Kissi people

The Kissi people are a West African ethnolinguistic group.[5] They are the fourth largest ethnic group in Guinea, making up 6.2% of the population.[6] Kissi people are also found in Liberia and Sierra Leone. They speak the Kissi language, which belongs to the Mel branch of the Niger–Congo language family.[7] The Kissi are well known for making baskets and weaving on vertical looms.  In past times they were also famous for their ironworking skills, as the country and its neighbors possess rich deposits of iron. Kissi smiths produced the famous "Kissi penny,"

Not to be confused with Kisi people or Kisii people.

Kissi
Orchestra of Kissi musicians in 1900
Total population
c. 1,224,545
Regions with significant populations
 Guinea798,429 (6.2%)[1]
 Liberia250,273 (4.8%)[2]
 Sierra Leone175,843 (4.5%) [3]
Languages
Kissi, French, English, Krio
Religion
Christianity, Traditional, Islam[4]
Related ethnic groups
Mende people, Loma people, Kpelle people, Mano people, Kono people, Vai people, Gbandi people

The Kissi people are also called Assi, Bakoa, Den, Gihi, Gisi, Gissi, Gizi, Kisi, Kisia, Kisie, Kisiye, Kizi, or Kalen[8][9]

History

According to The Peoples of Africa, Kissi tradition considers that before the seventeenth century they inhabited the Upper Niger region. Supposedly they lived south of the Futa Jallon until the Yalunka people expelled them. After 1600, they migrated westward, expelling the Limbas in their march, but were under constant threat from the Kurankos.[10]

Resistance to French conquest by Kissi Kaba Keita

In Guinea, the Kissi warrior Kissi Kaba Keita managed to unite many Kissi chiefdoms under his reign and resist French conquest for many years. Before French attacks, he had rallied the Kurankos of Morige and the Leles of Yombiro. When the French arrived in 1892, he had to let the relatively autonomous chiefs of the respective areas defend themselves. Due to the French's technological superiority, Kissi Kaba resorted mainly to guerilla tactics, thus delaying their conquest of his kingdom. Still, by 1893 he realized that his resistance would fail and subjected himself to the French, who then recognized him as chief of the northern Kissi territory. However, his relationship with the French gradually worsened, which led to them appointing his rivals in a number of his chiefdoms, and eventually to his execution in Siguiri.

Kissi children in Kissidougou (2019)

Religion and spiritual beliefs

Although many Kissi have converted to Christianity, most of them continue to practice their traditional ethnic religion. Ancestor worship or praying to deceased relatives is a common practice among the Kissi.  Many carved soapstone figures and heads were produced by the Kissi people in the past prior to colonial contact with the Europeans. It is not clear why they were made; some scholars argue that they form part of ancestor worship while others say they may represent gods to increase agricultural yields. A large number can be seen in the British Museum's collection.[11]

Kissi Surnames
  1. Balladouno
  2. Beindouno
  3. Bengoutieno
  4. Boakai
  5. Bolossiandouno
  6. Bongono 
  7. Bongouno
  8. Bouédouno
  9. Boundouno
  10. Bourouno
  11. Bramadouno
  12. Cécémadouno
  13. Danfagadouno
  14. Dembadouno
  15. Doufangadouno
  16. Dougbouno
  17. Dougouno
  18. Douno
  19. Doussandouno
  20. Fallah
  21. Fancinadouno
  22. Fangadouno
  23. Fangamadouno
  24. Fayiah
  25. Feindouno
  26. Fouédouno
  27. Foulo
  28. Frangadouno
  29. Fremessadouno
  30. Gbandélno
  31. Iffono
  32. Irandouno
  33. Kabadouno
  34. Kadouno
  35. Kagbadouno
  36. Kakpadouno
  37. Kamano
  38. Kamadouno
  39. Kambadouno
  40. Kambedouno
  41. Kandawadouno
  42. Kankadouno
  43. Kankodouno
  44. Kantabadouno
  45. Kantambadouno
  46. Kassadouno
  47. Kassossodouno
  48. Késsémadouno
  49. Kikano
  50. Kogbadouno
  51. Kombadouno
  52. Komano
  53. Kondano
  54. Kondiano
  55. Kondouno
  56. Koniono
  57. Kotémbadouno
  58. Kotémbèdouno
  59. Koumassadouno
  60. Koumbadouno
  61. Koundiano
  62. Koundouno
  63. Kouteno
  64. Lélano
  65. Léno
  66. Pawa
  67. Malano
  68. Mamadouno
  69. Mamboliano
  70. Mandouno
  71. Mano
  72. Mansadouno
  73. Massadouno
  74. Massandouno
  75. Millimono
  76. Millimouno
  77. Mongono
  78. Moudékéno
  79. Moundékéno
  80. Moussatèmbèdouno
  81. Nyumah
  82. Oliano
  83. Ouamono
  84. Ouamouno
  85. Ouéndeno
  86. Ouéndouno
  87. Sagno
  88. Sandouno
  89. Saninkoundouno
  90. Sayadouno
  91. Sayandouno
  92. Semadouno
  93. Sembèno
  94. Sevadouno
  95. Sewadouno
  96. Simbiano
  97. Solano
  98. Somadouno
  99. Somodouno
  100. Sondouno
  101. Songbono
  102. Sossoadouno
  103. Sossouadouno
  104. Souadouno
  105. Soumadouno
  106. Soumano
  107. Soyadouno
  108. Soyandouno
  109. Tagbino
  110. Tamba
  111. Tambadouno 
  112. Tédouno
  113. Teliano
  114. Tèmbèdouno
  115. Tèmèssadouno
  116. Teinguiano
  117. Teinkiano
  118. Tiguiano
  119. Togbadouno
  120. Togbodouno
  121. Toguiano
  122. Tolno
  123. Tonguino
  124. Toumadouno
  125. Toumandouno
  126. Toundoufédouno
  127. Toundouno
  128. Tounguino
  129. Woromadouno
  130. Woromandouno
  131. Yassadou
  132. Yaradouno
  133. Yarandouno
  134. Yilandouno
  135. Yokrodouno
  136. Yombouno
  137. Youmbouno
  138. Zéno

Notable Kissi people
  • Joseph Boakai, Liberian Politician & Former Vice President of Liberia from 2006 to 2018
  • Henri Camara, Senegalese footballer
  • Maxime Camara, Guinean footballer
  • Benjamin Feindouno, Guinean footballer
  • Pascal Feindouno, Guinean footballer
  • Simon Feindouno, Guinean footballer
  • Kai Abdul Foday, former Sierra Leonean politician
  • Aly Gilbert Iffono, Guinean author
  • Tamba Hali, Liberian and former defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs
  • Elie Kamano, Guinean musician
  • Amiral Dakk Kamano, Guinean-reggae musician
  • François Kamano, Guinean footballer
  • Mohamed Kamanor, Sierra Leonean footballer
  • Victor Kantabadouno, Guinean footballer
  • Kissi Kaba Keita, a warrior who resisted French conquest from 1892 on.
  • Claude Kory Kondiano, Guinean politician, Former Speaker of the House from 13 January 2014 – 22 April 2020.
  • Augustine Kortu, Sierra Leonean politician & nbsp; 
  • Sékou Koundouno, Guinean activist
  • Kai Londo, was a great Kissi warrior from Sierra Leone who conquered a large territory and ruled with wisdom in southern Sierra Leone.
  • Jean Paul Millimono, Guinean musician
  • Faya Lansana Millimouno, Guinean politician
  • Tamba Zacharie Millimouno, Guinean journalist
  • Tom Nyuma, a retired colonel in the Sierra Leonean Armed Forces, and the current council chairman of Kailahun District
  • Tamba Borbor-Sawyer, Sierra Leonean politician and a retired officer in the Sierra Leone Police.
  • Emmanuel Tolno, Guinean footballer
  • Sia Tolno, Guinean musician
  • Koumba Aviane Tonguino, Guinean musician
      • Samuel Fayiah Tengbeh Ngardu, Foya District - President of Liberia Community Asso. Oklahoma. USA
  • George Tengbeh - Foya District and Lofa County Senator

References
  1. "Guinea - The World Factbook". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  2. "Liberia - The World Factbook". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  3. "Sierra Leone 2015 Population and Housing Census National Analytical Report" (PDF). Statistics Sierra Leone. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  4. "Liberia Liberia Ethnicity". hub.arcgis.com. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  5. Peter Austin (2008). One Thousand Languages: Living, Endangered, and Lost. University of California Press. p. 84. ISBN 978-0520-25-560-9.
  6. "The World Factbook – Central Intelligence Agency". Cia.gov. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  7. Bankole Kamara Taylor (2014). Sierra Leone: The Land, Its People and History. New Africa Press. p. 149. ISBN 978-9987-16-038-9.
  8. George Tucker Childs (22 July 2011). A Grammar of Kisi. Walter de Gruyter. p. 1. ISBN 978-3110-81-088-2.
  9. RAMEAU, BnF
  10. James Stuart Olsen (1996). The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Greenwood Press. p. 290. ISBN 978-0313-27-918-8.
  11. British Museum Collection
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