Ethnic Krahn women from Nimba area in Ivory Coast in their traditional dress. Krahn people are related Krahn-speaking ethnic group that forms a subset of the larger Kru ethnolinguistic group living in Liberia and Cote dIvoire. The Krahn people are sometimes referred to as the Wee, Guéré, Sapo, or Wobe. It is believed that Western contact with the Kru language is the primary reason for the development of these different names. The name Krahn is usually referred to the Krahn people living in Liberia whilst the name Guere is referred to Krahn people living in Ivory Coast. There are over 360,000 Krahn people scattered in Ivory Coast and Liberia with over 290,000 living in Ivory Coast alone. In Ivory Coast, the Krahn or Guere people lives in the coastal area sharing four major Rivers: the Cestos, Sanquine, Sino and Cavalla. KRAHN (GUERE) PEOPLE: THE POWERFUL AGRO-FISHERY KRU ETHNIC SUB-GROUP LIVING IN LIBERIA AND IVORY COAST The Krahn in Liberia were originally hunters, farmers, and fishermen, traditionally focusing on rice and cassava production. The land in this region has faced developmental setbacks and as a result, many of the younger Krahn generations have migrated to areas such as Monrovia. The Wee in Côte dIvoire, also traditionally became hunters, farmers, and fishermen, but they tended to focus more heavily on crops such as “rice, yams, taro, manioc, maize, and bananas.” Like the Krahn in Liberia, the Wee traditions of hunting and farming have faced some difficulties, and in more recent years many have instead begun laboring in diamond camps and on rubber plantations. Language
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 19:37:22 +0000