The Temne of Sierra Leone

Much of the research and study of the formation of Sierra Leone focuses almost exclusively on the role of the so-called Creoles, or descendants of ex-slaves from Europe, North America, Jamaica, and Africa living in the colony. In this book, Joseph J. Bangura cuts through this typical narrative surrounding the making of the British colony, and instead offers a fresh look at the role of the often overlooked indigenous Temne-speakers. Bangura explores, however, the socio-economic formation, establishment, and evolution of Freetown, from the perspective of different Temne-speaking groups, including market women, religious figures, and community leaders and the complex relationships developed in the process. Examining key issues, such as the politics of belonging, African agency, and the creation of national identities, Bangura offers an account of Sierra Leone that sheds new perspectives on the social history of the colony.

• Offers readers a new, alternate perspective of the development of the Sierra Leone colony in West Africa, shifting focusing on the role of non-Creole ethnic groups in the country
• Challenges current literature by shifting focus on the foundation of Sierra Leone from a western-centric perspective to the contributions of rural intellectuals, ethnonationalists and Islamic elites
• Examines contemporary concepts of identity politics, class and tribal conflicts in multi-ethnic African societies through a colonial and postcolonial lens