Indigenous Cultural Diplomacy of Tattoo and its Significance to Kirika (Nkoro) Women’s Oboko Dance.

Abstract

Kirika (Nkoro) is an ethnic nationality that values her cultures, custom and traditions. The tattoo culture amongst Kirika (Nkoro) women has been practiced sustained and preserved from one generation to the other. The tattoo (Buruma) is a cultural inscription that is displayed in young maiden performing “Oboko” dance. It is a traditional rite that mandated every young maiden into womanhood. Tattoo is significant in Oboko culture because every tattoo inscription displayed on the young maiden performing the Oboko initiation ceremony has a traditional explanation to what is expected of the young maiden in marriage and family life. It is on these backgrounds that, this paper desired to evaluate the indigenous diplomatic significance of the tattoo culture to Kirika (Nkoro) women. The paper therefore adopted primary and secondary sources in the reconstruction of this work. The paper establishes that the tattoo culture is diplomatically important to the Oboko culture following it distinguished Kirika (Nkoro) women in the society. Secondly, the paper exposes how the tattoo culture traditionally prepares the Kirika (Nkoro) woman in marriage, integrate them into acceptable behavoural code of conduct as wives and prospective mothers. The paper concludes by acknowledging the changes facing the conduct of tattoo cultural practice amongst Kirika (Nkoro) people and its potential damage on the marital lives of the Kirika (Nkoro) people. The paper recommending that there is a need for the revisit of the ancient cultural landmark by the Kirika (Nkoro) women so as to return the women back on track in issues of marriage and family life.