{"id":6019,"date":"2026-09-03T02:51:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T02:51:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edomaye.com\/?p=6019"},"modified":"2026-09-03T02:51:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T02:51:19","slug":"edomaye-legacy-foundation-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edomaye.com\/fr\/edomaye-legacy-foundation-2\/","title":{"rendered":"\u1eb8DOMAYE LEGACY FOUNDATION"},"content":{"rendered":"

SEPTEMBER 2026 NEWSLETTER<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

PRESERVING OUR LANGUAGE \u2022 PROTECTING OUR HERITAGE \u2022 EDUCATING OUR FUTURE<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cForward Ever, Backward Never.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WE ARE IN BENIN<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

FROM THE FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A NEW MONTH, A CONTINUING MISSION<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

September is another opportunity for us to look forward while remembering where we came from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At \u1eb8domaye Legacy Foundation, our work is built on a simple conviction: a people cannot confidently build their future if they allow their language, history, traditions and ancestral knowledge to disappear.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our responsibility is therefore not simply to talk about our heritage. It is to document it, teach it, preserve it and make it accessible to the next generation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u1eb8domaye platform continues to bring together language education, cultural documentation, historical storytelling and digital learning. Our work covers the \u1eb8do language, Benin history, traditional knowledge, proverbs, numerals, music, festivals, arts and other dimensions of our cultural inheritance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This September, we renew our commitment to that mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We invite parents to speak \u1eb8do with their children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We invite young people to learn the language of their ancestors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We invite teachers to bring indigenous knowledge into education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We invite researchers to examine our traditions carefully and responsibly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And we invite \u1eb8do people everywhere to become custodians\u2014not merely consumers\u2014of our heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our heritage belongs to the generations before us, to us, and to those yet unborn.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forward ever, backward never.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

OTO THE WRITER<\/strong>
Founder & Executive Director<\/strong>
\u1eb8domaye Legacy Foundation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

1. THE \u1eb8DOMAYE MISSION<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

\u1eb8domaye Legacy Foundation exists to help preserve and promote the heritage of the Benin Kingdom and the wider cultural and linguistic heritage represented through our work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our programme areas include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LANGUAGE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Preserving, teaching and promoting the \u1eb8do language through lessons, vocabulary, numerals, pronunciation, greetings, proverbs and educational materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HISTORY<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Documenting and presenting the history of the Great Benin Kingdom through accessible educational resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CULTURAL HERITAGE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Recording traditions, festivals, music, arts, oral history and indigenous knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EDUCATION<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Developing resources for children, teachers, families, researchers and heritage learners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DIGITAL PRESERVATION<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Using websites, social media, digital publications and online learning to take \u1eb8do heritage to a global audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Foundation’s public mission is centred on bringing the heritage and rich culture of the Benin Kingdom to wider audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

2. LANGUAGE IS HERITAGE<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

If the language disappears, part of the memory disappears with it.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of \u1eb8domaye’s strongest areas of work is the preservation and teaching of the \u1eb8do language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Language carries much more than words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It carries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • family relationships;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • ancestral knowledge;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • traditional greetings;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • values;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • proverbs;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • history;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • humour;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • worldview;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • identity;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • ceremonies; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • the accumulated wisdom of generations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    That is why learning \u1eb8do is not simply learning another language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It is reconnecting with a cultural inheritance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u1eb8domaye continues to develop learning materials covering \u1eb8do vocabulary, numerals, alphabetic and orthographic work, proverbs, expressions and practical communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    3. OUR ANCESTRAL GREETINGS PROJECT<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

    One of the areas receiving particular attention is the documentation and study of \u1eb8do ancestral greetings and family greeting traditions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Greetings are not merely polite expressions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    They can reveal:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • age relationships;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • family structure;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • respect;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • social position;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • gendered forms of interaction;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • ceremonial expectations; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • relationships between generations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      \u1eb8domaye’s objective is to document such traditions carefully rather than allowing important oral knowledge to disappear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Where questions of origin, meaning or historical development arise, the Foundation’s position is that such matters should be subjected to careful linguistic, oral-historical and scholarly examination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      We preserve first. We investigate deeply. We teach responsibly.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n

      4. THE GREAT BENIN KINGDOM<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

      A civilization worthy of serious study<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      The history of the Benin Kingdom is one of the central pillars of \u1eb8domaye’s educational work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Our publications and learning resources address subjects including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • the origins and development of the Benin Kingdom;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • the Ogiso period;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • the rise of the Oba system;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Benin political organization;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • royal institutions;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Benin art;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • the Benin Bronzes;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • traditional festivals;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • music and dance;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • indigenous knowledge; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • the continuing cultural legacy of Benin.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        \u1eb8domaye’s existing educational catalogue includes resources on the Ogiso Dynasty, the rise of the Oba system, the origin of the Benin Kingdom and Benin art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The purpose is not simply to celebrate the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        It is to understand it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n\n\n\n

        5. FEATURE: THE GREAT BENIN EARTHWORKS \u2014 IYA<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

        Africa’s Forgotten Monumental Heritage<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        The Great Benin Earthworks\u2014known in the \u1eb8domaye research programme as IYA<\/strong>\u2014represent one of the most important subjects in our continuing heritage documentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The earthworks raise fundamental questions about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • landscape engineering;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • settlement organization;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • defence;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • labour organization;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • environmental management;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • political authority;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • indigenous engineering knowledge; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • the historical geography of Benin.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          \u1eb8domaye’s continuing work seeks to bring this subject into public educational discussion and encourage deeper documentation and research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          OUR POSITION<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          The story of Africa must not be told only through the records left by outsiders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          African landscapes, oral traditions, archaeological evidence, indigenous knowledge and local historical memory all deserve serious consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          IYA is not merely an earthwork. It is a question of memory, engineering, civilization and historical recognition.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n\n\n\n

          6. THE BENIN BRONZES<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

          The Benin Bronzes are among the world’s best-known examples of African court art and historical craftsmanship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          They are also historical records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Through plaques, commemorative heads and other works, Benin artists recorded aspects of royal authority, court life, ceremonies, lineage and political history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          The 1897 British Punitive Expedition resulted in the looting and dispersal of thousands of objects from Benin, creating an enduring international debate over restitution and cultural justice. \u1eb8domaye’s educational material addresses both the artistic significance of the bronzes and the continuing restitution discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          For \u1eb8domaye:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Cultural heritage is not dead property. It is memory.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n\n\n\n

          7. \u1eb8DOMAYE DIGITAL ACADEMY<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

          BUILDING THE FUTURE OF \u1eb8DO LANGUAGE AND HERITAGE EDUCATION<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          The future of indigenous-language education must include digital technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          The \u1eb8domaye Digital Academy is part of this vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Our goal is to create accessible learning opportunities through:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • online lessons;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • language materials;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • audio learning;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • cultural education;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • digital publications;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • heritage storytelling;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • structured courses; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • educational media.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            The \u1eb8domaye website already presents language learning and heritage education as core elements of its platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            The objective is straightforward:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Take \u1eb8do language and Benin heritage into the digital age without losing their cultural identity.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
            \n\n\n\n

            8. TEACHING THE NEXT GENERATION<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

            OUR CHILDREN MUST KNOW WHO THEY ARE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

            A language survives when children use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            A tradition survives when children understand it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            A culture survives when children inherit it with knowledge rather than embarrassment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Parents can begin at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            START SMALL:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            One \u1eb8do word a day.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            One \u1eb8do greeting every morning.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            One proverb every week.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            One family story every weekend.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            One traditional song.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            One historical lesson.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Small actions repeated consistently can produce a generation that understands its heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \u1eb8domaye’s educational resources specifically address the challenge of raising \u1eb8do-speaking children, including the role of home routines, storytelling, cultural activities and digital tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n\n\n\n

            9. EDO NUMERALS AND LANGUAGE LEARNING<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

            Language learning must include more than greetings and isolated vocabulary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \u1eb8domaye is developing educational materials covering the \u1eb8do counting system and practical numerical usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Numbers are part of everyday communication:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            • counting;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • buying and selling;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • telling time;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • teaching children;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • describing quantities;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • traditional activities; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • cultural expressions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              Our Edo numbers resource presents the counting system together with pronunciation, number formation and practical exercises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              LANGUAGE LEARNING CHALLENGE<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

              This September, learn your \u1eb8do numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Learn them. Say them. Write them. Teach them.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n\n\n\n

              10. PROVERBS: THE VOICE OF ANCESTRAL WISDOM<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

              An \u1eb8do proverb can carry an entire lesson in a few words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Proverbs preserve:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n
              • ethics;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • social values;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • wisdom;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • humour;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • discipline;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • cooperation;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • respect;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • responsibility; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • community knowledge.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                \u1eb8domaye’s work on \u1eb8do proverbs treats them as important vehicles for cultural knowledge and moral education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                THIS MONTH’S MESSAGE:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                Do not allow ancestral wisdom to remain locked in the memories of the elderly.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Translate carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Teach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Preserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n\n\n\n

                11. MUSIC, DRUMS AND DANCE<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

                Culture is not only written.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                It is also heard, seen and performed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u1eb8do music, drums and dance transmit history, ceremony, identity and community values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Traditional instruments and performance traditions form part of this cultural inheritance, while contemporary \u1eb8do musicians continue to adapt traditional influences to modern forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \u1eb8domaye therefore recognizes cultural preservation as a living process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                We preserve tradition while allowing responsible creativity.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n\n\n\n

                12. RESEARCH, DOCUMENTATION AND ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

                \u1eb8domaye believes that cultural preservation becomes stronger when community knowledge and academic research work together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Our long-term direction includes engagement with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \n
                • linguists;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • historians;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • anthropologists;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • archaeologists;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • educators;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • traditional knowledge holders;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • cultural institutions;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • schools;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • universities; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • members of the \u1eb8do diaspora.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                  The Foundation welcomes responsible scholarly examination of questions concerning \u1eb8do language, history and heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  OUR PRINCIPLE:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                  CLAIMS MUST BE DOCUMENTED.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  TRADITIONS MUST BE RESPECTED.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  EVIDENCE MUST BE EXAMINED.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  KNOWLEDGE MUST BE PRESERVED.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  \n\n\n\n

                  13. SEPTEMBER COMMUNITY CALL<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

                  \u1eb8domaye Legacy Foundation invites members of the public to participate in heritage preservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                  If you possess:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    \n
                  • old \u1eb8do words;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • family expressions;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • ancestral greetings;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • oral histories;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • traditional songs;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • photographs;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • historical documents;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • family stories;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • traditional knowledge; or<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  • information about important cultural sites,<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                    do not assume that someone else has already preserved it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    The knowledge in your family may be lost if nobody records it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    DOCUMENT YOUR HERITAGE.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    TEACH YOUR CHILDREN.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    SHARE RESPONSIBLY.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    PRESERVE FOR THE FUTURE.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                    \n\n\n\n

                    14. SEPTEMBER’S FIVE HERITAGE ACTIONS<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

                    1. SPEAK<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    Use \u1eb8do at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    2. LEARN<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    Study at least one new \u1eb8do word every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    3. RECORD<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    Write down an oral tradition from an elder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    4. TEACH<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    Pass one piece of cultural knowledge to a child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    5. SHARE<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    Help another person discover \u1eb8do language and Benin heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    \n\n\n\n

                    15. \u1eb8DOMAYE ONLINE<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

                    The \u1eb8domaye digital platform continues to provide access to language and heritage resources, including educational publications covering Edo language, numerals, proverbs, history, festivals, music and Benin heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    VISIT:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    \u1eb8DOMAYE.COM<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    Explore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    Learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    Read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    Teach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    Share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    Preserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    \n\n\n\n

                    16. OUR SEPTEMBER MESSAGE<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

                    We do not preserve heritage because we are trapped in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    We preserve heritage because the future needs a foundation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    We do not teach \u1eb8do merely because it is an old language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    We teach it because it remains a carrier of identity, memory and knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    We do not study Benin history merely to boast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    We study it because every generation deserves the opportunity to understand its own historical inheritance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    And we do not preserve culture for ourselves alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    WE PRESERVE FOR THOSE YET UNBORN.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                    \n\n\n\n

                    17. THE \u1eb8DOMAYE PLEDGE<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

                    I WILL LEARN.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    I WILL TEACH.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    I WILL DOCUMENT.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    I WILL PRESERVE.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    I WILL PASS IT ON.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    \u1eb8do language.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    Benin history.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    Our heritage.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    Our responsibility.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    \n\n\n\n

                    18. FINAL WORD FROM THE FOUNDATION<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

                    The work of cultural preservation is rarely completed in one year, one book, one lesson or one generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    It is a relay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    Our ancestors carried the knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    Our parents carried some of it forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    Now the responsibility is ours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    And tomorrow, it will belong to our children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    Let us therefore carry the heritage forward\u2014not as a burden, but as a responsibility and a source of knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    \u1eb8DOMAYE LEGACY FOUNDATION<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                    PRESERVING OUR LANGUAGE.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    PROTECTING OUR HERITAGE.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    EDUCATING OUR FUTURE.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    FORWARD EVER, BACKWARD NEVER.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    WE ARE IN BENIN.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                    \n\n\n\n

                    CONTACT \u1eb8DOMAYE LEGACY FOUNDATION<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                    Website:<\/strong> \u1eb8domaye.com
                    Email:<\/strong> edomayelegacyproject@gmail.com
                    Phone:<\/strong> +234 806 071 4525<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                    \u1eb8DOMAYE LEGACY FOUNDATION<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                    Preserving the Spirit. Restoring the Glory. Inspiring the Future.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                    SEPTEMBER 2026 NEWSLETTER PRESERVING OUR LANGUAGE \u2022 PROTECTING OUR HERITAGE \u2022 EDUCATING OUR FUTURE \u201cForward Ever, Backward Never.\u201d WE ARE IN BENIN FROM THE FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR A NEW MONTH, A CONTINUING MISSION September is another opportunity for us to look forward while remembering where we came from. At \u1eb8domaye Legacy Foundation, our work is built on a simple conviction: a people cannot confidently build their future if they allow their language, history, traditions and ancestral knowledge to disappear. Our responsibility is therefore not simply to talk about our heritage. It is to document it, teach it, preserve it and make it accessible to the next generation. The \u1eb8domaye platform continues to bring together language education, cultural documentation, historical storytelling and digital learning. Our work covers the \u1eb8do language, Benin history, traditional knowledge, proverbs, numerals, music, festivals, arts and other dimensions of our cultural inheritance. This September, we renew our commitment to that mission. We invite parents to speak \u1eb8do with their children. We invite young people to learn the language of their ancestors. We invite teachers to bring indigenous knowledge into education. We invite researchers to examine our traditions carefully and responsibly. And we invite \u1eb8do people everywhere to become custodians\u2014not merely consumers\u2014of our heritage. Our heritage belongs to the generations before us, to us, and to those yet unborn. Forward ever, backward never. OTO THE WRITERFounder & Executive Director\u1eb8domaye Legacy Foundation 1. THE \u1eb8DOMAYE MISSION \u1eb8domaye Legacy Foundation exists to help preserve and promote the heritage of the Benin Kingdom and the wider cultural and linguistic heritage represented through our work. Our programme areas include: LANGUAGE Preserving, teaching and promoting the \u1eb8do language through lessons, vocabulary, numerals, pronunciation, greetings, proverbs and educational materials. HISTORY Documenting and presenting the history of the Great Benin Kingdom through accessible educational resources. CULTURAL HERITAGE Recording traditions, festivals, music, arts, oral history and indigenous knowledge. EDUCATION Developing resources for children, teachers, families, researchers and heritage learners. DIGITAL PRESERVATION Using websites, social media, digital publications and online learning to take \u1eb8do heritage to a global audience. The Foundation’s public mission is centred on bringing the heritage and rich culture of the Benin Kingdom to wider audiences. 2. LANGUAGE IS HERITAGE If the language disappears, part of the memory disappears with it. One of \u1eb8domaye’s strongest areas of work is the preservation and teaching of the \u1eb8do language. Language carries much more than words. It carries: That is why learning \u1eb8do is not simply learning another language. It is reconnecting with a cultural inheritance. \u1eb8domaye continues to develop learning materials covering \u1eb8do vocabulary, numerals, alphabetic and orthographic work, proverbs, expressions and practical communication. 3. OUR ANCESTRAL GREETINGS PROJECT One of the areas receiving particular attention is the documentation and study of \u1eb8do ancestral greetings and family greeting traditions. Greetings are not merely polite expressions. They can reveal: \u1eb8domaye’s objective is to document such traditions carefully rather than allowing important oral knowledge to disappear. Where questions of origin, meaning or historical development arise, the Foundation’s position is that such matters should be subjected to careful linguistic, oral-historical and scholarly examination. We preserve first. We investigate deeply. We teach responsibly. 4. THE GREAT BENIN KINGDOM A civilization worthy of serious study The history of the Benin Kingdom is one of the central pillars of \u1eb8domaye’s educational work. Our publications and learning resources address subjects including: \u1eb8domaye’s existing educational catalogue includes resources on the Ogiso Dynasty, the rise of the Oba system, the origin of the Benin Kingdom and Benin art. The purpose is not simply to celebrate the past. It is to understand it. 5. FEATURE: THE GREAT BENIN EARTHWORKS \u2014 IYA Africa’s Forgotten Monumental Heritage The Great Benin Earthworks\u2014known in the \u1eb8domaye research programme as IYA\u2014represent one of the most important subjects in our continuing heritage documentation. The earthworks raise fundamental questions about: \u1eb8domaye’s continuing work seeks to bring this subject into public educational discussion and encourage deeper documentation and research. OUR POSITION The story of Africa must not be told only through the records left by outsiders. African landscapes, oral traditions, archaeological evidence, indigenous knowledge and local historical memory all deserve serious consideration. IYA is not merely an earthwork. It is a question of memory, engineering, civilization and historical recognition. 6. THE BENIN BRONZES The Benin Bronzes are among the world’s best-known examples of African court art and historical craftsmanship. They are also historical records. Through plaques, commemorative heads and other works, Benin artists recorded aspects of royal authority, court life, ceremonies, lineage and political history. The 1897 British Punitive Expedition resulted in the looting and dispersal of thousands of objects from Benin, creating an enduring international debate over restitution and cultural justice. \u1eb8domaye’s educational material addresses both the artistic significance of the bronzes and the continuing restitution discussion. For \u1eb8domaye: Cultural heritage is not dead property. It is memory. 7. \u1eb8DOMAYE DIGITAL ACADEMY BUILDING THE FUTURE OF \u1eb8DO LANGUAGE AND HERITAGE EDUCATION The future of indigenous-language education must include digital technology. The \u1eb8domaye Digital Academy is part of this vision. Our goal is to create accessible learning opportunities through: The \u1eb8domaye website already presents language learning and heritage education as core elements of its platform. The objective is straightforward: Take \u1eb8do language and Benin heritage into the digital age without losing their cultural identity. 8. TEACHING THE NEXT GENERATION OUR CHILDREN MUST KNOW WHO THEY ARE A language survives when children use it. A tradition survives when children understand it. A culture survives when children inherit it with knowledge rather than embarrassment. Parents can begin at home. START SMALL: One \u1eb8do word a day. One \u1eb8do greeting every morning. One proverb every week. One family story every weekend. One traditional song. One historical lesson. Small actions repeated consistently can produce a generation that understands its heritage. \u1eb8domaye’s educational resources specifically address the challenge of raising \u1eb8do-speaking children, including the role of home routines, storytelling, cultural activities and digital tools. 9. 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