Tag: 2026

Ònyéàyànà and the Foundations of Resilience: Recovering an Original Igbo Ethico-Ontological Principle and Its Contribution to Global Philosophy

Jude Dunkwu | The 23rd Annual International Conference of the Igbo Studies Association (ISA) (2026)

This paper recovers Ònyéàyànà — the Category 1 prefix short form of Ònyéàyànànwánnéyá, "thou shalt not abandon thy relation" — as an original Igbo ethico-ontological principle whose structure provides a rigorous philosophical foundation for the relational resilience articulated in Ọsọ Ndụ Agwụ Ike. Building …

“White Igbos”: Reflections on the Anyali, History and Culture of Difference in an African Society

Kingsley C. Ezeuwa | The 23rd Annual International Conference of the Igbo Studies Association (ISA) (2026)

The term ‘White Igbos’ refers to individuals of Igbo descent who were born with albinism and consequently identified as the Anyali or Anyabeke. Albinism as the congenital lack of melanin shaped the historical construction of socio-cultural difference in Igboland and …

Igbo Healthcare, Mental Health and Wellbeing

Egwunwoke Chibueze Obi | The 23rd Annual International Conference of the Igbo Studies Association (ISA) (2026)

The Igbo people of Nigeria have a rich cultural heritage that influences their healthcare, mental health, and wellbeing practices. This paper examines with much autoethnography, the traditional Igbo healthcare system, which emphasizes a holistic approach to health, incorporating spiritual, …

Tending to Umi Okpukpu as an Igbo Diasporic Literary Architecture

Erondu, Chinyere | The 23rd Annual International Conference of the Igbo Studies Association (ISA) (2026)

Tending to Umi Okpukpu as an Igbo Diasporic Literary Architecture Bone Marrow, often eaten as a delicacy within Igbo traditional soups & dishes, and the locale in which nourishment, sustenance and nutritional provision resides, provides opportunity to draw a parallel …

Ọsọ Ndu Agwụ Ike: Reintegration, Survival, and the Igbo Philosophy of Second Chances

Ferdinand, Joy Amaka | The 23rd Annual International Conference of the Igbo Studies Association (ISA) (2026)

Reintegration after incarceration is often framed within Western criminological models that emphasize individual responsibility, risk management, and behavioral compliance. While these approaches offer valuable insights, they frequently under-theorize endurance, dignity, and communal responsibility as central to life after prison. …

Land as Epistemology: Indigenous Knowledge and More-Than-Human Relations in Igbo and Diné (Navajo)Thought

Iroegbu, Oke | The 23rd Annual International Conference of the Igbo Studies Association (ISA) (2026)

This paper argues that Indigenous epistemologies transform our understanding of land by positioning it as an active, relational agent in the production of knowledge rather than a passive object of inquiry. Bringing Igbo cosmology from southeastern Nigeria into dialogue …