The Name Game

Bean eaters, rice eaters, slaves, and slave masters...the cultural habit of asking for one's last name immediately upon introduction usually leads to a label like one of these being applied. Due to the wide array of ethnic groups found within Senegal's borders, it's easy to come across people from various ethnic backgrounds in one place and use their last names as a feature of identity. When encountered with a last name, it's usually attached to various (usually humorous) stigmas about the person's ethnic group. You might introduce yourself to a perfect stranger and as soon as he or she hears your family name, you'll be told that you eat too many beans, that you're in love with rice, or that - according to history - you held that person's family as slaves (which quickly becomes awkward for any white person involved).

My last name - Diallo (pronounced "Jah-lo") is a Pulaar name, signifying that my family is from the southern regions of the country where the Pulaars live. My Senegalese mom was, in fact, born and raised in Kolda which is way down south and therefore speaks Pulaar as well as Wolof, and even looks a bit different from purely Wolof people. I am constantly asked why I don't speak Pulaar when I introduce myself, and I usually end up telling people that I just don't have room in my head for a 4th language. They never think that is a valid excuse.

Today when I was visiting my supervisor Ousmane at the Mayor's office he introduced me to the new municipal secretary who had just started. Immediately upon shaking the man's hand and saying my last name, he clasped his hands and said "I am a Sidibe (his last name)...we used to be part of the same family, but not anymore." I was confused and asked him to elaborate and he told me what I guess would be considered a fairly tale and goes a little something like this:

A long, long time ago way down south there were four Pulaar brothers who were all named Sidibe and all lived together in a small village. One day the Sidibe brothers realized that they had outgrown their village and set out to explore the country and settle elsewhere. During their journey they came across a wide river where an evil spirit lived. The evil spirit, being the jerk that he was, refused to let the four brothers cross because they all had the same last name (why he chose this as his standard for passage, who knows). So, the brothers left and hatched a plan. A few days later the four brothers returned and asked for passage. When the evil spirit asked for their family names this time, the brothers all gave different last names (this evil spirit wasn't the brightest crayon in the box). The first brother said "My name is Diallo" and was allowed to pass. The second and third gave their new last names which I now can't remember and were also allowed to pass. The fourth brother said "My name is Sidibe" and so he, too, passed across the river but kept the family name to continue on for future generations.

When the secretary finished, I told him it sounded like a great story and I was glad that we were technically family. He just shook his head and said "No...we used to be family. You are a traitor and changed your name." He actually seemed a bit pissed and there was an awkward silence for a second...but then he started to laugh. As we left he told me to come back anytime and that he would pretend I was a Sidibe. I'm actually really glad he shared that story because it was the first time anyone has ever explained (albeit metaphorically) the origin of some of the Pulaar names.

Afterwards my supervisor and I headed to Ecole 1 which is the oldest elementary school in Pout. We had a meeting with the director about starting the Junior Achievement curriculum there in the coming weeks. I immediately liked the director upon meeting him and he seemed totally enthused and open to the idea. A huge religious celebration is starting at the end of this week and it will continue into the next, so I probably won't get to start classes until the week after that, but I'm okay with that. Patience, patience, patience.

Peace and love