The Chamba are a significant ethnic group located in northeastern Nigeria and parts of Cameroon, closely related to the Mumuye, Jukun, and Kutep peoples. In Cameroon, Chamba-descended communities are found in Bali Nyonga, Bali Kumbat, Bali-Gham, Bali-Gangsin, and Bali-Gashu. There are also groups called Chamba in Ghana and Togo, but these are ethnically distinct.
They are recognized through their language, beliefs, culture, and art.
Language
The Chamba are also known as Samba, Tchamba, Tsamba, Daka, and Chamba-Ndagan.
They speak two distantly related Niger-Congo languages:
- Chamba Leko – Leko–Nimbari family; mainly spoken in eastern central areas, especially in Cameroon near the Nigeria border.
- Chamba Daka – Dakoid family; spoken primarily in Adamawa State, Nigeria.
Chamba dialects vary by location. The Chamba Daka (Sama Nnakenyare) inhabit areas in northeast Nigeria near the Cameroon border.
Historically, the Chamba territory was annexed by Germany, but after World War I it was divided between Britain and France under the League of Nations mandate.
Beliefs
- Traditional religion centers on a creator solar god (Su) and ancestor spirits who interact with the living.
- Ancestors (wurumbu) are believed to live underground, mirroring human life but with greater wisdom and supernatural power.
- Special individuals can communicate with these spirits and are revered.
- Chamba were targeted during Fulani jihads in the 18th–19th centuries; many were enslaved or migrated south to the mountains, later forming raiding bands.
- Today, around 15% of Chamba are Muslim.
Society and Culture
- Live in grassland areas; farm staples and cash crops such as guinea corn, cocoa, and coffee.
- Organized into clans with varying leadership styles—male, female, or both—based on the authority of respected elders.
- Villages are surrounded by the bush, divided into:
- Outer bush – source of firewood, building materials, hunting, and gathering; accessed by both men and women.
- Inner bush – considered dangerous and male-associated.
Cults
- Cults (jup) serve as a form of social control, each linked to a specific misfortune or disease.
- Rituals and payments are used to control misfortunes and cure illnesses.
- Both men’s and women’s cults require initiation; members must keep rites secret.
- Men’s initiation: circumcision, marking transition to manhood.
- Women’s initiation: often after marriage; sometimes involved tooth evulsion (now less common).
Art
The Chamba are skilled in pottery, metalwork, sculpture, and mask-making.
Masking Tradition
- Masks represent the wild and combine wooden headpieces with fiber costumes to form a unified entity.
- The buffalo/bush cow mask is the most notable:
- Each clan typically has at least one; may be male or female.
- Features combine animal (horns of bush cow) and human elements; mouth resembles a crocodile.
- Represents the power of the bush and is used in circumcision rites, chief initiations, and funerals.
- Stored in the bush; brought to villages for performances involving vigorous, charging dances.
Statues
- Usually depict male, female, or paired figures.
- Made from wood or iron and categorized into:
- Volumetric form – carved from a single block, bent arms, crouching legs, dynamic poses (possibly dancing); paired figures share legs.
- Columnar form – arms and legs close to the body, elongated structure.
- Some likely had cult or ritual functions, though exact purposes remain uncertain.
Notable People
- Gen. Theophilus Y. Danjuma
- Mallam Musa Hassan El-wakil Dakka