Gwa as they name themselves, are better known under M’batto appellation in their country. They are a minority group, living in a small piece of land in Southd-East region of Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa.Their land is situated, at about fifty kilometers from Abidjan the capital. Its frontiers are: in North : Attié and agni lands of Alépé prefecture. In South and East Abouré and N’zima lands of Grand-bassam prefecture. In West their borders are Ebrié1 from Bingerville prefecture. Their eleven villages are bordered by Comoé River between Alépé and Bassam, and by Potou laguna also called ebrié laguna nearby bingerville. Villages along Potou laguna are lived by the lablon, the eldest group whom capital is the village of Dabré.The youngest group of Dom’lon lives along the Comoé river and its capital Domolon adjoining to Dabré. In these two villages founded by ancestors, take place all Gwa’s cultural and political events. By their customs,Gwa‘s people belongs to the great Achan group, as their neigbours borders cited.These Achan, according oral sources of their differents people would originars of a land localized in the present Ghana at the East of Côte d’ivoire, where the group is the main people. In Côte d’Ivoire, Achan live in the Center, the East (border achan)and South-east (laguna Achan).
One characteristic of this group, is the ‘’matrilignage’’ practice. Children in these cultures belong to their mother’s tribe and inherit her brothers.This practice is justified by Gwa and all Achan2 (with some litte differences between the groups) by a legend.
Following a tribal quarel, some people decide to leave original land and went away and they set of pursuit of those stayed home. The runaways came before a great river and have no means to cross it.Sootsayers said to the chief who asked for their aid, that the river spirit wanted a child, to autorize him and his people to cross it.The chief wanted to sacrify his baby, but his wife gave adamant refusal.The chief’ sister gave his boy to sacrify to the river, so everyone could pass.Once all people on the other side of the water, the chief ordered that since this day nephewes may inherit their uncles. This ‘’decree’’ was agreed by everyone and maintened untill our days.
Unlike others achan, those of laguna whom Gwa, have political system based on ‘’age classes’’ . Country administration is made by entire gnerations, in turn. If Gwa‘s people as all laguna Achan have fastly left their traditional religion, and economy, they surprise by their traditional political system who directs nor their social life. They go on initiating their youngs to war strategies, and observe power transmission rites throught, what is called in Côte d’Ivire ‘’fêtes de générations’’ generations feasts.: Ofuwa for growing generations; Fakwé for the ancients. Gwa‘s people have been one of the first people to be colonised and christianized, because of their geographic position.Their last village situated at less than twenty kilometers from the see and the place where the first missionaries disembarqued. Originaly, fishers, they have soon left their nots, and keynets to adopt industrial cultivation as coffee , cocoa, palmtree and recently rubber-tree. Gwa people language called n’glwa looks like Ebrié language and a little the Attié’s one .It has many words coming from Agni or Ashanti, others Achan groups. We show in a map the Gwa earth in the Achan Land in Cote d’Ivoire.
One characteristic of this group, is the ‘’matrilignage’’ practice. Children in these cultures belong to their mother’s tribe and inherit her brothers.This practice is justified by Gwa and all Achan2 (with some litte differences between the groups) by a legend.
Following a tribal quarel, some people decide to leave original land and went away and they set of pursuit of those stayed home. The runaways came before a great river and have no means to cross it.Sootsayers said to the chief who asked for their aid, that the river spirit wanted a child, to autorize him and his people to cross it.The chief wanted to sacrify his baby, but his wife gave adamant refusal.The chief’ sister gave his boy to sacrify to the river, so everyone could pass.Once all people on the other side of the water, the chief ordered that since this day nephewes may inherit their uncles. This ‘’decree’’ was agreed by everyone and maintened untill our days.
Unlike others achan, those of laguna whom Gwa, have political system based on ‘’age classes’’ . Country administration is made by entire gnerations, in turn. If Gwa‘s people as all laguna Achan have fastly left their traditional religion, and economy, they surprise by their traditional political system who directs nor their social life. They go on initiating their youngs to war strategies, and observe power transmission rites throught, what is called in Côte d’Ivire ‘’fêtes de générations’’ generations feasts.: Ofuwa for growing generations; Fakwé for the ancients. Gwa‘s people have been one of the first people to be colonised and christianized, because of their geographic position.Their last village situated at less than twenty kilometers from the see and the place where the first missionaries disembarqued. Originaly, fishers, they have soon left their nots, and keynets to adopt industrial cultivation as coffee , cocoa, palmtree and recently rubber-tree. Gwa people language called n’glwa looks like Ebrié language and a little the Attié’s one .It has many words coming from Agni or Ashanti, others Achan groups. We show in a map the Gwa earth in the Achan Land in Cote d’Ivoire.
