THE SPIRIT OF AGRICULTURE TRAVELS FROM MALI TO MARBLEHEAD

Our logo, the Chiwara, is an antelope figure of the Bambara (Bamana) people of Mali. The figure represents the historical spirit that taught humans the fundamentals of agriculture.

According to Bamana legend, Chiwara used his antlers and a pointed stick to dig into the earth, making it possible for humans to cultivate the land. Humans watched him and then tilled their soil. Chiwara used his hoofs to cover the seeds, and humans, observing closely, became experts at planting seeds. The Bamana farms became so bountiful that they had too much corn. They wasted it, thinking that it was easy to cultivate. Chiwara grew disappointed and buried himself in the earth. This disturbed the elders of the Bamana, who regretted that they had lost him. They then ordered a mask be made in memory of Chiwara to honor him for teaching them how to farm the land. Many elaborate headdresses have been created in his honor.

The Chiwara mask is held for the persons who are the best and fastest workers of the land, and so it is passed from one person to another depending on skill and expertise. Therefore, wearing the mask and ceremonial dance is a high honor. The dance, representing both male and female genders, commemorates Chiwara, with the dancers wearing beautifully carved headdresses representing antelopes. The dancers leap and turn, moving their heads and feet like the antelope, their movements grounded in hundreds of years of tradition.
(Source: The Encyclopedia Britannica)