Papel people

Papels, also called Moium, Oium, Papei, Pepel or Pelels,[1] are an ethnic group established in Casamance (Senegal), Guinea Bissau and Guinea. Its population in Guinea Bissau is 115,000 (7%), according to the 2012 estimate. They traditionally engaged in hunting and agriculture.

Papel

Photo of Nahés (Papel) by Serra. 1962.
Total population
115,000 people in Bissau Guinea (2012 estimates)
Regions with significant populations
Casamance (Senegal), Guinea Bissau (traditionally in Biombo Region) and Guinea
Languages
Papel, French, Portuguese
Religion
Christianity, (usually Roman Catholics), but also practice the Animist
Related ethnic groups
Mankagnes and Manjack

Demography

Mantampa Fight of two Papel men (60s).

The Papel people live traditionally around the city of Bissau, in the Biombo Region. They are linguistically and culturally close to mankagnes and Manjack or Manjacas. They are traditionally farmers. So, they have one of the most suitable land for rice cultivation. Like the Manjacks, their names are Portuguese because of the Portuguese occupation of the country from the late 15th century until 1973. Surnames characteristic of this ethnic group are: Pereira, Lopes, Vieira, Correia, Monteiro, Ca, etc.

Their language is the Papel, which is one of the Niger–Congo languages.[2] The estimated number of speakers was 136,000 in Guinea Bissau in 2006.[3]

Religion

Most Papel are Christians,[4] usually Catholic,[2] but also Animists. Ancestor worship is an important part of this culture, like in most of the African nations. For example, after a burial ceremony honoring "Toka Chur", held from a few months to several years after the actual funeral, has social prestige.[4]

Notable people

• Whoopi Goldberg, comedian, actress, talk show host. Results of a DNA test, revealed in the 2006 PBS documentary African American Lives, traced part of her ancestry to the Papel and Bayote people of modern-day Guinea-Bissau. Her admixture test indicates that she is of 92 percent sub-Saharan African origin and of 8 percent European origin.[5]

References

1. "Papel (peuple d'Afrique)". data.bnf.fr. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
2. "Les Pepels (ou Papels)". www.guinee-bissau.net (in French). Retrieved October 20, 2012.
3. "World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Guinea-Bissau". Minority Rights Group International. 2007. Retrieved 2020-05-15 – via Refworld.
4. Maria Clara Saraiva: Rituais Funerários entre os Papéis da Guiné-Bissau (Parte II) in: Soronda No.8
5. Lei, Hsien Hsien (February 10, 2007). "Whoopi Goldberg's DNA Hails from W. Africa". Genetics and Health. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved May 17, 2008.

Further reading

• Einarsdóttir, Jónína (2004). Tired of Weeping: Mother Love, Child Death, and Poverty in Guinea-Bissau. University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 978-0299201340.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)