The Bamiléké are a group of 90 closely related peoples who inhabit the Western High Plateau of Cameroon. According to Dr John Feyou de Hapy, Bamiléké means people of faith.
The Grassfields people do not refer to themselves as Bamileke but instead use the names of the individual kingdoms to which they belong or else refer to themselves as "Ngrafi" for “grassfields people".
Languages
The Bamileke languages are Grassfields languages that belong to the Southern Bantoid branch of the Niger-Congo language family.
History
Most Bamiléké historical narratives detail an origin along the Nile River in what is now Sudan. A survey examining the methods and instruments of communication among the Bamileke show a common origin with populations along the Nile. Archeological and linguistic evidence indicates that the arrival of the Bamiléké in Western Cameroon occurred in multiple waves with two primary routes. The first route was more significant and originated in the North between the Lake Tchad area and the Nile Valley. The second route originated in Nigeria around the Cross River area. Alternatively, Diop through the usage of toponyms, vestigial expressions, and corroborating sociopolitical data reconstructed migration patterns for the Bamum which originated along the Upper Nile River near the Great Lakes region before arriving in Cameroon. As a result of the expansionist policies of Ncharé, the founder of the Bamum mfondom, the majority of Bamiléké have paternal ancestors who are Bamum. Spedini and Bailly suggested that the Bamileke descend from the Ndobo a population identified as Tikar, "Sudanic savanna dwellers who migrated into Western Cameroon from the north."
In one genetic study, Bamileke-related genetic variations were found throughout Central, Southern and East Africa. The researchers state that the Bamileke are not the source of the Bantu migration because the genetic variation in the region was different 4000 years ago than it is today. Coia et al., citing an earlier study by Spedini, state that the Bamileke cannot be used to test a hypothesis of genetic similarity in Central African populations related to male driven gene flow during the Bantu expansion because the Bamileke and Ewondo are Sudanic in origin and acquired Bantu language much later than the Bantu expansion. The study found that the genetic structure of populations in Cameroon are not completely defined by language groups. The Yemba who are Grassfields people clustered closely to Northern Bantoid speakers. The Mbo who speak a Narrow Bantu language clustered closely with Grassfields speakers. Some of the Bamileke who speak Grassfields languages clustered closely with Narrow Bantu speakers. Within Northern and Grassfields groups, fine structured analysis distinguished populations living less than 20 km from each other. The study also found that the Shum Laka population cluster closer to Central African rainforest hunter gatherers than they do to Grassfields populations , and components from Northeast, Western and Central Africa that contributed to the genomes of Grassfields groups.
In the 17th century, the Bamiléké migrated further south and west under the pressure of the Chamba and Fulani people. When Cameroon was colonized, the British granted status and a certain amount of control to traditional authorities, such as the Fon. This was due to a colonial policy known as indirect rule. On the other hand, the Germans and French looked at Fons with contempt and were often suspicious of them.
According to research compiled in The Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Cameroon, the "Bamiléké have a reputation of being excellent farmers and businessmen and -women. While they have become a significant factor in the national economy, their success has also generated some jealousy and resentment, especially among the original inhabitants of areas to which Bamiléké migration has occurred." A number of Black people across the Americas, such as Erykah Badu and Jessica Williams, can trace their lineage back to the Bamiléké people through genetic testing.
Lifestyle and settlement patterns
Political structure and agriculture
Bamiléké settlements follow a well-organized and structured pattern. Houses of family members are often grouped together and surrounded by small fields. Men typically clear the fields, but it is largely women who work them. Most work is done with tools such as machetes and hoes. Staple crops include cocoyams, groundnuts and maize.