The Poro & Bundu society
For the historical dress system, I drew inspiration from the women's society known as 'Bundu' and the men's society called 'Poro'.They are key secret societies in West Africa, particularly in Sierra Leone and Liberia.The Sande Society focuses on the initiation and education of girls, preparing them for adulthood, marriage, and their roles within the community. In contrast, the Poro Society is for boys, teaching them about leadership, masculinity, and community responsibility. Both societies are essential for maintaining cultural traditions and ensuring that both genders are properly socialized into adulthood.They both play a vital role in societal organization and initiation practices, governing cultural education, spiritual rituals, and community leadership. Its deeply symbolic practices, including the use of masks, costumes, and dances, are central to their ceremonies and serve both spiritual and social purposes.
The Poro society incorporates unique rituals, a distinct language, and ancient Saharan-derived scripts alongside symbolic practices such as tattooing. Due to an oath of secrecy, detailed knowledge about these elements remain limited. However, aspects of the society’s written traditions, such as the Vai Script, Mende Script, and Kpelle syllabary, have become public in the 19th and 20th centuries. They often explained the origins of these scripts as something revealed to them in dreams. This wasn’t just a poetic or mystical claim, it was also a way to protect the true origins of their knowledge. By attributing the scripts to dreams, they concealed their cultural heritage from European colonizers who might exploit or suppress it. This strategy speaks volumes about their resilience and importance of preserving their traditions.
Initiates undergo rituals that include the use of spiritual objects, such as ropes made of cane beads and seeds filled with Bundu medicine worn around the body, which are believed to have protective powers.
Although the Sande and Poro societies are gendered, they are closely linked in their roles. Together, they guide the youth through their transition into adult life, with each society complementing the other in the broader cultural and spiritual framework of West African initiation rites. The use of fetishes in the Sande Society and the shared cultural significance of both societies reflect their interconnected roles in the community.
Personal findings
When learning about the Poro & Sande society and their dress systems, I found myself reflecting on how much colonial perspectives have shaped the way we view non-Western traditions. These societies are an integral part of their lives. These aren’t just performances or decorations,they’re connections to ancestors, representations of spiritual power, and tools for teaching the next generation about their identity and responsibilities. Basu, P. (2020) However, missionaries, coming from a Christian framework, labeled these practices as “devilish” simply because they didn’t align with their worldview.
The picture on the left side described using the term 'Poro Devils',” is an example of how African traditions were often dismissed or demonized by colonial powers, that leads to misrepresentation in the times that we live in.(Mossi Warrior Clan, 2020)
Researching this has made me realize how deeply embedded Eurocentric perspectives are in shaping global narratives about African traditions. The Poro society’s art, dress systems and rituals are very complex and purposeful, yet they’ve been framed as “primitive” by outsiders who didn’t try to understand them. This kind of framing doesn’t just misrepresent these practices, but erases their meaning and value.
Heritage Devaluation
Eurocentric ideologies have long devalued African traditions by associating them with negativity. These colonial misconceptions has led to fear and misunderstanding within African communities/African diaspora of today. In this video by Kofie Piesie, he discusses how these colonial-era labels persist in West African societies, and how it not skews historical narratives but also deeply shapes contemporary perceptions identity.These portrayals, embedded in education and governance systems, led to internalized biases among some Africans, causing them to undervalue their heritage (Mossi Warrior Clan, 2020)
Another clear example of heritage devaluation is the idea of fetishism, which started in the 16th and 17th centuries. European explorers and colonizers saw African religious practices involving objects thought to have special powers. These objects, like amulets or ritual tools, were called "fetishes." The term had a negative meaning and was used to describe African practices as primitive or superstitious, reinforcing cultural and racial inequality (Pietz, 1994). The word "fetish" itself comes from the Portuguese feitiço, meaning "spell," showing how Westerners viewed these practices as magical or irrational (Wikipedia contributors, 2024).
The 1st picture on the left illustrates the initiation process of the female Bundu society. The use of the term "fetishes" in this context shows how the word became a part of colonial thinking.
Over time, the idea of fetishism became a common part of colonial thinking, helping to dehumanize African people and cultures. The way African traditions were seen as mystical or demonic is similar to how African women were shown in Western art. For example, Catherine McKinley, author of The African Lookbook: A Visual History of 100 Years of African Women talks about how African women, especially in old photographs, were often shown as exotic and sexualized, turning them into symbols/objects of the "other." These images reduced the women to objects and ignored their full humanity and cultural context.Both the way African cultural practices and African women were viewed show how Eurocentric perspectives have worked to control and misrepresent African identities.
2nd picture
A postcard from the book of McKinley, C. E. (z.d.). The African Lookbook: A Visual History of 100 Years of African Women. A postcard of an African woman fetishized in colonial-era photography, objectified and reduced to stereotypes that reinforced colonial narratives.
3rd picture
A picture of Saartje Baartman, a Khoikhoi woman from South Africa, was exhibited in 19th-century Europe as the "Hottentot Venus" due to her physical features, particularly her large buttocks. She was objectified and exploited.
Cultural representation in Western media
In contemporary times, African women continue to be fetishized, Although the ways of representing them have changed. One modern example is the way certain elements of African culture, particularly body features like fuller hips and buttocks, are commercialized in global beauty standards. The popularization of "curvy" body types, especially in Western media, often links back to African features but without acknowledging the cultural and historical significance of these traits in African societies.
In recent years, celebrities like Kim Kardashian and have been celebrated for their fuller figures, which are traits that have long been part of African beauty standards. However, their bodies are often fetishized and commodified in ways that ignore the historical heaviness. While these figures may be praised, their bodies are often viewed through a lens of sexual appeal, rather than as part of a broader cultural identity. This kind of fetishization can be seen in how certain African features are embraced in fashion and entertainment.
The fetishization of African women, both historically and in modern times, reflects broader patterns of racial and gendered objectification. Whether through colonial-era exhibitions or contemporary media representations, the impact of these distorted portrayals continues to affect how African women are viewed and treated in society. Recognizing and challenging these stereotypes is crucial for promoting more authentic and respectful representations of African women.
Basu, P. (2020, 20 december). Poro Archives - Entanglements.
Mossi Warrior Clan. (2020, 1 maart). PORO SECRET SOCIETY
Liberian Helmet Masks of the Sande and Poro Societies from the Collections of the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology | SFO Museum
McKinley, C. E. (z.d.). The African Lookbook: A Visual History of 100 Years of African Women. Bloomsbury Publishing USA