Kapsiki (Ka-Tsepkye) is a people living on both sides of the border between North

Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...

and Northeast

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

. They are called Kapsiki in Cameroon, and Kamwe (Higi) in Nigeria. Together they amount to about 120,000 people. Their language, Psekiye or Kamwe, consists of eleven dialects including Nkafa, Sina, Ghye, Humsi, Dakwa and Tilli and belongs to the Chadic language family. In Cameroon, the Kapsiki live on a plateau in the

Far North Province The Far North Region, also known as the Extreme North Region (from ), is the northernmost and most populous constituent province of Cameroon, the Republic of Cameroon. It borders the North Region (Cameroon), North Region to the south, Chad to ...

in the center of the

Mandara Mountains The Mandara Mountains are a volcanic range extending about 190 km (about 120 mi) along the northern part of the Cameroon–Nigeria border, from the Benue River in the south () to the north-west of Maroua in the north (). The highest ...

. They are considered one of Cameroon's

Kirdi The Kirdi () are the many cultures and ethnic groups who inhabit northwestern Cameroon and northeastern Nigeria. The term was applied to various ethnic groups who refused to convert to Islam after Islamic conquests of the region and was a pe ...

(''

pagan Paganism (, later 'civilian') is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...

'') ethnic groups due to their resistance to

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

isation during the

Fulani The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people are an ethnic group in Sahara, Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. Inhabiting many countries, they live mainly in West Africa and northern parts of Central Africa, South Sudan, Darfur, ...

jihad of

Modibo Adama Adama ɓii Ardo Hassana (1786 – 1847), more commonly known as Modibbo Adama (''Modibbo'' meaning "learned man"), was a Fulani scholar from the Yillaga (Yirlaɓe) clan. He led a jihad into the region of Fombina (in modern-day Cameroon and Niger ...

and Hama Yaji. In Nigeria, the Kamwe live on the slopes of the mountains and the western plain. The Kapsiki have been living in this area for five centuries, long before the great slave hunts of the 19th century, but by this isolated habitat they have been able to maintain themselves against the

Fulbe The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people are an ethnic group in Sahara, Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. Inhabiting many countries, they live mainly in West Africa and northern parts of Central Africa, South Sudan, Darfur, ...

. This also applies to the other peoples of Mandara region, such as the Mafa,

Mofu Mofu is a designation for various ethnic groups and languages they speak in northern Cameroon, near the border with Nigeria. The Mofu groups live in the Mandara Mountains of Cameroon's Far North Province. Some of these groups accept the name "Mof ...

, Podoko Guisiga, or Daba. The mountain region has a kaleidoscope of local cultures. The Kapsiki live in villages of 2000-6000 people, and subsist on livestock farming, agriculture and - in the village of Rumsiki in particular - on tourism. The Malima Project has been helping Kapsiki populations in Cameroon with educational projects aimed at primary schooling. The Malima Project has created a documentary and organized events to promote its educational activities in the area. Volcanic outcroppings in kapsiki country.jpg, Volcanic peaks in the Kapsiki region Kapsiki woman on hill.jpg, A woman outside Rhumsiki, 2004. The women during the year festival in Mogode. Kapsiki.jpg, Kapsiki women at the yearly festival A crab divination pot in Kapsiki.jpg, Crab divination by the Kapsiki Just initiated boys in Rumsu, Kapsiki.jpg, Just initiated boys in Rumsu, Kapsiki, 1995.

References

; Bibliography: * DeLancey, Mark W., and Mark Dike DeLancey (2000): ''Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Cameroon'' (3rd ed.). Lanham, Maryland: The Scarecrow Press. * Van Beek, Walter E.A. (2012): ''The Dancing Dead. Ritual and Religion among the Kapsiki/Higi of North Cameroon and Northeast Nigeria'', Oxford University Press. * Van Beek, Walter E.A. (2013): ''Crab divination among the Kapsiki/Higi of North Cameroon and northeastern Nigeria' in ''Reviewing reality : dynamics of African divination'' Walter E.A. van Beek & Philip M. Peek, eds. Berlijn: LIT Verlag, p. 185-209. * Kwache, Iliya Yame (2016): Kamwe People of Northern Nigeria: Origin, History and Culture. Prudent Universal Press and Publishing Company Ltd Kaduna Nigeria;

References

Further reading