Abstract
Paper Prepared for Presentation at the 19 th Annual Africa Conference Organized by the Department of History, University of Texas at Austin. Theme: Identities. March 29- 31, 2019. Abstract An enduring legacy of the Trans Atlantic slave trade in Atani and most other communities along the banks of River Niger in Igbo land was the institution of domestic slavery which is presently a defining feature of these communities. Principally nurtured by different forms of discrimination, the institution of domestic slavery has created a sort of identity crisis in these communities. The profound socio-cultural and political impact of the identity crisis has hindered peace and development in Atani community. This paper is concerned with understanding the identity crisis arising from the institution of domestic slavery and its impact on peace and community development in Atani. The paper argues that identity crisis created through the institution of domestic slavery has continued to undermine peace in Atani. We adopted post-structural approach as a theoretical model. A combination of the documentary method and interviews was used to generate data for this study. Data collected were analyzed using qualitative descriptive analysis. The paper therefore recommended that ending the prevailing ephemeral peace in Atani requires that governments at all levels, community stakeholders and the traditional rulers should discuss and adopt strategies directed towards abolishing socio-cultural and traditional practices that are detrimental to peace and development in Atani . Keywords: Domestic Slavery, Identity, Crisis, Peace-Building. DOI: 10.7176/JCSD/56-07 Publication date: February 29 th 2020
Highlights
Atani is one of the fifteen indigenous communities in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State and the headquarters of the Local government Area
The people moved from Ugwu Aza to Ojii and later Abo and to the present site situated along the banks of the river Niger
In her discussion of the role of Igbo women in economic transformation in southeastern Nigeria between 1900- 1960, Chukwu (2005,p.56) observed that ‘ Atani and Ossomari successful female traders could with the consent of their husbands purchase male slaves to accompany them in their trading trips up and down the River Niger
Summary
It is arising from the status system in Igbo land whereby some persons are of slave descent (ohu) and others are free – born (nwadiani) that we can locate the institution of domestic slavery. The connection between domestic slavery and the identity crisis in Atani community is inherently located in the fact that the institution has affected the socio political and cultural context of life in Atani because of the different forms of discriminations perpetrated against the people of slave descent.
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