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THE HISTORY OF THE JOLA – MY TRIBE
JOLA
Today the Jola can be found in great numbers on the Atlantic coast between the southern banks of the Gambia, the Casamance region of Senegal and the northern part of Guinea-Bissau. The Gambia, especially area called Foni in Western Division. They are the dominant tribe there.
Their origin is obscure i.e. not known unlike many ethnic groups because they did not have griots or among them who can keep and transmit history from generation to generation. But it must not be concluded that the Jola did not have musicians and entertainers who delved into their past. The main difference was that among the Jola, this talent was not bequeathed to succeeding generations, as was the case with other tribes. For this reason, the Oral Histories of the Jola go back only two or three generations, in order to reconstruct the origin of a village, lineage of a family. Even where there is a history of a Jola group, it proves to be fragmentary. Another reason is that the Europeans – traders, explorers, administrators and missionaries – provided scanty quantity of information. This is because the Europeans mostly remained in the coastal areas and rarely ventured into areas inhabited by the Jola, mainly because numerous creeks, lagoons and swamps usually surrounded these places as the Jola were often completely isolated from other ethnic groups which made trade difficult and unprofitable.
It is known that they and other tribes like the Balanta, Bainunka, Bassari and Papel were already in the lower region of Casamance ( and some parts of Guinea-Bissau ) before the massive Mandinka migration of the C13th ( thirteenth century). Some Jolas, as with other ethnic groups became assimilated in these areas or moved on to other areas. Those who decided to migrate moved northwards or westwards towards the Atlantic coast, on the banks of the River Gambia. Some made Foni and Kombo their homes. This is just a small history of the Jola who are also referred to as Ajamat.