10/01/2022
Ajamatawu...
Jola the aboriginal founders of the Senegambian region.
The jola ethnic group is among the ethnic groups who have been a longest residents in the Senegambian region. The jolas for centuries continue to hold there ancestral African belief about the secretness of the earth and divine energy found in certain rocks and tress. They express their religion in songs and dances in shrines as well as Bakins(Jalang in Mandinka and wollof). The jola have concept of one God which they refers to as Atamit Aluke (meaning God the supreme being)
However, it is very sad to note that many people did know how long the jola culture exist in the Senegambian region, but now confirmed by both oral and written history that they are the longest residents in the Gambia and among the indigenous founders of the Senegambian region. The jolas the developed a concept of accepting of another culture but not acceptance to change there own culture, there one of the few ethnic group who manage keep its culture intact.
Moreover, the manjakos called the jola as bachuke ,and bachuke means first so to them it means that the jolas are the first people they found in the region the manjakos who also were among the first settlers in the region.
Meanwhile, the jolas are largely found in the great numbers in the southern part of the river Gambia, southern part of Senegal(Cassamance) and northern part of Guinea Bissau,the jola society is not hierarchical in nature meaning they did not have social class institution of there own,such as the nobles, artisans and slaves unlike the mandinkas and wollofs.
Meanwhile, there community way of settlement were based on extended family who are large enough to be given independence and names of there own such as the:
Jola casa,
Jola Buluf
Jola Elenkin
Jola karon
Jola kabrouse
Jola mloph
Jola Easil
Jola caginol
Jola jamat
Jola Brin
Jola kawataye
Jola jiwat
Jola Bukut
Jola foni
Jola Rammeh
Jola yutu
Jola Bayut
Author
By:Modou Lamin Y Colley
Historian.
