Cultural heritage in danger, Sigi declared national cultural heritage.
The meeting of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday 25 October 2023 adopted the draft decree classifying the “Sigi”, proposed by the Ministry of Crafts, Culture, the Hotel Industry and Tourism.
The Sigi, a Dogon ritual celebrated every 60 years, was last performed in 1967, and is one of the Dogon’s oldest traditional rites. Its origins date back to the Dogon’s discovery of the star Sirius. It returns every sixty years to celebrate the revelation of the Word to man by God, as well as the death of the first ancestor. This celebration gives rise to grandiose artistic, cultural and religious events throughout the Bandiagara cliff region.
The next edition of Sigi is scheduled for 2027.
The “Sigi” is a major event that marks an important stage in the life of society and that of the individual.
Because of its historical and socio-cultural values, the “Sigi” has been included in the national cultural heritage inventory.
The draft decree adopted, under the presidency of the President of the Transition, Head of State, enshrines the classification of the “Sigi” in the National Cultural Heritage with a view to preserving the values that justified its inclusion in the inventory and strengthening its legal protection.
This listing will make it possible to safeguard the “Sigi” against alienation, transformation, disappearance, to educate young people in order to promote the transmission of knowledge linked to the commemorative ceremonies of the “Sigi”, to stitch together the social fabric, to strengthen dialogue, peace, social cohesion and living together and to promote scientific research, inventory, documentation and practical university training.
Remember that “Sigi” is associated with the language of the mask society, Sigi so, a liturgical language also threatened with extinction.
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The mystical Donron statuette symbolises participation in the Sigi ceremony. Worn by initiates and Olubarou during the Sigi ceremony, it symbolises life and death. It is held in the hand for dancing and is also used for sitting down to drink millet beer.
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