ONE TIKAR ONE PEOPLE NEWSLETTER
AUTUMN 2023 EDITION
FAMILY REUNION WEEKEND 2023
Friday September 23, 2023
Marks the day of historic celebration of the One Tikar One People Organization’s 10th Anniversary with eight years of the Tikar and Bamileke DNA Tested Descendants gathering as a family was celebrated with new and returning family members.
We also celebrated the second Annual African Cultural Festival on the following Saturday September 24, 2023, with the traditional Evening Gala event, that night and the spirited boat ride that we continue to enjoy with great musical entertainment, great fellowship, dancing and delicious food and beverages.
Day 1 The Family Reunion Traditional Dinner
We started our family reunion at the home of Mr. And Mrs. Wanda, our CEO and Founders of One Tikar One People.
We made an afternoon visit to see the beautiful Tikar and Bamileke clothing that was set before us to view and to purchase. It was an incredibly special moment of embracing our heritage in the quiet intimacy at the home of the Wandas.
Everyone took joy in seeing themselves as their ancestors dressed many years ago and the living Tikar and Bamileke people dress today. It was also a time to get acquainted as some of us were greeting each other in person for the first time.
The evening continued with the dining of beautifully prepared food provided by our lovely Queen Mother Florence. The array of culture was laid before us including the fufu, fish, chicken, special spice salads, spinach Cameroon Style, beans, beignets (Sweet hot puff buns), okra, and so much more. What a delight!
We also shared warm moments with our Minnesota family from across Africa to break bread and connect since our last annual family dinner.
Paramount to it all was the loving kindness shared among us, being grateful for knowing who we are and being unified in that spirit as Africans.
Day 2 The African Cultural Festival
10am – 4:00pm
It was quite an exciting day for the vendors to promote their culture and their creative wares of clothing, jewelry, art, henna, food, talented musicians, and dancers. We heard from our very own DNA Tikar tested descendant Princess Q M Mambo Djoflo Ma Nab Ngo ‘o, who sang popular selections of R&B, (Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight for example), to get us all on our feet.
We heard the rapturous voice of Mr. Kj and were entertained by three talented African dance and musical groups coming from Igboland, the Bamileke, and Tikar of Cameroon. The children were busy with their passport books all day getting stamps for their books to show they had travelled around Africa, right at our festival.
We had vendors from different African countries as well as a Jamaican vendor whose food was a great delight to all who tasted. There was a DNA Testing Tent where you could visit to get information about testing and sign up to get a DNA test kit as a giveaway at the evening Gala event.
This was facilitated by me, Sandra/QM Houmgoue with written material and a slide show of a trip made during pilgrimage to Cameroon. Young Somalian women were expertly crafting the henna arts onto the visitors, including me!
The Igbo vendors had beautifully designed hats and sets of the gelée’s with matching dresses and other stunning accessories. Beautiful Tikar and Bamileke clothing and art including authentic Tikar statues were available for sale. Our Ambassador Prince Delaure had a generous collection of clothing and crafts from Cameroon.
There were several vendors displaying beautiful and varied Tikar clothing and crafts.
Families came with children from the community to see what we are about. Our Event Team was faithfully working throughout the event, taking pictures, greeting people, providing information to all in need and keeping the spirit of our gathering alive with enthusiasm. I genuinely enjoyed myself meeting the people of Minnesota and rejoining with vendors I met from the previous years.
Our African American family was completely immersed in the African atmosphere and family of our rich cultures.
The Saturday Evening Gala
8:00 pm – 12 Midnight
A momentous evening with pageantry of royalty, pride, tradition, and MORE exquisite African dining, with dancing, musical entertainment, an enthronement ceremony, and the birthday celebration of our Miss Minnesota, Modoh Wanda.
There were speakers from our city government, namely Mr. Muhammed and lovely Lady Anisa who addressed pertinent issues about the African and African American community in Minnesota and the suggested focus for our representatives in Minnesota to employ to enhance the living standards of our community.
The evening Gala opened with our amazing MC, Olamide Oloruntula, who framed our evening’s events as both unforgettable and enlightening.
The enthronement ceremony was very emotional and engaging to see an African American couple, Kimberly and Corky Wiseman, the wife, who had taken a DNA test for ancestry to learn that she is from Cameroon. Both husband and wife were enthroned and greeted with the loving acceptance into our family of Cameroon and given the Tikar royal dress.
Ambassador Delwanda and Queen Mother Florence, both embraced them warmly and dressed them in the presence of the guests at the Gala. The ambassador announced that there would be a naming ceremony awaiting their arrival when they both would travel to Cameroon for their pilgrimage at the Festival of the Return. The African American family then greeted them with embraces and continued to dance the evening away.
The birthday celebration of Miss Minnesota was incredibly special as this young and beautiful, model, Modoh, exquisitely shared the history of her grandmother, a royal of Cameroon and her bravery to resettle in another town in Cameroon after the on surge of the German takeover in the northern region of Cameroon.
There were eloquent speeches from the Founder and CEO Ambassador Delaure Delwanda with appreciation to all who attended and shared in the celebratory spirit of African roots Awareness and Unity.
Day 3 The Traditional Boat ride
The sun greeted us at the harbor as we entered with expectation of great fun and socializing.
There were people who had attended the festival and who also came to the gala as well as the boat ride. There were families, including children couples, friends and incredibly happy souls who carried out the enthusiasm of once again being together learning to be ourselves within our group of Africans and African Americans.
We enjoyed delicious food, beverages, and music with our MC and DJ who kept us thoroughly entertained with line dances and peppy steps to keep us on our toes.
Everyone had the opportunity to meet with members of our African community.
Here, I will give special words of appreciation to the dutiful Team of experts and devoted African men and women who worked tirelessly to make this special weekend event happen. Starting the line of devotion and hard work is Queen Mother Florence Wanda, Our Brother Reggie Anderson, Laurel Igbanugo, Gladys Beri, Comfort Dondo, Eweyomola Akintunde-Ikani (Mola), the Master of Ceremonies Olamide Oloruntula, who worked tirelessly and with amazing skill to keep us very well entertained and informed throughout the weekend.
Each person brought into the team a unique gift of themselves which identified the spirit of cooperation, vision, and love of the African consciousness. Thank you!
The circle of growth never tires or weakens, but builds and waxes to greater and stronger bonds in our relationships within One Tikar One People. Until next year, we send you all best wishes, positive thoughts, and movement with unending faith that we will be together with even more radiance, more enthusiasm, and more souls with whom to create our weekend of African Roots Awareness and Unity. We Are One!