The Northwest Province of Cameroon is full of cultural and ethnic diversity. Several hundred language groups have been identified in Cameroon, and many of these are found on the grassfields of the Northwest Province. The main road connecting all the main villages and townships is known as 'Ring Road' after its circular shape. From Bamenda, the provincial capital, a well-paved highway connects the province with Bafoussam, Yaoundé (the country capital), and Douala (Cameroon's main commercial centre, on the Atlantic coast).

For the purpose of this study I will be examining and comparing several cultures found on the grassfields. Most in-depth will be my analysis of the Bangolan and Bali people found in Ndop and Bali respectively. Pre colonial and post colonial information indicates that there was a sharp difference between the Anglophone grassfields, an area with complex and hierarchic chiefdoms, and the Francophone centre, most of whose peoples lived in much less centralized, segmentary, lineage based societies. To this day the traditional differences combined with the colonial language separation of these two groups causes a great deal of tension.

The Grassfield chiefdoms range from small village chiefdoms to expansive conquest states, such as the Nso'. These chiefdoms may be ethnically and linguistically different but the share many common aspects. For example the centrality of chieftancy, the importance of men's secret societies and an emphasis on title and rank as significant political attributes.

Ecologically the grassfields are essentially a high lava plateau surrounded by lower plains and valleys broken by volcanic peaks. Climatic conditions are diverse, ranging from temperate crop areas to tropical zones. Altitude on the grassfields range from a low of about 500 metres on the Donga Plain along the border of Nigeria to the north, to a high of 1400-1700 metres on the high plateaus around Bamenda and Nso'. The plateaus are traversed by mountains with steep slopes, often cut by deep valleys. Temperature and rainfall vary widely, mostly an effect of altitude. The high plateau receives and average annual rainfall of over 3000 millimetres, while lower regions receive between 100-2500 millimetres. Average temperatures around Bamenda range from 66°F to a mean minimum of 51°F. The damp cold nights during the rainy season can chill even those of us used to Northern near arctic climates. Lower lying areas are much hotter with an average temperature range from 95.5°F to 72°F. There is generally a six or seven month rainy season from April to October, a dry, cool season from October to December and a hot dry season from January to March. Bamenda lies in the fertile crescent extending from Bamenda northeast to Nkambe and south to Bafoussam on the neighbouring Ouest Province. This region is targeted by the national government as the breadbasket for the growing urban centres.
In grassfields chiefdoms in general the fon is the centre of a complex political system. He is the king, and seen as the "father of his people" and is a symbol for their unity and success. The fon is viewed as possessing sacred attributes necessary for this office. There is a great deal of mysticism and ritual surrounding the secret palace societies. Although he is king, there are a number of checks and balances to control the absolute power of these rulers. These secret societies and military associations in combination with the fon's primary councillors and various lineage heads, provide the balance on his traditional power.

The pictures shown are images of the Grassfields. The first two are of the town Bamenda, the capital of the Northwest Province. You can see the large waterfall in the fist picture, and a suburban area in the second.

The third picture is a woodcarving of a fon and his attendants. The fon is seated on his throne and is smoking his pipe while his attendant fills the pipe, one brings his wine in a calabash and two stand at attention.

The last picture is of a beaded fon's throne with two symbolic attendants in ever watchful positions behind him.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

    All photographs copyright Dr. D. Lyons, 2000. All rights reserved.
 
 
 

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Some taken from:
Goheen, Miriam. 1996. Men Own the Fields, Women own the Crops: Gender and Power in the Cameroon Grassfields. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press.