Kpelle people

Kpelle

A Kpelle girl from Liberia, May 1968.
Total population
c. 2 million
Regions with significant populations
Liberia	1,058,448 (20.3%)
Guinea	1,004,475 (7.8%)
Ivory Coast	30,000
Languages
Kpelle, French, English
Religion
Christianity, Traditional, Islam
Related ethnic groups
Mende people, Kissi people, Loma people, Mano people, Vai people, Kono people, Gbandi people

The Kpelle people (also known as the Guerze, Kpwesi, Kpessi, Sprd, Mpessi, Berlu, Gbelle, Bere, Gizima, or Buni) are the largest ethnic group in Liberia. They are located primarily in an area of central Liberia, extending into Guinea. They speak the Kpelle language, which belongs to the Mande language family.

Despite their yearly heavy rainfalls and rough land, Kpelle survive mostly on their staple crop of rice. Traditionally organized under several paramount chiefs who serve as mediators for the public, preserve order and settle disputes, the Kpelle are arguably the most rural and conservative of the major ethnic groups in Liberia.

The Kpelle people are also referred to as Gberese, Gbese, Gbeze, Gerse, Gerze, Kpelli, Kpese, Kpwele, Ngere, and Nguere.

History

The Kpelle or Guerze lived in North Sudan during the sixteenth-century, before fleeing to other parts of Northwest Africa into what is now Mali. Their flight was due to internal conflicts between the tribes from the crumbling Sudanic empire. Some migrated to Liberia, Mauritania, and Chad. They still maintained their traditional and cultural heritage despite their migration. A handful are still of Kpelle origen in North Sudan.

Kpelle are also located in Mali and maintain their heritage.

The Kpelle also used to trade with the Muslim Vai and Mandingo who live in small numbers in the country and reside nearby. The Kpelle trade with Lebanese merchants, U.S. missionaries and Peace Corps volunteers.

There were 3 days of ethno-religious fighting in Nzerekore in July 2013. Fighting between ethnic Kpelle, who are Christian or animist, and ethnic Konianke, who are Muslims and close to the larger Mandinka ethnic group, left at least 54 dead. The dead included people who were killed with machetes and others who were burned alive. The violence ended after the Guinea military imposed a curfew, and President Conde made a televised appeal for calm.

Location

The Kpelle are the largest ethnic group of the West African nation of Liberia and are also an important ethnic group also in southern Guinea (where they are also known as Guerze) and north western Ivory Coast. Most Kpelle inhabit Bong County, Bomi County, Gbarpolu County, and Lofa County. They are major food suppliers of the capital cities.

The terrain in the area includes swamps, hills and, in lowland areas, rivers. May through October brings their rainy season with an annual rainfall from 180 to 300 centimeters. The Kpelle territory sees the lowest temperatures dropping to 19 °C with the average temp around 36-degree C.

It is supplemented by cassava, vegetables, and fruits; cash crops include rice, peanuts, sugarcane, and nuts they also enjoy fufu and soup, sometimes the soup is spicy but it depends on the way they want it. Soup may be eaten as an appetizer or in conjunction to the main dish.

Culture

Traditionally, the Kpelle have been farmers with rice as the main crop. The word Kpelle is often used as an adjective to refer to someone as hard working and very humble people in Liberia and Guinea.

Traditionally, a Kpelle family consists of a man, his wives and his children. The household has been the usual farming unit, and all the family members participate in daily farming work. Young children learn how to farm and help the older family members with farm activities.

In their social structure, leadership was very crucial. Every Kpelle tribe used to have a chief who oversaw their own interests as well as the interests of the society. These chiefs were recognized by the national government. They used to act as mediators between the government and their own tribes. Each town also had its own chief. The chiefs act as liaisons for different groups in the society. Anthropologists such as Caroline Bledsoe have characterized Kpelle social organization as one premised on wealth in people.

Their flight was due to internal conflicts between the tribes from the crumbling Sudanic empire.

Kpelle wood made structure

Kpelle surnames

1. Balamou
2. Balomou
3. Bamamou
4. Bénémou
5. Bimou
6. Blélamou
7. Blémou
8. Boamou
9. Bohamou
10. Bolamou
11. Boolamou
12. Bolomou
13. Bonamou
14. Bréhémou
15. Decamou
16. Delamou
17. Diémou
18. Doualamou
19. Dounamou
20. Douolamou
21. Douonamou
22. Dramou
23. Faghamou
24. Fanghamou
25. Fanhamou
26. Félémou
27. Gamamou
28. Gbalémou
29. Gbamou
30. Gbanamou
31. Gbanmou
32. Gbémou
33. Gbilémou
34. Gbilimou
35. Gegbelémou
36. Gnabalamou
37. Gnanawéamou
38. Gnékoyamou
39. Gamou
40. Gomou
41. Gonomou
42. Goromou
43. Gouamou
44. Goumou
45. Gromou
46. Guémou
47. Habalamou
48. Hagbalamou
49. Hamoutéamou
50. Haomou
51. Haoulomou
52. Hébélamou
53. Hébélemou
54. Hélémou
55. Honomou
56. Iromou
57. Kanimou
58. Kanmou
59. Kolamou 
60. Kolomou
61. Konomou
62. Korémou
63. Koulémou
64. Kpamou
65. Kpanamou
66. Kpoghomou
67. Kpoghonamou
68. Kpogmou
69. Kpohomou
70. Kpokomou
71. Kponhonamou
72. Kpoulémou
73. Kpoulomou
74. Kpowolamou
75. Kpowolomou
76. Kpowomou
77. Lamou
78. Loholamou
79. Lolamou
80. Loramou
81. Louamou
82. Loulémou
83. Lowolamou
84. Mahomou
85. Malamou
86. Malémou
87. Malomou
88. Manamou
89. Manémou
90. Manimou 
91. Maomou
92. Maouomou
93. Minamou
94. Malmou
95. Molmou
96. Molomou
97. Moloumou
98. Monémou
99. Mulbah
100. Nanamou
101. Ninamou
102. Nonamou
103. Nonémou
104. Noramou
105. Nyambalamou (Niambalamou)
106. Ognémou
107. Olamou
108. Olémou
109. Onikoyamou
110. Oualamou
111. Ouamounou
112. Ouélamou
113. Ouémou
114. Ouiémou
115. Pilicemou
116. Pkogomou
117. Plégnémou
118. Pricémou
119. Sangbalamou
120. Sangbaramou
121. Saoromou
122. Saoulomou
123. Saouromou
124. Saromou
125. Sonomou
126. Soomou
127. Soromou
128. Souomou
129. Tohonamou
130. Tonamou
131. Wolamou
132. Yarawéyamou
133. Yeamou
134. Zagaimou
135. Zébélamou
136. Zégbélemou
137. Zogbélémou
138. Zomou
139. Zotamou
140. Zouémou
141. Zoutomou
142. Zowotamou

Notable Kpelle people

• Félix Balamou, Guinean basketball player
• Moussa Dadis Camara, former Guinean military officer
• Ousmane Doré, Guinean politician
• Daniel Goumou, Guinean footballer
• Boniface Haba, Guinean footballer
• Paul Haba, Guinean sprinter
• Édouard Nyankoye Lamah, Guinean politician
• Jean Kolipé Lamah, former Minister of Justice of Guinea
• Remy Lamah, current Minister of Health and Public Hygiene of Guinea
• Gnanga Loramou, Guinean musician
• Alexandre Cécé Loua, Guinean diplomat
• Isabelle Kolkol Loua, Guinean producer and director
• Joseph Loua, Guinean sprinter
• Sény Malomou, Guinean musician
• Siba Nolamou, former Minister of Justice of Guinea
• Claude Pivi, former Guinean military officer
• Paul Pogba, French footballer
• Mathias Pogba, Guinean footballer
• Florentin Pogba, Guinean footballer
• Charles Fassou Sagno, Guinean politician
• Jean-Baptiste Zébélamou, Guinean writer
• Maurice Togba Zogbélémou, former Minister of Justice of Guinea
• Ilaix Moriba
• Pepe Koulemou, Former Senator, Lawyer

Oprah Winfrey, American show host and philanthropist, is of Kpelle descent through her matrilineal line.

See also

• Culture of Liberia

References

• "Out of Africa -- but From Which Tribe? DNA Tests of Blacks Promise Ancestry Answers, but Report Adds to Critics' Doubts". The Washington Post. 19 October 2006. Retrieved 30 July 2022.