TCHIKUMBI: Ritual de Iniciação das Bichiento e suas Implicações nas Relações de Poder em Cabinda, Angola

Abstract

The research that gave rise to this dissertation aims to understand the dynamics around the initiation ritual of the Bichiento, Tchikumbi among the Bauoio do Povo Grande in the province of Cabinda, Angola. The implications of the ritual in the power relations between Bakala and Nchiento Bauoio do Povo Grande in Cabinda are analyzed, since the ritual fits into one of the stages of initiation of the ikumbi into adulthood, that is, to present it to society, as being ready for young/adult life when they become Bichiento. In this analysis we take into account the power relations from the Tchikumbi, how the ritual is inserted within its endogenous contexts of reproduction and knowledge, seeking to understand the dynamics of practice as a structure of social power. Finally, trying to (re)constitute the life stories of two Bichiento, carrying out the proposal of the crossroads narratives, of the interlocutors: Maria Das Dores (my mother) and myself Margarida Duete. Mainly, our experiences as belonging to the Bauoio ethnic group, in relation to the ritual process, since we went through the Bichiento initiation ritual, the Tchikumbi, although at different times. From our life stories, I try to analyze the generational conflicts in relation to the ritual and the roles of Nchiento in contemporary society in Cabinda.