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Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory

Iwa Gi: The New Yam Festival and the Soul of Ika Heritage

March 24, 2025 0

Meet Chief Goddey Ehiwarior, the famous farmer from Amahia Quarter, Alihagwu Community, Agbor, Delta State. He has more than 500 lines of yam barns, 37 oil palm plantations, farm okra in over

The Ika people, who are a subgroup of the Igbo Ethnic group, living mostly in Ika South and Ika North Local Government Areas in Delta State, Nigeria, have a rich culture that connects very well with farming, traditions, and how they live together. One big festival that the Ika people celebrate is the Iwa gi festival, also called the New Yam Festival. This festival is an old tradition that shows the conclusion of the farming season and the beginning of harvest, especially for yam, which is the main food in that area.

 

History and cultural meaning

The Iwa gi Festival is not just about the yam harvest but has a deep meaning that shows how the Ika people connect with their land, ancestors, and spiritual beliefs. Yam serves as the king of crops in most Igbo-speaking communities, including Ika; this festival is a means of saying thank you to the gods and ancestors for giving them plenty of harvests. It is also a time of asking for blessings for the next season and cleaning the community from any bad luck or negative vibes. This festival has existed since ancient times, when the people of Ika depended solely on farming. Yam is not just food but a sign of wealth, respect, and a good life. If you are able to plant and harvest enough yams, you will be seen as a hardworking person with skill and blessings from the gods. So, the Iwa gi festival is a way of honoring farm work and the spiritual powers for an abundant harvest.

Preparations for the Festival

Everyone in the community participates in the Iwa Gi festival. They prepare very well before the commencement. Weeks before the festival, people carry out different activities to ensure its success. Cleaning and decorations: They clean their houses, public places, and the village square, followed by decorations. This is done to beautify the places and welcome both people and ancestors, spirits that join in the celebration. Yam harvesting: Harvesting yams is vital to preparation. They pick only the best yams for the festival because they will be used for both rituals and food. Harvesting is accompanied by singing, dancing, and praying to the gods of the land. Ritual Cleaning: Before the festival begins, rituals are carried out to cleanse the community. These might include sacrifices, pouring of libations, and giving kola nuts, palm wine and other things to the gods and ancestors. The aim is to wipe away every evil and ensure the gods are present at the festival.

Cooking of traditional foods: The festival is a time of excess feeding, thereby making different conventional meals with the New Yam. You can see pounded Yam, yam porridge, roasted yam, and other Ika special delicacies.

 

The Festival Day: The Iwa gi Festival lasts more than a day, but the main celebration takes place on the first day. Many rituals, ceremonies, and community activities mark the day. It shows Ika Culture and spiritual values.
Morning Rituals: The day starts with rituals performed by elders and traditional priests. They offer sacrifices to the gods and ancestors and pray for the community. The first yam harvested is presented to the gods as a thank you.

Cultural Show: The festival is a time for cultural display involving masquerade dance, traditional music playing, and performances by cultural groups. Masquerades, believed to be ancestral spirits, also play a big role. The sounds of drumming, dancing, and singing make everything lively.

 

Time for Refreshments: Eating together is considered one of the important parts of the feast of Iwa gi. Families and friends gather to share meals prepared with New Yam. It is a time for bonding, visiting, and strengthening the community. Women show their different cooking skills with the meals they prepare.

Time for Kola Nuts and Palm Wine: An important part of the ceremony is breaking kola and sharing palm wine. Kola Nuts mean hospitality and unity, and they are presented to visitors to welcome them. Palm wine, a traditional drink, helps people feel good and friendly with each other.

 

Blessings and prayers: During the festival, the community is blessed. The elders, who are the community’s holders, lead the prayer, asking for peace, more money, and a good planting season for the coming year.
Social and Money Importance: The Iwa gi festival is not just a cultural event; it also adds social and financial value to the Ika people. It brings people from different families, villages, and even nearby communities together, making them feel united. In the financial aspect, the festival creates chances for farmers to showcase their farm products, which is a source of income for different families. It also helps local trade, as traders and artisans sell their products at the gathering of the people.

 

Challenges Faced and Solutions to it

Like many ancient Festivals, Iwa gi faces some problems in modern times. City life, globalization, and Western culture have affected the festival’s activities. Most youth don’t connect with the superstitions as the elders do. Work and school have also made it difficult for most people to partake fully. Even with these challenges, the Ika people are trying to keep Iwa gi alive and in tune with modernity. It has become a sight for tourists, attracting people from other parts of Nigeria, including abroad. This promotes Ika’s culture and brings money to the community. Lately, people have shown more interest in festivals like Iwa gi because they want to connect back to their roots. They write books, make documentaries, and use social media to talk about it, making more people aware of it as it extends into the future.

The Iwa gi is proof of the strong culture in Ika. Their culture celebrates their farming skills, their spiritual beliefs, and how they live together. It reminds them to give thanks to the land for blessings and to stay connected to their history. As Ika people face modernity, the Iwa gi festival still shines as part of who they are. It gives them the time to think, celebrate, and start a fresh life. It helps preserve the traditions and values that have held the Ika community together for years. Though Iwa gi, Ika people don’t just respect their past but also look forward to a stronger future for the sake of their culture.

Refrence

 

  • Okafor, E. C. (2022). Ika Heritage: The Cultural Significance of the New Yam Festival. Asaba: Delta State University Press.
  • Nwankwo, J. I. (2020). “Agricultural Traditions and Spiritual Practices: The Iwa gi Festival in Ika Communities.” Journal of Igbo Studies, 15(3), 78-92.
  • Ika Cultural Association. (2019). The Iwa gi Festival: A Celebration of Yam and Unity in Ika Land. Agbor: Ika Heritage Publishers.
  • Eze, C. O. (2021, August 10). “Iwa gi: Reviving Ika Traditions in a Modern World.” The Delta Guardian Newspaper.
  • Umeh, P. A. (2023). Yam and Society: Rituals and Economy in Ika Culture. Enugu: University of Nigeria Press.

 

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