Terngu S . Nomishan
Terngu Sylvanus Nomishan holds Bachelor's and master's degrees in Archaeology, from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria-Nigeria. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Archaeology and Tourism at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Terngu also holds a certificate in Open and Distance Education from the UNESCO, as well as a certificate in World Heritage from The Open University, United Kingdom. Another one in Tourism Management at UNESCO World Heritage Sites, anchored by the France Université Numérique, and the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France. He is a lecturer in the Department of Archaeology and Museum Studies, Federal University Lokoja, Nigeria. His research areas include Cultural Anthropology, Ethnoarchaeology, Cultural Heritage Studies, Critical heritage, Museum Studies, Indigenous Knowledge System, Cultural Resource Management (CRM), Cultural Tourism, and African Studies. He has published quality articles and book chapters in both local and international renowned journals and books. His latest book “Heritage, Memory, and Identity: New Perspectives on the Swem, an African Traditional Justice System” has gained wide acceptance evident in its translation into five foreign languages (German, Italian, French, Spain, and Portuguese). Terngu is an Inaugural Council Member of the Pan-African Scientific Research Council, Princeton University, USA, and an Associate Fellow of the African Academics Network. He is a member of the UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab. He serves as an Editorial Assistant for the Nigerian Journal of Archaeology (NJA), published by the Archaeological Association of Nigeria (AAN), and Editorial Secretary of the Journal of Nigeria Transport History (JNTH), published by the Nigeria Transport History Association. Terngu aspires to create frameworks that integrate cultural heritage and tourism as tools for peacebuilding and economic growth, particularly in areas affected by conflict. He envisions a society where cultural heritage is not only preserved but also actively utilised to address contemporary social and economic challenges.
Supervisors: Professor Emeke E. Okonkwo, Professor Z. A. Gundu, Professor J.D. Ndera, and Professor J.O. Aleru.
Address: Abuja, Nigeria
Supervisors: Professor Emeke E. Okonkwo, Professor Z. A. Gundu, Professor J.D. Ndera, and Professor J.O. Aleru.
Address: Abuja, Nigeria
less
Related Authors
InterestsView All (16)
Uploads
Papers by Terngu S . Nomishan
archaeology and heritage can contribute to the prevention and control of the present COVID-19 pandemic and similar others in the present and future. Therefore, the government and other agencies funding research pertaining to the discovery of the ways through which pandemics can be treated, controlled and prevented, need also to explore the option of
archaeology and heritage studies, so as to trace the root causes of pandemic diseases. This will lead to the discovery of traditional means of treating, controlling, and preventing pandemic outbreaks. This underscores the argument that almost everything that exists in the present day has some historical antecedence.
archaeology and heritage can contribute to the prevention and control of the present COVID-19 pandemic and similar others in the present and future. Therefore, the government and other agencies funding research pertaining to the discovery of the ways through which pandemics can be treated, controlled and prevented, need also to explore the option of
archaeology and heritage studies, so as to trace the root causes of pandemic diseases. This will lead to the discovery of traditional means of treating, controlling, and preventing pandemic outbreaks. This underscores the argument that almost everything that exists in the present day has some historical antecedence.
State, Nigeria”. The research is aimed at attempting a reconstruction of the past ways of life of the people who settled on Kpe hill by investigating Kpe hilltop settlement site. Thus, the research paid specific attention to the collection of oral traditions of the Usambe people, collection of archaeological data on Kpe hill, and consultation of relevant literatures. Thus, work on the sites revealed cultural material remains which include potsherd, lower grinding stones, granary foundations, house foundations, defensive wall, and a water cistern. The research revealed important cultural achievements of the past Tiv people as seen in the artefacts on the hill. The occupation of this site is rooted in the initial migration of the Tiv people from Swem to their present location.
The 2014 field school took place in two areas which include old Turunku and new Turunku respectively. The old Turunku hosted the students in group A and the new Turunku hosted students in group B as was divided by departmental academic management.
Both the old and the new Turunku are bordering communities which have the same origin and historical background to some extend. There are all found in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State Nigeria.
The 2014 field school took place in two areas which include old Turunku and new Turunku respectively. The old Turunku hosted the students in group A and the new Turunku hosted students in group B as was divided by departmental academic management.
Both the old and the new Turunku are bordering communities which have the same origin and historical background to some extend. There are all found in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State Nigeria.
Keywords: Ethnoarchaeological investigation, Cultural materials, Heritage destruction, South-eastern Tivland, Preliminary report.
Generally refers to as the “Swem Oath”, it is an intangible cultural heritage that manifests tangibly into a small earthen pot. It promotes justice, fairness and truthfulness, as well as a uniting force for all the Tiv people. This cultural tradition also reprimands all the Tiv people who indulge in unacceptable acts in the society. The oral traditions of the Tiv note that the Tiv believes in the help of God (Aôndo), who is the same worshipped
by the Jewish people, and also the same God that the Israelites worship.
This is the basis for the argument that the Tiv call their God “Aôndo u abaver jua” which means “the God of Circumcision”. They acknowledge this God as their own divine being who communicates to them from the firmament using signs and symbols. With this acknowledgement, the Tiv culture stresses fairness and truthfulness. Believing in a mythology that demands an individual within the Tiv to serve as their representative;
elevated to speak on behalf of all the Tiv people, while always maintaining truthfulness. According to Paul Unongo,1 in the early days, there were dire consequences which also included death, if persons chosen to serve in this capacity violated the requirements for the position.
The Swem Oath therefore, took its place as a traditional deity in support of this elevated position, since mere humans were always faced with the challenge of maintaining absolute truth. Thus, the Swem Oath stands between liars and truth sayers, reprimanding all evildoers in Tivland with a death penalty.
Consequently, the oath influences fairness, truthfulness, equity/equality, unity and peaceful coexistence among the Tiv people. Therefore, individuals who indulge in evil activities and are suspected are compelled by the community elders to take the Swem Oath. And if found guilty, are therefore compelled by the Swem to pay severely with their lives. This causes their stomach to swell, while the legs and arms become thinner, and their headrests awkwardly on a thin neck, leading to their uncontrollable death.
This tradition promotes an emphasis on rethinking the enduring effect of the injustice meted out on Karagbe by his kinsmen from Nôngov extraction. Underscoring its status as the pivotal moment in the formation of an African Traditional Justice System among the Tiv people. The Swem emblem is therefore, used as an authority through which the council of elders settles serious religious and social problems effectively.
However, following European contact with the Tiv people, especially the advent of Christian missionaries in Tivland, there was a serious attack on the methods, principles and applications of the Swem Oath. There was a religious propagation that the Swem traditional oath-taking was a fetish and uncivilised cultural practice. The colonial masters also added to this attack by implementing policies that made it difficult for the Tiv to practice the tradition. This therefore, made many Tiv people to begin disassociating with the Swem Oath practice. Allegiance to the authority of the traditional oath was also reduced drastically. This continued throughout the colonial era, but was however restored after the Tiv nation regained its independence from colonial rule. The traditional institution and community elders brought back the authority of the Swem oath in deciding knotty issues in Tivland.
Although the Swem Oath is today administered by elders in almost all communities in Tivland, it has continued to suffer total acceptability among many Tiv sons and daughters because of several factors. These factors include radical Christian messages discouraging allegiance to the traditional oath, and the forces of westernization and modernization, which have made many Tiv people to largely neglect their traditional and cultural ways of living. This has thus made it necessary and urgent for scholars in academic disciplines such as heritage studies, archaeology and historical studies to work hard towards educating the Tiv public about the significance of this cultural tradition, in order to prevent its total annihilation.
This book is therefore, a concise response to this scholarship demand. It is of great value to researchers, academics, students and a host of other individuals who desire knowledge of this unique African Traditional Justice System in particular and the Tiv cultural history in general.