@article{CRSIJ25000012,
                  author = {Hosea Nakina Martins, Ph.D.},
                  title = {Probing  New Yam Festival among the Mumuye  of Taraba State,  Nigeria : A Celebration of Thanksgiving},
                  journal = {Cosmo Research and Science International Journal},
                  year = {2025},
                  volume = {1},
                  number = {1},
                  pages = {72-85},
                  issn = {3108-1584},
                  url = {https://cosmorsij.com/published/CRSIJ25000012.pdf},
                  abstract = {This ethnographic study investigates the New Yam Festival, a significant cultural celebration among the Mumuye of Taraba State, North-Eastern Nigeria. The research examines the festival's ritual practices, symbolic meanings, and social structures, highlighting its importance to the community's cultural heritage. Through participant observation, interviews, and literary analysis, the study reveals that the festival's religio-cultural significance is diminishing due to the influences of Westernisation, globalisation, Christianity, and Islam. The findings indicate that some individuals perceive the festival as syncretic and mystical, eroding its practical relevance. Moreover, yam rustling poses a substantial threat to the celebration, while key religious rituals remain exclusive to initiated members. Christianity and Islam criticise certain aspects of the festival, further weakening its cultural significance. Notably, the Mumuye sub-clans lack a unified celebration date, resulting in varied festivities. To revitalise the festival, the study recommends establishing a unified calendar for all Mumuye sub-clans, reviewing customary laws that restrict early planting, implementing punitive measures against yam rustlers, and lastly providing government and individual support for yam cultivation. By implementing these measures, the New Yam Festival can regain its cultural significance and importance as a celebration of thanksgiving and community heritage.},
                  keywords = {New yam, Festival, Thanksgiving, Taraba and Nigeria},
                  month = {July}
        }