My Root, My Identity

When we speak of ancestral inheritance, our minds go straight to those interesting and valuable things that our ancestors left behind for us to inherit.

It is of essence that we too pass these things to our future generations and this aim could be achieved by constant practice of these traditions. By constant practice, we know and understand our roots. By doing this we continue to keep our way of life alive. Another thing ancestral inheritance does is foster connectivity. We feel connected to people who share these inheritance with us.

In addition to the already mentioned, another thing this inheritance helps us with is having an identity. I remember teaching pupils last term on"Traditional head wears" as cultural heritage. These inheritance from our ancestors give us a sense of identity, it is a symbol and signature that tells others who we are and helps us navigate life and embrace our roots with pride.

Ancestral inheritance is a treasure that we should carry on to our future generations as far as we want to maintain who we are and be known with that. Being connected to our roots carries with it cultural, biological and financial inheritances passed down from generations. As a proud Igbo girl, Igbo is one of the ethnic groups in Nigeria and coming from this tribe has shaped my existence.

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Writing about cultural inheritance, in Igbo land, there are so many cultural inheritance passed down to us by our ancestors. There are lots of festivals and ceremonies that open us to enjoy our roots and pride ourselves. Yam, fish and masquerade festivals; during these ceremonies, we have the opportunity to harvest our agricultural produce and set out a day to recognize and respect the heritage we have inherited. These traditional celebrations come with lots of High Life music, cultural dances, and plenty of traditional dishes like Nsala soup, Ofe Ede, Oha soup with eba.

In the aspect of finance, igbos are generally known to be resourceful in whatever we engage ourselves in. Hard work is our core value. The historical lives of our ancestors were characterized by nothing but striving hard to maintain a high level of financial stability. The strong working ethic and sense of perseverance is one ancestral inheritance I inherited from my forefathers.

My biological inheritance as a Nigerian is the rich genetic traits. From my tone and way of speaking, it is easy for anyone to tell my ethnic group. Passing down this fosters a sense of connectivity and community. By embracing my cultural, financial and biological heritage, it gives me an insight into my lineage and a wide understanding of my roots.

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