God’s Bits of Wood

Niakoro may be viewed as part of the institutional memory of her community. While overtly revered by the younger wives in the residence, she has been decentered from all meaningful decision-making. She is specifically disturbed because no one has consulted her for advice regarding the advisability of the railroad strike. Her sense is that “she was a leftover from a vanished time, slowly being forgotten” (3). She recalls the violence and carnage involved in a previous strike, and she wishes to divert popular sentiment in this direction. Additionally, Niakoro exhorts the young women to engage in traditional, wifely behaviors such as decorating gourds used for cooking; however, they ignore her advice. Her greatest source of concern is for her step-granddaughter, Ad’jibid’ji, an intelligent, articulate and independent young woman who is very interested in the political repercussions of the strike talks by workers. While Niakoro may be viewed as representing the past, Ad’jibid’ji epitomizes the potentiality of future generations of women in South Africa. 

Conversely, not all abandonment of past social mores is perceived as negative. The empowerment of traditionally-subordinate societal groups (women and young male apprentices), results in great personal growth, as well as some cases of tragic death.