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The term “Baga” is often used to describe the
many peoples who inhabit the swampy littoral
region of the Republic of Guinea between the
Bissan border to the north and Conakry to the
south despite the fact that they are composed of
many tribes, including among them the Baga, the
Landuma, and the Nalu. When viewed from the
air, it is impossible to delineate where the land
begins and the sea ends in this region so aptly
named the “Low Coast.” While this shore area
may be a paradise for mosquitoes and crabs, it
is a difficult environment for human survival.
However, the people have reclaimed polders
from the marshland and transformed them into
fertile rice fields. By their own account, the Baga
claim to have arrived in this region no more than
a few generations ago. This traditional history
conflicts with the accounts of the first
Portuguese voyagers who arrived on these
shores in the sixteenth century and recorded the
presence of “Bagoes” along the coast. More
likely, this swampy region has played host to a
variety of peoples seeking refuge from famine,
war, and political upheaval. In fact, the process
of migration continues today. For instance, the
Fulani tribe leaves the mountains to the east
between the rainy seasons and drives their
livestock down to the wetlands. Today, many of
the younger generation leave their tribal villages
behind and flock to the perceived opportunities
of the urban areas, losing sight of the traditional
customs and religious ceremonies of their
ancestors.
For six months of the year, the wetlands
inhabited by the Baga are flooded, which
effectively cuts them off from the rest of the
world. In the days before roadmaps and
highways, when people traversed the land using
trails originally forged by migrating animals,
there were few indicators of direction except for
the knowledge and instincts of the voyager. If
one became lost, or encountered an intersection
of routes, there would be little help to know
which path was the correct way to proceed.
Considering that Baga land was frequently
inundated, many trails may have been seasonal
and prone to disappearing in the flood. In order
to mediate such problems, many tribes created
decorative sculptures to act both as road signs
indicating directions as well as billboards that
advertised which tribe controlled the territory.
This gorgeous polychrome sculpture from the
Baga Tribe features four figures emerging from a
central axis. Two of the figures are male and
they have been painted red, while the other two
female figures have been colored yellow. We
might interpret this figures are path markers. For
instance, this work might have originally been
placed high upon a base in the center of an
intersection to delineate between a “red” trail and
a “yellow” path. The figures are carved in a style
typical of Baga sculpture, and the use of such
pigments is also traditionally characteristic of the
Baga tribe. If a member of a rival tribe was
wondering through the terrain and came upon
this marker, he would know that he has entered
Baga territory and to turn back. Today, these
figures no longer guide us on the correct path;
but they do still remain as symbols of the Baga
tribe and the beauty and refinement of their art.
- (X.1011)
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