Kwita Izina: How gorilla naming reflects centuries’ old tradition

Not so long ago in Rwanda, when a child was born, it took eight days to give them a name, unlike today where they are named before they are born, and sometimes before they are conceived. This event was referred to as ‘Kwita izina’ (naming) and it was a very important ceremony where a child was fully integrated into the Rwandan society, because then, they had a name to answer to and to introduce themselves with. An important ceremony it was, kwita izina had to follow other rituals which included ‘kuva ku kiriri’, where the mother of the child was ‘a bit recovered’ and would then do a few household chores. This usually happened on the eighth day after giving birth, although some would do it before, on the fourth or sixth day, but never on an odd numbered day (such as day five and seven). It was also her first appearance outside the house after giving birth. Another ritual was ‘gusohora umwana’ (taking the child out), where the child was taken outside the house for the first time after they were born. This had to be on the eighth day, the same day the child was to be named. Both rituals were followed by ‘kurya ubunnyano’, where young children (currently referred to as school-aged) would be served sorghum cake with different vegetables including ‘isogi’ that were mixed with beans on a flat basket; and milk. After their meal, they would all propose names for the child. The neighbours and relatives such as grandparents would too. However, when all the guests left, in the middle of the night, the mother of the child and the father would have sex, a ritual known as ‘guterura umwana’ (carrying the child). After the practice, the father would hold the child and give them a name. Although the mother would name the child too, the name that was likely kept was that given by the father. If the woman gave birth while apart from the child’s father, she still had to go to his house for the ritual, because it was believed that if not done exactly like that, the child would not grow teeth. The child was named depending on what their namers, especially the parents, wished for them or what they thought about them. However, sometimes the name depended on the circumstances under which they were born, and the times the parents were going through, such as trouble, poverty, loss of a relative, happiness, and more. Sometimes, the child’s name reflected the relationship of their parents between neighbours, spouses; and their beliefs. This practice however has kept changing, and even faster in the last 25 years, according to Andre Ntagwabira, an archaeology research specialist at Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy. Most rituals were discarded because of different concerns such as health, but child naming in itself remains a respectable practice. “There are many things that have changed in child naming in this time. Children can be named even before they are born, and when the child is named, it is immediately written in hospital record books and the civil registry,” Ntagwabira said. He also pointed out other different changes in the rituals, most of which are forgotten and regarded unhealthy, such as ‘kuva ku kiriri’, where women now take months contrary to eight days. ‘Guterura umwana’ is also highly discouraged by health practitioners because it puts the mother’s health in serious danger and could cause several diseases. Currently, several health care providers recommend waiting to have sex until four to six weeks after delivery, contrary to eight days. “Some people now first research names for their children, and sometimes, they give them ‘family’ names to keep their lineage known. A child can now be named various Kinyarwanda names together with religious names in different languages and they still keep all of them. And it is no longer necessary for the father to be the sole namer. Both father and mother can now name the child,” Ntagwabira added. He also noted that the current changes in the child naming practice can be attributed to the evolution of the culture, rather than being forgotten, especially that in some areas of the country, rituals such as ‘kurya ubunnyano’ are still practiced. Kwita izina, however, was also adopted by the Rwandan government in 2005, as a means to give value to mountain gorillas, and the annual event has since gained global momentum. Grand achievers in Rwanda and beyond; and conservation champions are the official namers of baby gorillas, who do it in the presence of the locals and park staff. After only 17 years, the Kwita Izina event has contributed to the better treatment of gorillas, which has majorly led to the saying “witaweho nk’icyana cy’ingagi” (you’re being cared for like the child of a gorilla), which refers to one being well taken care of. This is probably because for species once targeted by hunters, enduring wars and diseases; and thoughts that they may be extinct by the end of the twentieth century, the gorilla treatment in Rwanda was a game changer. Rwanda Development Board (RDB) reports that efforts to protect gorillas in Rwanda have contributed to the increase in number of mountain gorillas worldwide to more than 1,000; and their categorisation as no longer critically endangered. Where do the names come from? Before the first official gorilla naming ceremony, park rangers and researchers named Rwanda’s mountain gorilla babies as part of monitoring each gorilla in their family and habitat for three decades. In an interview with The New Times, Prosper Uwingeli, the Chief Park Warden at the Volcanoes National Park, said nothing much has changed. He explained that gorilla trackers whose day-to-day responsibility is to ensure the daily being of gorilla groups, identifying their individual health issues, and recording new births, propose names of newly born gorillas. “The name may be referring to the personality of the mother, or any characteristic of the family that they are born into. Sometimes they may refer to a natural event happening in a family, and sometimes the time and circumstances of the birth,” Uwingeli said. He added that exceptional events, such as being born where there are visitors may also be based on when naming a baby gorilla. “Sometimes the name could be celebrating the work of a tracker, or the success of conservation, and community engagement,” Uwingeli added. Trackers from each family of gorillas propose a couple of names for newly born gorillas to the park management, which later sends them to RDB for approval, and officially given to the gorillas at Kwita Izina events. Uwingeli also explained that while gorillas do not answer to these names, they help the park staff in monitoring, researching and keeping their health records. All roads lead to Kinigi, Musanze District on Friday, September 2, where a total of 20 baby gorillas will be named. It is the first time in two years for a physical gathering after holding it virtually twice because of the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak.

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Kwita Izina: How gorilla naming reflects centuries’ old tradition