Mbakara is a word in the Annang, Efik, and Ibibio languages used to refer to people from the Western world (Waddell, 1891). Rather than being seen as a normative category, it describes the relationship between Africans on the West African coast of Calabar and their European trading counterparts.
The term Mbakara has been interpreted by various writers as a shortened form of the phrase "Mbaka nkara" in Annang and Ibibio, which means "divide and rule." In those cultures, Westerners became associated with colonialism.
History
- Mbakara was the highest grade of Abon, a masquerade representing the spirit of the dead among the Efik of the Cross River Basin in Nigeria.
- It was introduced by Asibong Ekondo in the 15th century.
- Only individuals deemed fully qualified could attain this position, making it highly exclusive.
- Europeans were legally exempt from being accosted by Abon or Ekpe, but the title "Mbakara" eventually entered popular usage, signifying power, influence, and authority.
- Slaves taken from the region carried the term with them and used it to refer to white Europeans as Mbakara.
- In the Caribbean and the Deep South of the United States, the term evolved to:
- Bacra
- Buckra
- Buckaroo
These were used to describe a white master, slave hunter, or someone in a position of authority.
Doubtful Accuracy
- The account was recorded by Hope Masterson Waddell, a British missionary and writer, during the colonial era.
- His interpretation may reflect racial bias or misunderstanding of local customs.
- The association of Mbakara with Abon, the spirit of death, could possibly be an insider’s joke played by locals on unaware Europeans.
- No corroborating evidence from later reports confirms the colonial-era interpretation of Mbakara as a formal title or religious role.
References
- Waddell, Hope Masterson (1891). Twenty-nine Years in the West Indies and Central Africa.
- Reprinted: London: Frank Cass; reprint of 1863 ed., London: T. Nelson.
Further Reading
- Waddell, Hope Masterson (1891). Twenty-nine Years in the West Indies and Central Africa.