History of Duma People of Gabon , West Africa .

Duma People can be found in Gabon, they are also known as Aduma or Adouma People and they are part of the Niger Congo family .  

They are located in the Ogooue river region and they are one of the smallest ethnic group in the central part of Gabon , their masks are mvudi masks of which present one item it has a flattened top of the head dyed black , an arched , flat also have face and slightly triangular nose , rectangular .  

The Object has four holes for the masked dancer, two triangular ones next to the nose and two rounds ones , on its forehead the mvudi mask displays a red triangular , outlined in black and the remaining part of the head , the cheeks and the border of the chin display noticeable traces of colour scuffing as a result of protracted use , small breaks to the back rim, as well as with a convincing , partially shiny patina on the front and especially on the back on the inside dates back to the 20th Century .  

Duma masks with flat surface for face , domed , forehead, an angular nose , and skillful Interplay on flat , convex and angular forms , the masks are mostly polychrom for the last half century it have been used for celebratory dances. 

They grow crops such as bananas , papayas , guavas , orange , watermelon , mangoes , coconut , cassava , plantain and other crops , wines are made from palm trees.

 The palm wine with a hallucinogenic root called eboga. It is used for healling and during Initiation , their traditions hold that they arrived from the east or Southeast , coming down to the Sebe river to the Ogowe , and thence to Doume .  

It is believed Europeans arrived at the end of the 15th Century , the Portuguese , Dutch , French and British participated in Slave trade that flourished for 350 years.

 In 1839 , the first lasting European settlement was started by the French and In their villages architecture is different their houses are built from wood , bark and brick and the brick houses are often plastered with a thin layer of cement with roofs made from corrugated tin within the Duma ethnic group they have a common ancestor and people who are part of their subgroups cannot marry from their own ethnic group, this is classified as same blood or family.

 They make masks and basketry , carvings and sculptures , masks are worn during ceremonies and they were captured by Colonialist  from Present day Gabon to Mexico , Haiti , Aruba , Brazil , Nicaragua , U.S.A, Canada , U.K. , France , Portugal, Netherlands  and other parts of the diaspora .

Duma Migration Oral  History .

It is claimed Duma People migrated from Present day Southern Cameroon and crossed Present day Dr. Congo , Equatorial Guinea , then settled in Present day Uganda , Togo , Sierra Leone before they finally settled in Present day Central part of Gabon in the late 14th Century the word ‘’ Adouma”. Means the” men of the river “‘ .

It is believed it was around 1750 which the first Duma or Aduma group arrived , which they crossed the Ogooue lolo region and split the Kota natives into which is the Samaye to the north , the Wumbu and the Ndasa to the south and According to Monsignor Adam It is believed they would be , with the Nzebi , the awanji who came from the Sanga and a mountain named Bundjie - Edumi.

it seems that Ivindo served as the axis for the migration , which for a moment stopped towards Mountain Ngouadi on the left bank of Ivindo and then crossed the Ofooue and spread over the Present day territory. 

According to J.D. Fage in 1885 Europeans opened up Gabon and Congo, it had only been just the beginning  following the first two missions of Savorgnande Brazza from 1876 until 1882 and the ratification of Makoko treaties , which recognised the French protectorate over the right bank of the river.

 It is believed France had entrusted to the explorer the task of effectively taking control of the territory by 1883- 1885.

Duma and Kande was believed that their hands were in the monopoly of traffic on the ogowe  and teke of the plateau and bobangi on the Congo river , had long since left . 

 Port Gentil is one of the second largest town in Gabon it is occupied by Dumas , In 1772 the Pirates led by Bartholomew Roberts fought a battle in the Cape Lopez Bay against the Royal navy and the settlement was established on Mandji Island in the delta of the Ogooue river by the French who signed a treaty  in 1873 with the orungu.

In 1894 It is believed a custom post was set up , becoming nucleus of a trading center including Hatton and Cookson , John Holt , Woermann, Societe du Haut - Ogooue and Campaigned d’ Exploitations Forestieres Africanes and the main products were initially rubber , ivory , gradually supplemented by woods , particularly Okume for plywood and It is said oil , timber grew rapidly . 

The Ogooue rises in the northwest of the Bateke plateau near Kengue Present day Republic of Congo , It runs northwest , and enters Present day Gabon near Boumango , Poubara falls are near Maulongo from Lastoursville until Ndjole.

it runs west and enters the gulf of Guinea near Ozouri , South during the 1970s and 1980s, many Duma migrated or moved down the Ogowe , towards Port - Gentil also they engaged in trade for Ivory , rubber and ebony . 

The Oldest prehistoric artifacts was discovered in Present day Gabon as the Stone Age tools , such as rock spearheads this suggest the presence of life from early as the 7000 BC. 

However ,   very little is known about the ancient Inhabitants and they used traditional instruments such as balafon , harp , mouth bow, drums , rattles , and bells and it is believed it is also to call upon the Ancestors, the mouth bow is used during festivals and ritual ceremonies , their culture is also expressed through crafts , painting , mask carving  and music . 

 Wongo was a warrior who belonged to the Duma ethnic group he visited Present day Central African Republic and later he returned back to Gabon and he died in 1929 , the lastours tomb was dedicated to an explorer who was buried in 1886 in Mikatsa area .

 In their tradition they produce peanuts , palm oil , mats , loincloths and other products and the falls of doume which is the falls and rapids is considered as a miraculous or marvelous falls.

Compiled by Selikem Okatakyie