Imihanamukuru
Imihanamukuru, (Estmerish: Elder Villages) are a social phenomenon observed among the Kisina peoples of the Ingona coast and Hutte river area, in the modern Côte d'Or department of Mabifia which are believed to have emerged in response to slave raids during the Transvehemens slave trade. Imihanamukuru are small villages solely inhabited by older men and women, which are maintained by late-night deliveries of food and other resources from the main villages. Unlike major Kisina settlements, which tend to be located inland and in hard to access locations, Imihanakuru are often located near the shore in order to ensure they have access to easy supplies of food. The practice has been explored by a number of anthropologists since the start of the 20th century and is held to be one of the most graphic illustrations of societal shifts in resonse to external threats.
History
According to Kisina oral history, the Kisina people once lived at the water's edge, before a young hunter named Umusukanyi made a deal with the Ibihumuruka. Through this deal, he gained great strength at arms and was able to become Mwami of his people, but from then on the Ibihumuruka would prey on his people's young. The people therefore threw him out and fled into the forest, leaving only the elders who could not bear to be away from the water. Though the date of this event is not known, it has been associated with reports of a "Roi Muscane", who is attested as a trading partner in the diary of Michel Masson. Many attribute the Ibihumuruka, whose name literally translates to "ghosts who rise up from the water", as being symbolic representations of the slave trade.
It is known that between the years of 1630 and 1670, the area around the Hutte river (named for the Hennish-Gaullican slaver Laurent d'Hutte) was renowned as a major area of slave exportation, and that this situation reportedly changed overnight. Contemporary sources reported that "It is like the entire river has been swallowed up. When we come to a village, only the old and infirm remain, and when we question them they unanimously reply 'we do not know'." Though the Kisina villages were still accessable, and there are reports of raids from after this time, it is clear that other sources of slaves came to predominate. The Kisina therefore maintained their freedom, but at the cost of economic opportunity.
Following independence, the Mabifian Democratic Republic worked to dismantle the Imihanamukuru and integrate populations together for economic efficiency. Very few Imihanamukuru survive to the modern day, though the important coastal town of Portdevieux is named for the custom.
Legacy
The tradition had a major impact upon the social fabric of Kisina communities. Where initially, the reins of social power had been constrained to the oldest members of society, the balance of power now shifted towards a younger demographic. Women in particular gained status, as the men were in higher demand to slavers and therefore spent less time outside of the village. Trade became a female-dominated profession in Kisina lands, with women past menustration seen as being less valuable slaves and were therefore more free to travel from village to village.