In the heart of Africa, amidst lush greenery and vibrant life, stood a magnificent baobab tree. This ancient tree, known as the "Tree of Life," was revered by the villagers for its wisdom and strength. The baobab's roots reached deep into the earth, drawing sustenance from the rich soil, while its branches spread wide, providing shelter and shade to all who sought refuge.   One day, a young girl named Amina sat beneath the baobab, her heart filled with questions about her place in the...

Repiyah (Osholene) Upiomoh

Posted on 3 June, 2024

Dear Readers, I was asked a while ago to write a piece relating to policing in the school systems in Canada. At first, I wondered, how can this be addressed from a place of hope and healing. As such, I was inspired to craft the poem below tilted, “No Police In Site.” I hope that you will find it as inspiring as I have.   The question about an alternate solution to the police presence in the community made me take a sip of humility. My sip of humility was the train to my wonder of...

Repiyah (Osholene) Upiomoh

Posted on 4 August, 2021

Following part 1 of our last story, I continue in this story to answer the questions that are raised. To do this, I travel to the wisdom saying of our Meritah Ancestors: “If you don’t know where you are going, go back where you came from.” The question for me becomes: “where did I come from?” The wisdom saying of our Ancestors can unleaf so many pages of a book. It carries so much meaning in only little words. It allows for the humble in the heart the opportunity to learn and improve their...

Repiyah (Osholene) Upiomoh

Posted on 30 March, 2021

Our esteemed Meritah Ancestor, Hilliard-III (2000), a brilliant mind, known in the modern world as an exceptional psychologist, fought for his people and in very plain expression illustrated our struggles, losses, and the first steps we must take to begin the journey for our identity, healing, liberation, freedom, and self-mastery. He made a clear list of what has befallen us as a collective of Meritah people both at home and in the diaspora; over five hundred years of disorientation,...

Repiyah (Osholene) Upiomoh

Posted on 29 December, 2020

Meritah Wisdom greets you all and welcomes you to its first story. Herein, Meritah Wisdom captures its first story, which has been best stated in a poem, in the words of Nana Musamaali Nangoli, in a book he published in 2001, titled; “No more Lies about Africa.” Through this poem, we invite you, our readers, to give yourselves a chance to know our mother Land, from the perspective of her Indigenous ways of being and of knowing. Below, the poem reads:   Once Upon a Time in Africa...

Repiyah (Osholene) Upiomoh

Posted on 7 December, 2020