Ịka Ụta: A Value Orientation and Relationship Building Tool for Ọmanne Grandchildren

Abstract

Ọmanne communities (Abatete, Ụmụoji and Nkpor) are cultural minded. Before the Igbo nation which Ọmanne is part of, was colonized by the Western world, they had their cultural values and equally devised informal measures through which they inculcate those values to their younger generations. Some of these values include brotherly love, respect for elders, respect for life, hospitality, ikwunne, kinship among others. Ịka ụta is one of the avenues through which Ọmanne people achieved these cultural values orientation and transmission. Unfortunately, these cultural values and the means of acculturation had come into strong confrontation with the Western influence as a result of globalization. One major consequence of this obstruction on the people’s way of life is incest because some blood relatives can no longer recognize themselves or trace their backgrounds . It is on this backdrop that this work deems it necessary to unravel how Ọmanne communities used ịka ụta as a cultural value orientation and relationship building tool. The study reveals how ịka ụta could integrate relatives for the purpose of identification. It is a descriptive and survey research. The theoretical framework will be anchored on Symbolic Interactionalism. Data collection was by oral interview posed to randomly selected elders who observed ịka ụta in their younger days. The interviewees’ responses formed the data for the research. The literature review was carried out. Findings show that ịka ụta is not only on traditional feast days but can also come up on other occassion like traditional marriage ceremony. Another finding revealed that ịka ụta is a major tool for a consolidated familiarity not only among extended families members but also with their kins people, in Ụmụoji and Nkpor, there is a specific event for it known as ime á»ma nne. It also revealed that ịka ụta has been neglected which had resulted in many traditional discrepancies. This research recommends that Ọmanne communities and the entire Igbo people should revive and retain this traditional means of cultural values transmission due to its cultural implications.