Taweh Jallah

Elders possess knowledge and wisdom about their cultures that need to be passed on to youth.
Culture shift participants were asked to interview an elder from their community to gain new insight about their cultures.

Taweh Jallah.jpg
Culture Shift participant Othello Wesee interviewed elder Taweh Jalah.
Like Othello, Mr. Jalah is from Liberia.

In this interview, Mr. Jalah talks about his culture, what has changed since he was a boy, and important traditions that exist in the Liberian culture.

Click on individual questions to hear shorter excerpts from their interview.

Taweh Jallah: Interview

1 - Where were you born and where did you live in Liberia?
Audio (0:35)

2 -What has changed with our culture?
The situation with discipline has changed.
Audio (1:11)

3 - Why has this changed? Was it the move to the city?
The attitude of youth has changed.
Audio (0:33)

4 - Are any parts of our culture still the same?
Respect given to elders has stayed the same.
Audio (0:56)

5 - Is it hard to maintain our culture?
Audio (0:33)

6 - What’s an important tradition from the Liberian culture?
You can never be taller than your head.
Audio (0:44)

7 - What’s an important legend from our culture?
Audio (1:20)

8 - What kind of food do you eat?
It depends. He eats food from his father’s side and from his mother's side.
Audio (0:44)

9 - What kind of music do you listen to?
Audio (1:38)

10 - How important is community in Liberia?
The community helps during tough times.
Audio (2:09)

11 - What is an important lesson about the Liberian culture that I can relate to my children?
It's important to respect elders.
Audio (1:02)

12 - Could you tell me a few words in your dialect - Goula?
Audio (4:12)

13 - Is inter-cultural marriage accepted in Liberia?
Inter-faith, inter-cultural marriage is completely acceptable in Liberia.
The only importance is if there is love between both people.
Audio (1:47)

14 - Is there something you’d like to add that we haven’t talked about?
Some African youth in Winnipeg are misguided.
Audio (2:12)