Sculptural Depiction of Burial Rites in Okehi, Etche (Circa 1925)
This sculptural representation of burial rites in Okehi, Etche, was photographed by British anthropologist Percy Amaury Talbot around 1925.
The famous Igbo deity “Amadịọha” traces its origins to the Etche tribe of Igbo nation, from where it spread to other southern Igbo communities.
According to anthropologists, the Etche people are culturally related to the Oratta cluster. Both groups are known for their Mbari culture and share recurring community names. However, the Etche people were administratively separated from their Oratta kin when they were ceded to the defunct Rivers Province from the former Owerri Province.
Similarly, their neighbouring sister tribes, Ngwa and Asa, were placed in a different administrative unit, while Etche remained in Rivers Province alongside Ikwerre, Ogba, and Ekpeye.
Among the three groups that made up the “Oratta-Ikwerre” bloc, as described by anthropologist G.I. Jones, only the Oratta cluster remained in the Owerri Province, which is now part of Imo State.
Today, Okehi serves as the administrative headquarters of Etche Local Government Area in Rivers State.
