Cynthia MaiWa Sitei

spear of a nation

In her ongoing series spear of a nation (2021), Cynthia MaiWa Sitei responds to the archive of British Social Anthropologist Edward Eva Evans-Pritchard (1902 – 1973), held at Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford. In 1936 Evans-Pritchard travelled to Luoland in the Nyanza region of Kenya and took 307 photographs of the Luo people who lived there. In his notation to the photographs, Evans-Pritchard describes those who were dressed in Westernised clothes as ‘dignified men’, ‘well-dressed’ and ‘civilised’. Those in Luo dressing, which Evans-Pritchard describes as ‘costumes’, are ‘primitive’ and ‘possessed by spirits.’

MaiWa used photography to consider the different ways in which identities are formed. In spear of a nation, she navigates and critically reflects on her own culture, both through the colonial legacies of Evans-Pritchard’s work, and contemporary choices in self-presentation. In so doing, she questions notions of assimilation and acculturation among Kenyans today and suggests “new” approaches to working with the archives and historical visual records.

What happens when those who are seen never get to see themselves and how they are portrayed and exhibited? In Evans-Pritchard’s photographs, one can argue that the Luo were culturally changed if not “Westernised” in their way of life. They had adopted biblical names and a Christian education and so their identities had begun to change. As was encouraged by the missionaries, people dressed in European clothes and traditional personal adornments and cultural practices were increasingly shunned as less civilised than European culture.

Portrait of one of the most important and well-known early twentieth century Luo leaders. Chief Ogada of Kisumu, seated on a European chair against a backdrop of the administrative building in Kisumu. Image by Charles William Hobley, 1902

I guess what I want people to know and essentially what I am presenting in spear of a nation is that, as a visual artist when working with the archive especially like the one of Evans-Pritchard which is coming from and was certainly intended for an academic audience and dealing with historical imagery, facts and truth for that matter, you will be prone to making mistakes otherwise how else can you grow and develop yourself as an artist or documentary photographer in this competitive world. My mistake was in not giving this work its required amount of time and attention because I was otherwise engaged with other work commitments. And as I continue to learn about his work, I know that he also made a lot of mistakes and especially with this work on the Luo people. He fully acknowledged that his data was ‘sketchy’ and ‘superficial’.

Another important fact that I like about Evans-Pritchard’s fieldwork photographs of his time in Luoland, 1936 is how multifaceted the archival collection is. When you really take the time to deeply look at the images, you slowly start to realise that there is an abundance of visual information that is available for consideration. My interest in his work is not to celebrate a long-forgotten and recently found photographers, no. Evans-Pritchard was not a photographer, visual artist, or documentary photographer for that matter, he was a social anthropologist who used the medium of photography to provide direct evidence of interactions with the communities and different cultures with which he worked with. And he did it so well because he’s left behind a collection that is in plentiful in every thought possible and which has a lot of potential to be looked at and developed further by academics, visual artists such as myself and more.

On this work on the Luo people, he did not leave a lot of published ethnographies or written information which I find confusing and that which he left was ‘sketchy’ and superficial’ and which resulted in him being called out for the misinterpretations of the Luo people and their political structures.

As spear of a nation continues to develop, questions around Power, Human Perception & Imagination, as well as Authority come into the work. What initially started off with me questioning how Evans-Pritchard could “assume” an identity of the Luo people based on their way of dressing only after spending up to six weeks with them, and me questioning why the Luo people assimilated into the Western culture so quickly and changed their ways has completely evolved.

What inspired me to work with Evans-Pritchard’s archival collection and develop spear of a nation was sparked through conversations. We come from two different tribes my siblings and I - our mother is Bantu, from the Taita and which we relate to the most because we were raised by our mother, aunties, and grandparents. And our father who wasn’t in the picture is Nandi, from the Kalenjin tribe also known as the long-distance runners of the world. My siblings and I have very little memory and connection with this part of our bloodline be we are aware that it’s a part of our identity and so my brother and I through conversations were talking about this part of our culture and tradition that we don’t know much about.

And that’s when I stumbled upon Evans-Pritchard’s work on the Nandi speaking people of Kenya and this was actually the first image that I saw of the women and children standing in attention and looking directly at the camera. I was fascinated. I was intrigued. I was curious, and I had a lot of questions. But I was mostly struck by his images – this one in particularly brought a lot of memories of my time in boarding school. Almost every Kenyan I know has gone to boarding school from primary to high school, it’s very common.

While at school, when a teacher or a person of authority walked in front of you or wanted your attention – whether you respected this person or not, or liked or didn’t like this person, that did not matter. What you had to do was stand up straight and give them the attention they required and needed from you and so what struck me in this image was the women and children’s gaze. Only three women look somewhat pleased of having their picture taken but the others’ gaze can speak a thousand words – they almost look like they would rather not be there. Just like how I felt whenever our wretched school principal would require my attention which was often for punishments.

And so, I painted their headscarves.

On Human Perception & Imagination – through research, I came to learn that in the late 1800 and early 1900 when the British government started entering and occupying spaces in Kenya and other countries in Africa, The Luo diviners who wielded considerable influence during the Per-European days foretold of the coming of marvellous ‘red strangers’, who were supposed to emerge from the sea and the people were advised against showing any hostility to the intruders lest they incur the wrath of the ancestors. And so, when I was questioning why the Luo assimilated into the Western culture very quickly, I had little to no knowledge of this. This is why the Luo people welcomed the Europeans cordially and cooperated with the administration in every way.

However, things would change after they fought in the first world war. And so, my understanding of the Luo through Evans-Pritchard’s collection and published works by other ethnographers on the Luo people is evolving as I continue to develop this body of work. I let the research guide spear of a nation just as much as the archive of Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard.

When people look at my response to Evans-Pritchard’s archive, I am curious what they take from it? I’m curious what conversations they are having with themselves or whoever that is with them about the work. I am curious because I’m often questioning my own visual literacy when I am reading Evans-Pritchard’s images of the Luo people and especially because they are dealing with historical backgrounds and facts. With this work, I am always battling with this question, ‘Are we culturally attuned to read and understand images?’ And if we are, ‘does our perception and imagination of different cultures in this case Luo people equal our understanding and knowledge of them?’

Install shot from V&A Parasol Foundation Prize for Women in Photography Exhibition at Peckham 24 Festival in Copeland Gallery 2023. 

In her ongoing series spear of a nation (2021), Cynthia MaiWa Sitei responds to the archive of British Social Anthropologist Edward Eva Evans-Pritchard (1902 – 1973), held at Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford. In 1936 Evans-Pritchard travelled to Luoland in the Nyanza region of Kenya and took 307 photographs of the Luo people who lived there. In his notation to the photographs, Evans-Pritchard describes those who were dressed in Westernised clothes as ‘dignified men’, ‘well-dressed’ and ‘civilised’. Those in Luo dressing, which Evans-Pritchard describes as ‘costumes’, are ‘primitive’ and ‘possessed by spirits.’

MaiWa used photography to consider the different ways in which identities are formed. In spear of a nation, she navigates and critically reflects on her own culture, both through the colonial legacies of Evans-Pritchard’s work, and contemporary choices in self-presentation. In so doing, she questions notions of assimilation and acculturation among Kenyans today and suggests “new” approaches to working with the archives and historical visual records.

What happens when those who are seen never get to see themselves and how they are portrayed and exhibited? In Evans-Pritchard’s photographs, one can argue that the Luo were culturally changed if not “Westernised” in their way of life. They had adopted biblical names and a Christian education and so their identities had begun to change. As was encouraged by the missionaries, people dressed in European clothes and traditional personal adornments and cultural practices were increasingly shunned as less civilised than European culture.

Portrait of one of the most important and well-known early twentieth century Luo leaders. Chief Ogada of Kisumu, seated on a European chair against a backdrop of the administrative building in Kisumu. Image by Charles William Hobley, 1902

Charles William Hobley, 1902. [1998.206.4.8] © Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford. 

A head and shoulders profile portrait of one of the most important and well-known early twentieth century Luo leaders, Chief Ogada of Kisumu clan, seated on a European chair against the backdrop of the administrative building in Kisumu. His hide body covering is elaborately decorated with small beads. Ogada gave Hobley a detailed description of his personal ornaments as seen in this photograph, including stone neck beads (tik ng'ut), bead and metal earrings (ngaga) and armlets (minyonge). His cleanly shaved head is strange since chiefs covered their heads with head gear as a sign of authority. Caption credit Gilbert Oteyo 21/04/2005 & Christopher Morton 24/04/2007.

I guess what I want people to know and essentially what I am presenting in spear of a nation is that, as a visual artist when working with the archive especially like the one of Evans-Pritchard which is coming from and was certainly intended for an academic audience and dealing with historical imagery, facts and truth for that matter, you will be prone to making mistakes otherwise how else can you grow and develop yourself as an artist or documentary photographer in this competitive world. My mistake was in not giving this work its required amount of time and attention because I was otherwise engaged with other work commitments. And as I continue to learn about his work, I know that he also made a lot of mistakes and especially with this work on the Luo people. He fully acknowledged that his data was ‘sketchy’ and ‘superficial’.

Another important fact that I like about Evans-Pritchard’s fieldwork photographs of his time in Luoland, 1936 is how multifaceted the archival collection is. When you really take the time to deeply look at the images, you slowly start to realise that there is an abundance of visual information that is available for consideration. My interest in his work is not to celebrate a long-forgotten and recently found photographers, no. Evans-Pritchard was not a photographer, visual artist, or documentary photographer for that matter, he was a social anthropologist who used the medium of photography to provide direct evidence of interactions with the communities and different cultures with which he worked with. And he did it so well because he’s left behind a collection that is in plentiful in every thought possible and which has a lot of potential to be looked at and developed further by academics, visual artists such as myself and more.

On this work on the Luo people, he did not leave a lot of published ethnographies or written information which I find confusing and that which he left was ‘sketchy’ and superficial’ and which resulted in him being called out for the misinterpretations of the Luo people and their political structures.

As spear of a nation continues to develop, questions around Power, Human Perception & Imagination, as well as Authority come into the work. What initially started off with me questioning how Evans-Pritchard could “assume” an identity of the Luo people based on their way of dressing only after spending up to six weeks with them, and me questioning why the Luo people assimilated into the Western culture so quickly and changed their ways has completely evolved.

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard, 1936. [1998.349.125.1] © Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford. 

A car parked on a dirt road, packed with equipment. This is probably the car (registration number B 6895) used to transport Evans-Pritchard on his tour around Luo country in 1936. Caption credit Christopher Morton 29/03/2007.

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard 1936. [1998.349.186.1] © Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford.

The original note indicates that this is 'Samuel's family'. Of course, Luo men had many wives and children, but this is certainly too big for one man's family. It must therefore be understood in the context of the African extended family where these women would include his wife, daughters, mother, stepmothers, brothers' wives etc. We do not know who Samuel was or where he comes from. The young girl is attending a mission school she has a school badge with cross sign. The women are all dressed in European dresses, and all wear headscarf’s (kitamba). But most of them wear bead necklaces (tik ng'ut) which were often considered to be traditional and some of these beads are a mixture of colours and sizes. However, they wear nothing on their feet. Caption credit Gilbert Oteyo 9/9/2004.

What inspired me to work with Evans-Pritchard’s archival collection and develop spear of a nation was sparked through conversations. We come from two different tribes my siblings and I - our mother is Bantu, from the Taita and which we relate to the most because we were raised by our mother, aunties, and grandparents. And our father who wasn’t in the picture is Nandi, from the Kalenjin tribe also known as the long-distance runners of the world. My siblings and I have very little memory and connection with this part of our bloodline be we are aware that it’s a part of our identity and so my brother and I through conversations were talking about this part of our culture and tradition that we don’t know much about.

And that’s when I stumbled upon Evans-Pritchard’s work on the Nandi speaking people of Kenya and this was actually the first image that I saw of the women and children standing in attention and looking directly at the camera. I was fascinated. I was intrigued. I was curious, and I had a lot of questions. But I was mostly struck by his images – this one in particularly brought a lot of memories of my time in boarding school. Almost every Kenyan I know has gone to boarding school from primary to high school, it’s very common.

While at school, when a teacher or a person of authority walked in front of you or wanted your attention – whether you respected this person or not, or liked or didn’t like this person, that did not matter. What you had to do was stand up straight and give them the attention they required and needed from you and so what struck me in this image was the women and children’s gaze. Only three women look somewhat pleased of having their picture taken but the others’ gaze can speak a thousand words – they almost look like they would rather not be there. Just like how I felt whenever our wretched school principal would require my attention which was often for punishments.

And so, I painted their headscarves.

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard 1936. [1998.349.235.1] © Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford.

A portrait of a Luo man (identified as Peter) wearing European clothing, including a tie, tiepin, pen in his pocket and a wrist-watch - all items which mark him out as an employee of the colonial administration. He is standing in front of the vehicle used to transport Evans-Pritchard during his tour of Luo country. Caption credit Christopher Morton 11/04/2007.

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard 1936. [1998.349.81.1] © Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford. 

A portrait of a Luo woman (possibly identified as Lenya) from Gangu village, wearing a beadwork headdress (ligisa). The ligisa headdress is open at the top, made of vegetable fibre and sticks, and decorated with glass beads (tigo). She is also smoking tobacco using a long stem (ondhuru) connected to a clay pipebowl (kwesi). Her forehead is also decorated with scarification spots (ngo'l) in horizontal parallel lines (see also 1998.349.113). Behind her is a plantation of a type of sorghum (bel) showing their grain heads and probably ready for harvesting. Caption credit Gilbert Oteyo 9/9/2004.

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard 1936. [1998.349.34.1] © Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford.

A portrait of a seated elder identified as Owoi (may be Owuor or Owor also in Luo), with another seated man just visible to the right. As well as holding a walking stick, Owoi is wearing a number of rings (minyonge) on both wrists and a tusk ornament around his neck. Caption credit Gilbert Oteyo 9/9/2004.

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard 1936. [1998.349.8.1] © Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford.

A man posing for a photograph with traditional Luo thatch huts in the background. He is wearing a metal crucifix which was an adornment of new catholic converts. Caption credit Gilbert Oteyo 9/9/2004.

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard 1936. [1998.349.51.1] © Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford. 

A hut in a Luo homestead with baskets to one side, described as the 'medicine hut of huts' belonging to Chief Ezekiel Onyango of Kadimo in Yimbo Location. The building is of excellent construction and is a traditional Luo hut with a well-made thatch and strapped with strings to prevent the thatch being blown away by the wind. Caption credit Gilbert Oteyo 9/9/2004.

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard, 1936. [1998.349.166.1] © Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford.

A group portrait of three men from Kogelo Clan (Jokogelo) in Alego Location. Their names are not given but they look very Westernized from their clothing. Caption credit Gilbert Oteyo 9/9/2004.

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard, 1936. [1998.349.323] © Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford.  

A portrait of a youth standing in the yard of a colonial station in mountainous country. The location is uncertain, but probably Kenya. Caption credit Christopher Morton 23/04/2007.

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard, 1936. [1998.349.322] © Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford.  

A portrait of a youth standing in the yard of a colonial station in mountainous country. The location is uncertain, but probably Kenya. Caption credit Christopher Morton 23/04/2007.

On Human Perception & Imagination – through research, I came to learn that in the late 1800 and early 1900 when the British government started entering and occupying spaces in Kenya and other countries in Africa, The Luo diviners who wielded considerable influence during the Per-European days foretold of the coming of marvellous ‘red strangers’, who were supposed to emerge from the sea and the people were advised against showing any hostility to the intruders lest they incur the wrath of the ancestors. And so, when I was questioning why the Luo assimilated into the Western culture very quickly, I had little to no knowledge of this. This is why the Luo people welcomed the Europeans cordially and cooperated with the administration in every way.

However, things would change after they fought in the first world war. And so, my understanding of the Luo through Evans-Pritchard’s collection and published works by other ethnographers on the Luo people is evolving as I continue to develop this body of work. I let the research guide spear of a nation just as much as the archive of Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard.

When people look at my response to Evans-Pritchard’s archive, I am curious what they take from it? I’m curious what conversations they are having with themselves or whoever that is with them about the work. I am curious because I’m often questioning my own visual literacy when I am reading Evans-Pritchard’s images of the Luo people and especially because they are dealing with historical backgrounds and facts. With this work, I am always battling with this question, ‘Are we culturally attuned to read and understand images?’ And if we are, ‘does our perception and imagination of different cultures in this case Luo people equal our understanding and knowledge of them?’

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard, 1936. [1998.349.163.1] © Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford.  

An informal group photograph of men gathered to talk and drink around a communal beer pot in a host's homestead. The men are dressed in two distinct ways - ones in European clothing and ones in Luo clothing. A noticeable thing is that the ones dressed in Luo costume are seated on the ground, whereas those in European shirts are seated on higher-status chairs. One man has an animal skin lap (pien) on his lower body from the waist and also has wrist rings (minyonge) on his left hand. Two or so of this group also have bead necklaces (tik ng'ut) around their neck. But the important thing is that these people are communally drinking a local brew (kong'o) which is poured into a large pot (mbiru) and around which all the men gather to drink using long reed straws (oseke) This activity was done during an important clan or family meeting but was also popular when a family or clan got together informally. Caption credit  Gilbert Oteyo 9/9/2004 & Christopher Morton 03/04/2007.

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard, 1936. [1998.349.151.1] © Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford. 

A group of six schoolchildren of Mulaha School posed for a photograph, one wearing the badge of the school on his uniform, a cross on a shield. It seems likely that they are posed like this due to the visit of Evans-Pritchard and his host Archdeacon Owen. Caption credit Gilbert Oteyo 9/9/2004 & Christopher Morton 23/03/2007

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard, 1936. [1998.349.112.1] © Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford. 

An old Luo man (identified as Moussa) standing outside a homestead, fenced with euphorbia trees and banana. The old man is wearing an animal hide hat (ogut pien) and a wreath of shrubs around his neck (may be bombwe as in 1998.349.18 and 31). An animal hide is hanging from his neck to cover his front parts (see also the old man in 1998.349.85). He is supporting himself on his walking stick (luth) and is holding a hitting club (rungu) under his left arm. On the same hand he is holding a smoking pipe (kwesi). Both his wrists are full of wrist bangles or rings (minyonge). This tradition of wearing bombwe suggests that this man is a jamumbo, or one who is possessed by the spirit called mumbo. Caption credit Gilbert Oteyo 9/9/2004.

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard, 1936. [1998.349.160.1] © Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford.

These three young men, all dressed in European clothing, are described as from Kogelo clan of Alego Location. Caption credit Gilbert Oteyo 9/9/2004.

Edward Evan Evans-Pritchard, 1936. [1998.349.58.1] © Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford.

A portrait of a man wearing Luo ornamentation, on the road next to a vehicle. On his head is worn a bead work hat (ogut tigo) with the extended skin ledge in which warthog teeth (leke njiri) are stuck protruding out and curving upwards. The ears are adorned with multicoloured beads sewn on a tiny chain usually forming a beautiful earring (ngaga) for old men. He has a walking stick on the shoulder (okwajo) on which he is hanging a woven shopping basket (okapo). He has a necklace (rek) made of ostrich eggshell, and a round block of something suspended on the necklace as well. He also has a sheathed dagger hanging a cross his shoulder. There is a metal wrist ring (minyonge), and the fingers are all heavily adorned with all sorts of metal rings (tere). His bodily clothing remains mainly European. Caption credit Gilbert Oteyo 9/9/2004.

Install shot from V&A Parasol Foundation Prize for Women in Photography Exhibition at Peckham 24 Festival in Copeland Gallery 2023

Install shot from V&A Parasol Foundation Prize for women in photography exhibition at Peckham 24 festival in Copeland Gallery 2023

REGENERATE: Noorderlicht International Photo Festival in Akerk, Groningen. Netherlands, 2023. 

REGENERATE: Noorderlicht International Photo Festival in Akerk, Groningen. Netherlands, 2023.

REGENERATE: Noorderlicht International Photo Festival in Akerk, Groningen. Netherlands, 2023.

JACK ARTS, part of BUILDHOLLYWOOD for The Photographer's Gallery New Talent 23

JACK ARTS, part of BUILDHOLLYWOOD for The Photographer's Gallery New Talent 23

JACK ARTS, part of BUILDHOLLYWOOD for The Photographer's Gallery New Talent 23

JACK ARTS, part of BUILDHOLLYWOOD for The Photographer's Gallery New Talent 23

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