Tikar people
The Tikar (also Tikari, Tikali, Tingkala, Ndop, Ndome ) are a West African ethnic group in central and western Cameroon.
In total, about 25,000 people are counted among this ethnic group. The name Tikar means " Go away from this place " and is a collective name for several in mutually separate political structures organized tribes.
You speak as a native language, the Tikar, one of the tikaroiden languages.
Settlement area
The trunks of the Tikar settle in several sub-groups in Cameroon especially in the upper reaches of the river Mbam (western foothills of the highlands of Adamawa ) and the rivers MAPE and Kim. In addition, settlements of the Tikar be scattered in the northeast of the city Foumban park of the Cameroon grasslands ( area around the city Bankim ) as well as in the area of Ngambe. Some scattered populations have settled in the areas around the city of Bamenda and in the regions of the traditional kingdoms Bafut and Bali.
Origin and History
The people of the Tikar is Coming drawn at the beginning of the 18th century from the further north-eastern area around the city Ngaoundéré in today's settlements. They were partly accompanied by groups of the Bamileke, Bamun and Ngambe. These ethnic groups are the Tikar used as immediate.
Society
The ways of life, beliefs, social and political structures of the individual subgroups of the Tikar resemble one another very much.
Usually they live - like most peoples of Central Cameroon - in hierarchically organized structures, headed by a Fon ( " chief " / "highest dignitaries ") stands. This has counselors / ministers and palace institutions, which assist it in the exercise of his office. Within the modern state structure of Cameroon and Nigeria, these traditional administrative structures have, however, only a representative task and are often regarded as "interface" between the communities and the state.
The family or clan has a great importance in the Tikar. You and the traditional power structures contribute more to social cohesion than the current, largely centralized state system. The Tikar operate traditional agriculture and hunting. Also, the fishing and trading of fishing has a meaning. More recently, the Tikar often build on coffee for export.
Their traditional musical instruments that are collectively referred to mbo, include a lamellophones twelve, V-shaped blades arranged and a rare, the MVET the neighboring fishing similar notching web zither with the name mbo loya.