Ékpè ‘leopard’ society in Africa and the Americas: influence and values of an ancient tradition

Abstract

The Ékpè (‘leopard’) society represents an ancient African institution that had provided the supreme functions of governance in the communal societies of the forest regions of the Cross-River basin and the hilly terrain to the east. With the colonial intervention in the late nineteenth century, the emergence of modern individualism and western political systems has tended to ignore the important roles which Ékpè played in the past, leading in some cases to its condemnation as a primitive institution that should be forgotten in light of monotheism. This essay discusses the origins of Ékpè, its symbolism, its values, its gender dynamics, its dispersal within Africa and the Americas, with the intent to demonstrate its relevance to contemporary community relations in all regions where Ékpè tradition has been sustained, such as Cameroon, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria and, most recently, the USA.

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