The Bedick, or Bedik, are a minority

ethnic group An ethnicity or ethnic group is a group of people with shared attributes, which they collectively believe to have, and long-term endogamy. Ethnicities share attributes like language, culture, common sets of ancestry, traditions, society, re ...

of Africa. They live in villages in the most isolated area of eastern

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

, in the

Arrondissement of Bandafassi Bandafassi is a town in south-eastern Senegal about from Dakar near the borders with Mali and Guinea. It constitutes about half of the territory of the Arrondissement of Bandafassi of the Kédougou Department, eastern Senegal,

.BANDAFASSI DSS, SENEGAL
is one of their settlements. The Bedick speak the

Bedik language Bedik (Budik, endonym ''Ménik, Onik''), also ''Banda'', is a Senegambian language of Senegal and Guinea spoken by traditional hunter-gatherers. Other names include Bande, Basari du Bandemba, Bedik, Budik, Manik, Münik, Onik, Tandanke, Tenda, Te ...

br>
and their religion is a syncretism, blend between their

animist Animism (from meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, human handiwork, and in ...

roots and a more recent

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

influence. More connected with

Guinea Conakry Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...

Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...

than with Senegal, Bedick people have contact with other ethnic groups like Bassari and Serer. Their ancestors are the families Keita and Camera that came from Mali because of the War led by Alpha Yaye coming from Fouta Djalon.

Gallery

Bedik ceramic pots in storage area, Southeast Sénégal (West Africa) (4232333462).jpg, Bedick ceramic pots in storage. Bedik hairstyling, Iwol, southeast Senegal (431680801).jpg, Bedick hairstyling in Iwol. Bedik hairstyling, Iwol, southeast Senegal (West Africa) (989178952).jpg, Bedick hairstyling in Iwol. Bedik Houses and large clay pots, Iwol, Southeast Sénégal (West Africa) (431681034).jpg, Bedick houses in Iwol. Bedik village of Iwol, Southeast Sénégal (462983188).jpg, Image of Iwol. Bedik village Southeast Sénégal (West Africa) (4231572359).jpg, Bedick village. Bedik Woman, Iwol, Sénégal (West Africa) 1982 (2545056327).jpg, Bedick woman, Iwol. Offerkipsenegal.jpg, Bedick diviner sacrifices a chicken. BedikDiviner.jpg, Bedick diviner predicting outcomes by examining the organs of a sacrificed chicken. BedikStatues.jpg, Bedick statue from village of Ibel. BedikVillage.jpg, Bedick village. BedikWoman.jpg, Bedick woman at Iwol. Large clay pot for brewing alcoholic beverage in the Bedik village of Iwol in southeastern Senegal (West Africa) (536275763).jpg, Large clay pot for brewing alcoholic beverage at Iwol. SEN Village Chief Theodore.jpg, "Village chief of Boula Téné, Theodore Mada Keita, holds up the fonio grain

Digitaria exilis ''Digitaria exilis'', referred to as findi or fundi in areas of Africa, such as The Gambia, with English common names white fonio, fonio millet, and hungry rice or acha rice, is a grass species. It is the most important of a diverse group of wil ...

that helps feed his family in southern Senegal. Boula Tene is a Bedik village of 200 in the southeast of Senegal, Tambacounda region. Trees near a Bedik village, southeast Sénégal (west Africa) (2734407024).jpg, Trees at the edge of a Bedick village.

References

Ethnic groups in Senegal {{Senegal-stub