Summary and Objectives

In this lesson students explore the use of egungun masks in rituals devoted to honoring ancestors, as practiced by Yoruba peoples from Nigeria and Benin. They discuss family rituals that celebrate their own ancestors, construct special dress ensembles to honor them, employ poetry as a way to memorialize loved ones, and discuss contrasts between cultures, as inspired by the experiences of Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka. Students will

• Consider traditions of respect and honor for elder relatives and ancestors and compare these to practices of the Yoruba peoples of Nigeria.
• Explore egungun masquerades of the Yoruba peoples of West Africa and its diasporas through discussion, artmaking activities, and creative writing.
• Use the writing of Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka to reflect on the challenges of growing up in two cultures.