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BOIS ET FORÊTS DES TROPIQUES, 2011, N° 310 (4)
FORÊTS SACRÉES / LE POINT SUR… 43
The role of secret societies
in the conservation
of sacred forests in Sierra Leone
1
Aurora Martín Martín
Pablo Martínez de Anguita2
1
Juan Vicente Pérez
3
Joseph Lanzana
1 Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
Department of chemical and
environmental technology
Tulipán street, 28933 Móstoles
Madrid
Spain
2 Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
Spain and Oxford centre for tropical
forests
Martin School, Oxford University
United Kingdom
3 University of Makeni
Makeni
Sierra Leone
Photograph 1.
The entrance of a sacred forest in Makeni.
Photograph J. V. Pérez.
44 BOIS ET FORÊTS DES TROPIQUES, 2011, N° 310 (4)
FOCUS / SACRED FORESTS A. Martín Martín,
P. Martínez de Anguita,
J. Vicente Pérez, J. Lanzana
RÉSUMÉ ABSTRACT RESUMEN
LE RÔLE DES SOCIÉTÉS SECRÈTES THE ROLE OF SECRET SOCIETIES EL PAPEL DE LAS SOCIEDADES SECRETAS
DANS LA CONSERVATION DES FORÊTS IN THE CONSERVATION OF SACRED EN LA CONSERVACIÓN DE LOS BOSQUES
SACRÉES EN SIERRA LEONE FORESTS IN SIERRA LEONE SAGRADOS DE SIERRA LEONA
Les forêts sacrées de Sierra Leone n’ont Sacred forests hold the last remaining Los bosques sagrados son los últimos
pratiquement pas fait l’objet d’études primary forest in many parts of Sierra fragmentos de bosques primarios en
scientifiques malgré le fait qu’elles Leone, but they have been relatively little Sierra Leona, pero prácticamente no han
constituent les derniers fragments de studied. Believed to be inhabited by spir- sido objeto de estudios científicos. Gran
forêts vierges dans diverses régions du its, they are home to the ceremonies of parte de la sociedad sierraleonesa consi-
pays. Une bonne partie de la société de secret societies. Therefore, they are usu- dera que los bosques sagrados están
Sierra Leone croit que ces forêts sont ally highly protected and very well pre- habitados por espíritus, siendo estos
habitées par des esprits et elles sont les served, but current socio-economic lugares donde las sociedades secretas
lieux choisis par les sociétés secrètes changes are a threat to their conserva- realizan sus ceremonias. Este carácter
pour leurs cérémonies. Leur caractère tion. This paper describes some of the sagrado garantiza una elevada protec-
sacré garantit ainsi une assez bonne pro- main characteristics of four sacred ción y una buena conservación de estos
tection et une certaine conservation à ce forests studied in the northern Bombali hábitats. La presente investigación está
genre d’habitat. Cet article porte sur district and examines the links between basada en el estudio de cuatro bosques
l’étude de quatre forêts sacrées dans le their conservation and the protection sagrados en el distrito de Bombali y
district de Bombali et a trait au lien entre offered by secret societies. Socio-cul- aborda la relación existente entre su con-
la conservation des forêts sacrées et le tural, ecological and botanical research servación y el papel de las sociedades
rôle que les sociétés secrètes jouent methods were combined in order to secretas en su protección. Los bosques
dans leur préservation. Les forêts ont été understand these sacred groves and to se estudiaron desde una perspectiva
étudiées sous l’angle socioculturel, éco- suggest improvements for their conser- sociocultural, ecológica y botánica con el
logique et botanique, afin de mieux com- vation and management. fin de comprender mejor su carácter
prendre leur caractère sacré et de pouvoir sagrado y proponer estrategias futuras
proposer des stratégies devant assurer Keywords: sacred forest, secret society, para su conservación y mantenimiento.
leur future conservation. payment for ecosystem services, biodi-
versity conservation and management, Palabras clave: bosque sagrado, socie-
Mots-clés : bois sacré, société secrète, Sierra Leone. dad secreta, pago por servicio ambiental,
paiement pour service environnemental, gestión y conservación de la biodiversi-
aménagement et conservation de la bio- dad, Sierra Leona.
diversité, Sierra Leone.
BOIS ET FORÊTS DES TROPIQUES, 2011, N° 310 (4)
FORÊTS SACRÉES / LE POINT SUR… 45
Introduction
war (Malone, 2008). As villages need more land for agricul-
Sacred sites are recognized by indigenous and tradi- ture to fund the social changes, sacred forests are compet-
tional peoples as places of particular cultural, historical, ing against agricultural expansion. Simultaneously, changes
spiritual and religious significance, or as sites established in traditions of rural society diminish the importance of
by institutionalized religions and faiths as places for wor- sacred and threaten the motivation for their protection.
ship and remembrance (Metcalfe et al., 2010). Sacred forests are the last remaining primary forest in
This study focuses on four sacred forests in Sierra many parts of Sierra Leone. They are very beneficial to the
Leone. The aim of this paper is to further understanding of equilibrium of rural life in Sierra Leone by providing
these areas in order to contribute to their preservation. A resources for hunting, fishing and gathering medicinal
social, ecological, botanical and management study was con- plants. Chopping wood and lighting fires is usually forbid-
ducted in four different sacred forests in the north of the den, although in some cases the groves have also become
country. At a sociological level, this work examined the rela- an important source of wood for rural communities. They
tionship between sacred forests, their traditions and taboos, have also acted natural water filters for many communities
and the process of initiation in the Sierra Leonean society. (Ceperley et al., 2010).
The ecological study was based on a survey of the general This article assesses the value of these sacred sites
characteristics of the studied sacred forests. A herbarium was from different perspectives in order to propose ideas for their
compiled in order to classify the different tree species that future conservation in cooperation with the native people.
were found in these groves. Finally to identify weak points,
the actual local management was observed leading to recom- Definition and types
mend improvements for the protection of these forests.
Presently, there is an apparent socio-economical
development trajectory which introduced into Sierra Leone The definition of sacred forests described by Kokou
(Conteh-Morgan, 2006). Along with this change, there is a and Kokutse (2007) for nearby countries in West Africa cor-
demand for more resources, such as minerals and wood, as responds to those belonging to Sierra Leone. They are con-
well as a change in the belief systems of rural Sierra sidered as forest fragments where local people perform cer-
Leonean society. Countries such as China, and big European emonies in order to be in contact with and to pay homage to
and American transnational companies, have settled and their gods and spiritual protectors. Similarly to forests found
started to exploit natural resources after the 1991-2002 civil in Benin, it is believed that these groves are a home to spir-
its and that disturbing them can have terrible conse-
quences, such as floods, drought, infertility, diseases or
death (Ceperley et al., 2010).
A distinction can be made between three different
types of sacred groves:
▪ Ancestral forests: these focus on the protection of the spir-
its of ancestors.
▪ Forest cemeteries: these serve as cemeteries for people
who died from natural hazards (lightning, fire, drowning…),
children from sickness or women during pregnancy.
▪ Forests of secret societies: Only secret societies are
allowed to enter the forest where different traditions con-
cerning the initiation of girls and boys are taught.
The forests studied fall in the second and third category
described by Kokou and Kokutse (2007); ancestral forests
and forests of secret societies. Only secret societies are
allowed to enter the forest where different traditions con-
cerning the initiation of girls and boys are taught, and mean-
while they focus on the protection of the spirits of ancestors.
Sacred natural sites are almost certainly the world’s
oldest form of habitat protection (Dudley et al., 2009).
Sacred groves are protected, conserved and maintained
through a combination of taboos, prohibitions, beliefs and
restrictions (Sigu et al., 2000). They can be considered infor-
mal or traditional institutions based on cultural norms that
do not depend on government for promulgation or enforce-
ment; they follow a self-imposed mechanism (Colding,
Folke, 2001). This belief is handed down through genera-
tions by cultural transmission and is successful because of
sanctions such as punishing offenders by community exclu-
sion, gossiping or the threat of supernatural forces.
Photograph 2.
The cotton tree or Ceiba pentandra,
considered as a sacred species.
Photograph A. Martín Martín.
46 BOIS ET FORÊTS DES TROPIQUES, 2011, N° 310 (4)
FOCUS / SACRED FORESTS
Study Site (Metcalfe et al., 2010). They protect specific species and,
moreover, protect associated populations of symbiotic and
Sacred sites are found in all the continents except parasitic species (Dudley et al., 2009). Tropical rainforests
Antarctica, and are most common in the tropical areas harbour a high level of biodiversity. Many different species
(Bhagwat, Rutte, 2006). The site of this study is found in are protected within the sacred groves; some of them are on
the North of Sierra Leone, in the Bombali district. The work the IUCN red list (Dudley et al., 2009). Not only do different
was produced with the “Bombali Shebora chiefdom” and habitats, species and ecological relationships survive in
the “Biriwa chiefdom” and entered into the sacred groves of sacred forests, but these forests can ensure their survival by
Makeni, Kamabai and Kassasie (figure 1). Sierra Leone has providing reservoirs. In fact, sacred groves play an important
different ethnic groups, each possessing distinct traditions, role as a refuge for these species and hence become a tool
cultures and even dialects. Like the sacred forests described for in situ conservation of flora and fauna (Decher, 1997).
by Kokou andKokutse (2007), the places studied (Kamabai From a cultural point of view, a distinction between spir-
and Kassasie) are forest fragments that belong to local peo- itual and economic benefits must be made. Sacred forests are
ple of the Temne (Makeni) and Limba ethnic groups. an important institution within Sierra Leonean society; many
traditions and ceremonies exist because of these groves. They
Benefits of sacred forests can even be considered historical markers and archaeological
indicators due to their function as ancient elite burial grounds
The benefits of sacred forests can be ecological, cul- or abandoned settlements (Chouin, 2002).
tural and economical. Ecologically, they help to protect and Sacred groves may also have economic value. In some
purify water resources and improve soil quality. They are cases people are allowed to pick up medicinal plants or
important for riparian buffer conservation (Kokou, Kokutse, dead wood which can be sold in local markets, bringing
2007) as they may function as buffer zones or corridors for benefits to the families which are looking after these sacred
the dispersion of many species (Virtanen, 2002). These sites (Kokou, Kokutse, 2007). On a global scale, sacred
forests are important for the conservation of flora and fauna forests, like all conserved forests, sequester carbon dioxide
due to their widespread distribution and their role as reser- (CO ) preventing it from being emitted into the atmosphere
2 ,
voirs for local biodiversity and threatened species and contribute to global warming (Akacha Akoha, 2003).
Methodology
Two studies were done; a social research of
the role of secret societies in the conservation of
sacred forests and an ecological research with
botanical survey.
The social research employed the qualitative
triangle strategy of combining the three corners of
documentation, observation and interviews to
understand the socio-cultural aspects of sacred
forests. Specifically, two kinds of interviews, inves-
tigative and deep, led the conversations.
Conversations were in English with 10 people
trusted (table I) and the information was analyzed.
Socio-cultural methods were limited because peo-
ple were very scared of consequences from secret
societies if they spoke too much.
Ecological methods were limited by the dif-
ficulty of entering sacred forests due to their pro-
tection by secret societies, thus ecological con-
clusions were drawn from previous observations.
Notes and samples were taking from the outside
to the inside of the grove after being entered the
forests. Botanical inventories were made from a
herbarium made from collected samples pro-
vided by local people. Species were identified in
the laboratory. First hand collection of samples
was not always possible because entry to the
sacred forests was strictly controlled. In some
cases, village chiefs were convinced of the rele-
vance of this study.
Figure 1.
Localization of the sacred forests explored in Sierra Leone.
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