The Concept of Cousinhood

Fulani communities such as HaalPulaar of Senegal, have instituted a unique custom and code of conduct called dendiraagal, to govern not only the relationship between the members of the family and of the society but also between members of the community and other ethnic groups. The dendiraagal or cousinhood, is a tool to express a friendly and fun relationship and to induce a fun and non-threatening interaction between people. It aims at establishing a closer relationship between individuals at three different levels:the first or close level, the median level and the extended level. The first level concerns particularly the link between the respective descendants of a brother or a sister. In this society the term cousin is applicable to the children of ones mother's brothers or father's sisters. The children of ones mother's sisters and father's brothers are called brother and sister, not cousin in Pulaar. This first level is limited only to the family or clan. In reality two particular kinds of privileged kinship emerge from the definition of the cousinhood in Fulani Society. On the other hand, these privileged relations concern a person and his mother's brother and, on the other hand, the relation concerns a person and his father's sister. The respective descendants of one's uncle and one's aunt are called, collectively "dendiraave" or cousins. The second or median level, concerns the relationship of cousinhood that exists between groups within a society of the Fulani through the patronymic of the individuals. People who are not biologically related, but who stand in the relationship of dendiragal because of their last names or clans : between clans, such as between the Sih family and the Njaay family, or between Bah and Dialo for example. See Table of Dendirabhe below.These relationships are known as Poking fun or joking relationships. That is, whenever cousins see one another, they tease or joke with each other. This kind of familiar behavior may go on even between two strangers who discover that they are cousin. In the relationship of dendiraagal, there is a concept of sharing and that of a leader and follower, but always in good and friendly humor. Table of Dendirabhe Last Name Cousin Bah Diallo Sih Njaay Jallow Bah Njaay Sih Kan Bah Joop Jeng Cultural Cousinage Finally, at the third, extended level, dendiraagal reaches the trans-societal level, and deals with other cultural groups. It fosters a sense of good neighbor relation that the Fulani and their neighboring communities maintain. Fulani People has shown a great sense of cooperation and friendship with the all other groups they have settled with or whose land their vast herd cross during transhumance periods. The concept of cousinhood is extended to them as well.This has done well to avoid conflict in the regions they inhabit, and to foster an harmonious relationship and peaceful cohabitation with the others ethnic groups for centuries. The relationship between Fulve and Maouri in Niger and that between Halpuular-en and the Serer are some of the shining examples of the extended cousinhood. Links to Fulani Cousins and Neighbors Serer (Senegal) Jola (Senegal) Wolof (senegal) Maouri (Niger) Gobirawa (Niger) Kanuri (Niger) Wangarawa (Niger) Bambara (Mali) Dogon (Mali) Hausa (Nigeria) Manlinke (Guinea) Soussou (Guinea) Ewe (Togo) Mina (Togo) Kabre(Togo) Djerma (Niger) Arabs (Chad) Gorane(Chad) Fon (Benin) Adja(Benin) Yoruba (Nigeria) Baya (Central Afrique) Mandjia (Central Afrique) Gurunsi (Burkina) Senufo(Burkina) Lobi(Burkina) Bobo(Burkina) Akan (Cote D'Ivoire) Mandinka (Gambia) Sarakhule (Gambia) Akan (Ghana) Moshi-Dagomba(Ghana) Ga(Ghana) Ewe(Ghana) Balanta ( Guinee Bissau) Manjaca( Guinee Bissau) Mandinga( Guinee Bissau) Mande (Mali) Songhai(Mali) Tuareg(Mali) Moors (Mauritania) Harateen(Mauritania) Arabs (Sudan) For more information click le following link: http://www.uiowa.edu/~africart/toc/people.html