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Heavy responsibilities for elder aunt among the Logooli

With Seenge Fonesi. She is the elder grand daughter of Isagi and elder daughter of Amugasya. She is often present in functions involving the family of Amugasya. Pic taken on 18/4/2024. The elder sister soon becomes the elder aunt. It is this “seenge munene” (elder aunt) tag that she is tied to many cultural responsibilities – back home. To her marital family she may appear as any other woman, but she is not so in the eyes of her people. Marriage does not steal her away as it would happen with other daughters of the old man. To her, as days go and the old man and woman of the estate are dependents, she becomes increasingly present.  Her brothers also need her for almost all traditional markings. They are marrying, she needs to welcome the new wife. They are giving birth, she needs to come to midwife or “bless” the new born. They are paying dowry she needs to lead the women delegate. There is a conflict she needs to come for a hearing.  And many others. Traditions does not expect her to
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The Oral Genealogy Search is good, less...

- : You are doing a good job Bro

However, the approach to your fact finding might not yield reliable results

Any research should have basic clear objectives and should be anchored in some sound methodology

One or two quick observations based on the updates I see on the wall
1. You need to triangulate data points. In all African cultures age sets and second names played a key role in oral genealogy.  Match people's full or second names against age sets and try as much as possible to record full age sets based on rights of passage.
2. Migration is a key aspect of tracing genealogy. If you are given names of 3 brothers, follow where they migrated to and use this data to validate what you are told. Reverse migration stories too can be valuable.
3. Leadership and kingship. Mwami winyu yari vwaha? If people are confused about who ruled at a certain point in time you'll need a secondary framework for validation. A good case in point is already existing literature captured say in the 60's and 70's
4. Lastly I think by writing on paper you're losing a lot of information being said by your interviewees and if you lose your note book you lose everything. Before buying a motorcycle, buy a clear audio recorder and a means of backing up your recording. This way you can replay your recording and extract better information.

Otherwise you're on a good path and a chat with the likes of Prof Imbwana can lead you along a more productive path

Blessed day

-:  Thank you for the insight. 

Before this, I shared the questionnaire here. Did you have a look? 

The main objective of the Search is to draw Saniaga Family trees. Mother, Father, children all up the ages that can be remembered. Sometimes the stories. Cause stories are many - and overwhelming. But I collect the stories equally. 

Age sets won't help much in this case as asking one elder how he would call another and the another how he would call another. Baba, mwana, amwavo. 

Whatever the other elders know about vaSaniaga could be just as vaSaniaga know other clans. And questions of mother's clan opens up there. There are respondents who keep it honest and I have a tongue of inquiry. Where a Saniaga 'hides' info, sooner than later, because several are approached, it is known. And none is blamed. There is freedom of expression. You therefore got to keep it Saniaga. There is no enough passion for multi-approach.

The paper is reliable. Very. Because it is already structured. Unlike audio work that will give me another task in listening and filling. I got good listening skills and memory. I not only write on blog part of the stories but I also have a diary to reflect it all. Or it is insecure too? And to add, there is my phone, equally good in taping. 

Also, the field is virgin. Anyone can explore to the satisfaction of their intellect. 

A good camera is needed, a good audio if need be... And the motorcycle. But who will provide? After how long a begging? The idea is to use the limited resources, banking on passion and in the end get over it and move on. 

-: Age sets are circumcision ones, e.g. hybrid or imu ndahi. There is idisi,  i.e. when Vihiga became a district- having been hived off from Kakamega. There is lyambuka - children circumcised in the new millennium. In short, Maragoli age sets are historical, cultural, political etc. On short, include the questions: Wakevwa muhiga ki? Likula lyenyu lialangwa ndi? Ndoveraku avandu vamwakevwa navo nu wanyala kuvanyola.

All in all, you are doing a great job. Keep it up!

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