Cultural Profile
Chad, a landlocked country and a French colony until 1960, is located in the centre of Africa. It was named after Lake Chad, which is the continent’s fourth largest, as well as the world’s seventh largest, lake. Much of the country falls inside a wide belt of hot, dry grassland called the Sahel and drought is a frequent occurrence bringing widespread unrest to Chad and many of the neighboring countries. However, the Sahel is well adapted for cattle grazing, and this has helped support the local populations. Access to drinking water remains a challenge for the country’s northern inhabitants. Cotton has dominated Chad’s agriculture since the early 20th century and the country is Africa’s second largest producer of the crop. Oil has become the country’s biggest export. The population is comprised of more than two hundred distinct groups, each with its own language and customs, making Chad one of the most ethnically diverse nations in Africa. The official languages are French and Arabic.
Although lifestyles differ within the various ethnic subgroups, family remains the backbone of each. In many families, children are considered to be insurance for the future and it is believed that if people die without having children, they have “died twice.”
Dance and music––including the sai style that draws on folkloric rhythms––play a large role in Chadian culture and exhibit similarities based on region. In some areas, ceremonial music is performed with lutes and fiddles, while in others, drums and wind instruments are favoured. Other traditional instruments include trumpets made from goat horns, the kinde (a bow harp), the kakaki (a tin horn that can measure up to three metres long), the hu hu (stringed instrument), whistles and balafons (like a xylophone).
Chadians are known for their beautiful calabashes, bowls and containers which are made from dried gourds and decorated with intricate, carved patterns. Pyroengraving, where a blade is heated up and used to burn lines on the surface, can be used, or pressure engraving, when a cold blade is used to carve lines which are then blackened with soot. Other handicrafts include carpets, woven mats, fabric, jewelry, wool rugs, beads, leather products and wood carving. Potters usually work by hand and don’t use a wheel, adding the material gradually as they go, and fire their earthenware using a pit of burning wood and straw. Clothing is very simple for both men and women. Men sport cotton short-sleeve shirts with pants, while women wear short sleeve shirts, wrap skirts and a veil over their hair. The designs and patterns of more traditional garments reflect the region of origin.
Chadians, many of whom were farmers or professionals, began arriving in Canada in the 1960s. Some left their homeland for economic and social reasons, while others came here to escape the hardships caused by drought. The 2011 census reported 1000 Chadians living in Canada. Most settled in Québec because of the French language, although there is also a small Chadian community in Ontario.
Sponsor: Dagenais Family |
