I continued to follow up research from my peer interviews by looking at the symbolism of tribal scarring used in African countries. One article that I found on the Huffington Post talked about the last generation of scarring in Africa: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/scarification_n_5850882
From the article, it was apparent that many people who had once felt pride of their facial scars, now feel ashamed and were jeered at by people in the cities.
Photographer Joana Choumali's series 'Haabre, The Last Generation' is a photographic series of portraits which are featured alongside the interview, where each person photographed describes their experiences with their facial scars. One person, Ms K.Djeneba, Ko tribe from Burkina Faso, said that the scars are now considered ugly when they were once seen as fashionable, whereas now people shout out names such as 'Torn face' at those wearing facial scars. Another person, Mr Mien Guemi, from Ouro Bono in Burkina Faso stated that "When you didn't have them, your friends would laugh at you, and put you aside." At one point the scars would determine your popularity, and where you come from. Guemi goes on to describe that the scars acted as an identity, "No need for an ID card, I already wear my identity on my face. This is the reason why people did it; to recognise each other. But now, this is over. We can no more be recognised." From this, Choumali raises the question- How does something become the cause of shame, after being so normal?
However, I found that not all people who wear facial scars today are ashamed. One man in the interview, Mr Lawal E. stated that he is proud of his scars because he is considered royalty in the village that he comes from. "The King has the same scars. I am part of the royal family in my village. It is here in town that I am 'nobody'..." For some people the scars represent a high social status. Recognition of this in their home town or village is enough to bring them pride.
I continued my research by looking at the historical symbolism for facial scarification. What I found reinforced the fact that scars were used for identity- telling a person's rank in society, family, clan, tribe and their beauty and strength. It was most definitely considered a mark of pride rather than shame, and can be seen on various pieces of African art. Some of the Yoruba royalty busts from the British museum were decorated with these scars. The more scars there were represented the artist's skill and a person's ability to withstand pain. In west Africa, facial scarification was used to represent ethnic groups, families and also individuals, as well as expressing a person's beauty.
Most importantly and related to my project, I found that during slavery, families used scarring as a method of identifying a person from a tribe, incase they were ever freed. These were permanent signatures of their heritage. When I think about the many markings on the Jumbie's face, I consider how this could represent a lost identity, and that this acts as an eerie and sad reminder of a lost life and heritage. This also resonates with me, as I know that many of my ancestors from the Caribbean are descendants of slaves from Africa, and at the same time I don't know what countries they are from or what tribes they are from. In a way I see this as a lost piece of identity.
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