Who Are the Mende?
The Mende are the second-largest ethnic group in Sierra Leone and also inhabit parts of Liberia, numbering approximately 1.5-2 million. They speak Mende, a Mande language of the Niger-Congo family. The Mende migrated to their present homeland in Sierra Leone from the Liberian interior, arriving in waves between the 13th and 17th centuries. They inhabit the southern and eastern provinces of Sierra Leone. The Mende are renowned for their elaborate secret societies—the Poro for men and Sande (Bundu) for women—which regulate social life and produce distinctive masked performances. Most Mende practice traditional religion, Islam, or Christianity.
Sande Society
The Sande (or Bundu) society is arguably the most studied women's secret society in Africa. It initiates girls into womanhood through extended bush school sessions where they learn domestic skills, sexuality, childbirth, and cultural knowledge. The Sande produces the distinctive sowei masks—among the only African masks worn exclusively by women. These helmet masks, with their elaborate hairstyles and idealized female features, represent water spirits and embody feminine beauty. The Sande regulates women's affairs, including marriage and health. The society has faced criticism for practicing female circumcision, a contested element of initiation that human rights organizations have challenged.
The Amistad Revolt
The Mende gained global attention through the Amistad affair of 1839. A group of Mende captives, illegally enslaved and transported to Cuba, revolted aboard the Spanish schooner Amistad, killing the captain and seizing the ship. They attempted to sail back to Africa but were captured off Long Island. The ensuing legal case went to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled the Mende were free people illegally enslaved. Former president John Quincy Adams argued their case. Thirty-five survivors eventually returned to Sierra Leone in 1842. The Amistad revolt became a powerful symbol of resistance to slavery, commemorated in Steven Spielberg's 1997 film.
Contemporary Mende
Modern Mende face challenges from Sierra Leone's civil war, which particularly affected Mende-majority areas in the east and south. The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) targeted Mende communities, and many joined pro-government militias in response. Post-war recovery has been slow. Politically, the Mende are associated with the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), in competition with the Temne-aligned APC. Diamond mining has brought both wealth and conflict to Mende areas. Rice farming, palm oil production, and trading remain economic mainstays. The Poro and Sande societies continue, though urban migration and Christianity have reduced participation. How the Mende rebuild after civil war while maintaining cultural institutions shapes their future.
References
- Boone, S. A. (1986). Radiance from the Waters: Ideals of Feminine Beauty in Mende Art
- Little, K. L. (1951). The Mende of Sierra Leone
- Jones, H. (1987). Mutiny on the Amistad