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mano | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Orchestra of Kissi musicians in 1900 | |
| Total population | |
| c. 1,224,545 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Guinea | 798,429 (6.2%)[1] |
 Liberia | 250,273 (4.8%)[2] |
 Sierra Leone | 175,843 (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 | |
TheKissi people are aWest Africanethnolinguistic group.[5] They are the fourth largest ethnic group inGuinea, making up 6.2% of the population.[6] Kissi people are also found inLiberia andSierra Leone. They speak theKissi language, which belongs to the Mel branch of theNiger–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 possessed rich iron deposits. Kissi smiths produced the "Kissi penny."
The Kissi people are also calledAssi,Bakoa,Den,Gihi,Gisi,Gissi,Gizi,Kisi,Kisia,Kisie,Kisiye,Kizi, orKalen[8][9]
According toThe Peoples of Africa, Kissi tradition considers that before the seventeenth century, they inhabited the Upper Niger region. Supposedly, they lived south of theFuta Jallon until theYalunka people expelled them. After 1600, they migrated westward, expelling theLimbas in their march, but were under constant threat from theKurankos.[10]
In Guinea, the Kissi warriorKissi Kaba Keita managed to unite many Kissi chiefdoms under his reign and resist French conquest for many years. Before French attacks, he had rallied theKurankos of Morige and theLeles ofYombiro. 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 recognized him as chief of the northern Kissi territory. However, his relationship with the French gradually worsened, leading to them appointing his rivals in several of his chiefdoms and eventually to his execution inSiguiri.
Although many Kissi have converted to Christianity, most continue practicing their traditional ethnic religion.Ancestor worship or praying to deceased relatives is common among the Kissi. The Kissi people produced many carvedsoapstone figures and heads before colonial contact with the Europeans. It is unclear 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 theBritish Museum's collection.[11]
