Kota (ethnic group, Gabon)
The Kota (also Bakota or Koto ) are an ethnic group mainly from Gabon . The Kota populate the northeast of Gabon up to the border of the Republic of the Congo . In Gabon, the Kota are among the largest ethnic groups in the state. Their language is kota .
history
The original settlement area of the Kota lies far to the northeast of what is today, possibly near Sudan . The migration began in the 18th century and took place in several waves. The Kota preferred to avoid the enemy instead of engaging in a military conflict. In the 1870s, Europeans met them in what is now the settlement area. On their way south a part went to the west where they developed into the independent Benga ethnic group . The Kota themselves took on different ethnic groups.
Christian missionaries converted many kota in the early 20th century . Many cult objects that were related to the old religion were lost in the process.
economy
The Kota farm and use slash and burn and crop rotation . Plantain and cassava are the main products; the most important agricultural tool is the hoe .
Political system
Each settlement is led by a leader who goes back to the founding family of the settlement and thus justifies the claim to leadership. He is a political and spiritual leader and judge at the same time .
religion
The traditional religion of the Kota is an ancestral cult . Ancestors are supposed to influence life from the beyond . Bones of these former leaders are kept in baskets as relics . Wooden sculptures , some covered with copper and brass , were attached to these baskets. The function of these sculptures is unclear: one explanation is that it is an abstract depiction of the deceased, the other explanation is that the figure is supposed to guard the spirit of the deceased from evil. Since the bones are sacred to the deceased, but not the figure, the Kota had little hesitation in selling the figures to art dealers .
