language" title="Sembla language">Seenku people</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Ivory_Coast" title="Ivory Coast">Ivory Coast</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Beng_language" title="Beng language">Beng people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gagu_language" class="mw-redirect" title="Gagu language">Gban people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dan_people" title="Dan people">Dan people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Goo_language" title="Goo language">Goo people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Guro_language" title="Guro language">Guro people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jeri_language" title="Jeri language">Jeri people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mwan_language" title="Mwan language">Mwan people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tura_language" title="Tura language">Tura people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wan_language" title="Wan language">Wan people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yaure_language" title="Yaure language">Yaure people</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Ghana" title="Ghana">Ghana</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bissa_people" title="Bissa people">Bissa people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dyula_people" title="Dyula people">Dyula people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ligbi_language" title="Ligbi language">Ligbi people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Soninke_Wangara" title="Soninke Wangara">Wangara people</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Guinea" title="Guinea">Guinea</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Jakhanke_people" class="mw-redirect" title="Jakhanke people">Jakhanke people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kakabe_language" title="Kakabe language">Kakabe people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lele_language_(Guinea)" title="Lele language (Guinea)">Lele people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Loma_people" title="Loma people">Loma people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mixifore_language" title="Mixifore language">Mogofin people</a></li> <li><b><a href="/wiki/Susu_people" title="Susu people">Susu people</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="/wiki/Yalunka_people" title="Yalunka people">Yalunka people</a></b></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Zialo_people" title="Zialo people">Zialo people</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Liberia" title="Liberia">Liberia</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Dan_people" title="Dan people">Dan people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gbandi_people" title="Gbandi people">Gbandi people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mano_people" title="Mano people">Mano people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vai_people" title="Vai people">Vai people</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Mali" title="Mali">Mali</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><b><a href="/wiki/Bambara_people" title="Bambara people">Bambara people</a></b></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Banka_language" title="Banka language">Banka people</a></li> <li><b><a href="/wiki/Bozo_people" title="Bozo people">Bozo people</a></b></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Duun_language" title="Duun language">Duun people</a></li> <li><b><a href="/wiki/Dyula_people" title="Dyula people">Dyula people</a></b></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jowulu_language" title="Jowulu language">Jowulu people</a></li> <li><b><a href="/wiki/Mandinka_people" title="Mandinka people">Malinke people</a></b></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Soninke_people" title="Soninke people">Soninke people</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Marka_people" title="Marka people">Marka people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Soninke_Wangara" title="Soninke Wangara">Wangara people</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Nigeria" title="Nigeria">Nigeria</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Busa_language_(Mande)" title="Busa language (Mande)">Busa people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kyenga_language" title="Kyenga language">Kyenga people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shanga_language" title="Shanga language">Shangawa people</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Senegal" title="Senegal">Senegal</a>/<a href="/wiki/The_Gambia" title="The Gambia">Gambia</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><b><a href="/wiki/Mandinka_people" title="Mandinka people">Mandinka people</a></b></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Sierra_Leone" title="Sierra Leone">Sierra Leone</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Kono_people" title="Kono people">Kono people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kpelle_people" title="Kpelle people">Kpelle people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kuranko_language" title="Kuranko language">Kuranko people</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Loko_people" title="Loko people">Loko people</a></li> <li><b><a href="/wiki/Mandingo_people_of_Sierra_Leone" title="Mandingo people of Sierra Leone">Mandingo people</a></b></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Mende people</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2"><div>Ethnic groups whose languages are in the <a href="/wiki/Manding_languages" title="Manding languages">Manding</a> group of Mandé are in <b>Bold</b>.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox authority-control" aria-labelledby="Authority_control_databases_frameless&#124;text-top&#124;10px&#124;alt=Edit_this_at_Wikidata&#124;link=https&#58;//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1262400#identifiers&#124;class=noprint&#124;Edit_this_at_Wikidata" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><div id="Authority_control_databases_frameless&#124;text-top&#124;10px&#124;alt=Edit_this_at_Wikidata&#124;link=https&#58;//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1262400#identifiers&#124;class=noprint&#124;Edit_this_at_Wikidata" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Help:Authority_control" title="Help:Authority control">Authority control databases</a> <span class="mw-valign-text-top noprint" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1262400#identifiers" title="Edit this at Wikidata"><img alt="Edit this at Wikidata" 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