An Ethnocultural Study of the Artistic Performances of the Berom, Amo, Mwaghavul, Ngas, Tarok and Goemai of Plateau State, Nigeria

This study conducts an ethnocultural analysis of the aesthetic performance traditions of six major ethnic groups in Plateau State, Nigeria: the Berom, Amo, Mwaghavul, Ngas, Tarok, and Goemai. It interrogates the cultural, religious, and theatrical dimensions of their festivals, ritual enactments, music, dance, costumes, and symbolic artefacts, conceptualizing them as integrated systems for the transmission of history, moral codes, communal identity, and spiritual values. Employing a qualitative research design, data were gathered through participant observation, semi-structured interviews with cultural custodians and practitioners, and documentary analysis. A thematic analysis of the data reveals that these Plateau performance traditions operate as dynamic cultural technologies, fulfilling simultaneous aesthetic, social, and spiritual functions while mediating the relationship between the physical and metaphysical realms. The study identifies significant threats to these traditions from modernization, globalization, religious shifts, and eroding intergenerational transmission. Consequently, it argues for the urgent need for systematic documentation, preservation initiatives, and the integration of these forms into cultural education to safeguard these indigenous performance systems as vital heritage for future generations.