By Iliya Kure
Tangale people, mainly youth, came out in large numbers from Sunday 26th – Tuesday 28th December, 2021 – three days at a stretch, to celebrate ‘Shag Bai’ (Dog Carnival), a festival that had almost gone extinct.
The carnival procession with some youths dressed in branded T-shirts, specifically designed for the event, ignited a festive mood which lightened the community.
The procession went through major towns of the Tangale people – a tribe comprising of seven major clans, referred to as ‘Tul Tangul Pelou’, namely, Tangalthong, Kalmai, Banganje, Tanglang, Tal, Todi and Nathe.
Documents extensively written on the Tangale people by various writers including Mr. Ankalai Tiling, Rev. Danjuma Jacob, and Rev Samuila Kure (all Tangale men), among others, show that the people have lived in their present location in Gombe State, northeast Nigeria for over 1,000 years.
Rev Kure, in his book ‘Teach Yourself the Tangale Language’ quoted Ankalai Tiling, saying “the Tangale people got their name from “TANGAL,” a chief of Billiri. Tangal must have organized the clans under his leadership because, as it is customary in Africa, the name of a leader cannot be separated from the land and peoples he governs.”
He also cited Joshua Usman’s Committee Report [on Tangale history], page 6, where it says, “eleven Mai Tangalem Kude ruled the Tangale people before the coming of the Europeans in 1904.”
The emphasis by Rev Kure was to assert that Tangale nation has a long history as a people, and had an organised society, even before the coming of the Europeans.
The ‘Shag Bai’ carnival according to the organisers, had followed a meticulous plan drawn over a period of time, meant to revive the culture of collective celebration, as practiced by Tangale ancestors.
On day-one, participants assembled at the popular Tangale Dog Market, located in Kalmai town, where they conducted activities including cultural dance, special rendition by Tangale singers and paper presentations on the significance of dog in the Tangale culture.
On day-two and day-three, participants assembled at the same Dog Market, from where they marched through designated routes in major Tangale towns, playing Tangale music, as well as dancing to Tangale cultural music at designated spots.
Convener and Chairman of ‘Shag Bai’ Carnival, Jesse Malums, told journalists that the event was meant to project the identity of the Tangale as a people who do many things with dogs.
“Many people think eating dog is a dirty thing and our people face some social stigma. We are trying to tell them that eating dog meat is a positive way of life. There is nothing negative about it, we’re not ashamed of eating it.”
“Shag-bai is not just about celebrating dog meat, but the dog as a whole. So, if you talk about dog meat, our forefathers didn’t have goats before, what they had were dogs.
”If they were celebrating anything, they kill dogs. In fact, in our marriages till today, there is what is called ‘bai yauli’. That is, money paid to buy firewood to cook bai (dog).
Mr. Malums said, the carnival is trying to fill an existing gap between the present generation and the culture.
He cautioned the youths against being Eurocentric, saying, “They must come back to their African culture.”
Also speaking, a passionate elder, Isaac Usman, who participated in the carnival stressed that the event was to tell the world that “this is Tangale land and we are synonymous with eating dog meat. It is our culture.”
According to him, “dogs are slaughtered and used even in the rituals leading to the crowning of a new ‘Mai Tangle’ (Tangale paramount ruler).”
Mr. Usman who said he is in full support of the carnival, warned that no one should distort the history and culture of the Tangale people for whatever reason.
On his part, a participant, Mr. William from Lareka, a sub-clan of Banganje said, “we are happy to tell the world that dog has place in our culture and there is no doubt about that.
“For instance, in my sub-clan, each time we bury our loved one, we do slaughter a dog so that elders and other people can eat, while mourning the dead. It did not start today and it will not end now. It will continue till only God knows when.”
Tangale Youth Endorse ‘Shag Bai’ On Social Media
Many Tangale youth have taken to the social media to endorse the carnival, saying they will be part of it next year. AFRICA PRIME NEWS pulled some of the comments on Facebook;
Dulyamba Alkeria Bagauda said, “It was a success. It has come to stay. My culture my pride. Shag bai.”
Aki Ishaya Iliya said, “We are getting where they don’t want us to be, Lobai Festival Has come to stay. Thanks to the CPC Chairman and other committee members, please let’s Rock it next year again. My Culture my Identity.”
Tsabta Ponon said, “Tangale nation!! I now believe Tangale land we are going high every day full of youth with focus and determination to make impacts to their people permit me to appreciate the lion Uncle MAI Dukka a brave son of Tangale land, & his Sec General Dulyamba Alkeria Bagauda LO BAI festival Chairman & Sec may God continue to keep u strong to prove to the world that we the youth we can do it to restore back the glory of Tangale Nation (Lo Bai carnival is a goalll) history will never forget 26-28/12/2021 one love keep us together we appreciate all true sons & daughters of Tangale land that participated and contributed on one way to another is not about politics or religion, but about CULTURE.”
Richard Chazzy said, “It should be on record that SHAG BAI has come to stay. Thanks to the TRUE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF TANGALE for making this day a REALITY.”
Opposition Faced In Organising Carnival
The organisers said they faced opposition in the course of planning, adding that some detractors had discredited the Team Members and disparaged the culture.
The convener of ‘Shag Bai’ told AFRICA PRIME NEWS that “those opposing the carnival had gone as far as reporting us to Department of State Security Services (DSS) and Gombe State Police Command, saying the event would cause security breach in the land.
“I salute the Tangale elders for standing with us through it all. They accompanied us to the Commissioner of Police in Gombe, and explained to him the history and significance of the carnival.
The organisers said they were happy that at the end, they stood firm and surmounted all the challenges, “we also enjoyed peoples support and massive turnout.”
Opposing View on ‘Shag Bai’
In November, Mr. Simon Lamiya, the appointed Chairman, caretaker committee of Tangale Community Development Association (TCDA), by embattled Mai Tangle, Mal. Danladi Maishanu, announced on Gombe Media Corporation (GMC) Radio, that “there is nothing called ‘Shag Bai’ in the History of the Tangale people.”
According to him, the Tangale ancestors only celebrated ‘Yeku’ (a religious festival) and ‘Tagra’ (harvest thanksgiving), but never observed ‘Shag Bai’.
He also said there was no truth in the statement that the Tangale people make any payment related to dog when paying marriage dowries.
Mr. Lamiya who spoke in Hausa, said ‘Shag Bai’, which was meant to create acrimony in Tangale land, and was being organised by a few misguided youths, who should not be taken seriously.
He said, as a leader of the Tangale Socio-Cultural Group, he had not endorsed the carnival, neither was it endorsed by Mai Tangle.
Aside announcing that the event would not hold, Mr. Lamiya apologised to Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe state for the embarrassment the Tangale youth caused him.
Leadership Tussle
The biggest challenge for Mr. Lamiya was the non-recognition of his appointment as TCDA leader, as well as that of his appointee, Mal Maishanu, as Mai Tangle, whom majority of the Tangale people see as stooge of Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State.
The Tangale people recognise Lt. Col. B. T Sallah (Rtd), as the caretaker Chairman of the TCDA. Sallah was appointed by Registered Trustees of the Association to serve in that capacity, pending election of the body.
Unlike Mr. Lamiya, Mr. Sallah operates from the secretariat of the TCDA, he has convened and held executive committee meetings, congress meetings, as well as other meetings with TCDA Board of Trustees, and Tangale elders.
The Place Of Dog In Tangale Culture
No doubt, many people in Tangale land keep dogs either for surveillance, meat, or as pets.
Because of its significance in the land and culture, a special area in Kalmai town has been carved out and serves as Dog Market. Dogs are slaughtered there and the meat sold to buyers – in the same market, different delicacies are found, which are patronised by dog meat eaters.
In a phone interview with AFRICA PRIME NEWS, a former President of TCDA, Mr. Kastner Elsa Teleh, who also addressed the carnival on day-one said, “it is self-deception for anyone to think they can detach dog from the Tangale culture”.
Mr. Teleh said, prior to the event, the elders had reviewed the proposal and blueprint presented to them by organisers of Shag Bai and they “endorsed it because it is in tandem with the history and culture of the Tangale people.”
The elder said, “we are in full support of Shag Bai, that is why the elders asked me to represent them and make a presentation on the first day of the carnival.”
“Some people are seeing it as something alien to us, but it is part of our identity and it is not alien to us, except to those who are settlers here, and to people who do not know who we are. We cannot say no to it.”
