Editing Kwe people (section)

==Culture==
The Bakweri today are divided into the urban and rural. Those who live in the cities such as Limbe and Buea earn a living at a number of skilled and unskilled professions. The rural Bakweri, in contrast, work as farmers, making use of Mount Cameroon's fertile volcanic soils to cultivate [[xanthosoma|cocoyam]]s, [[maize]], [[cassava|manioc]], [[oil palm]]s, and [[Plantain (cooking)|plantain]]s.

Traditional Bakweri society was divided into three strata. At the top were the native Bakweri, with full rights of land ownership. The next tier consisted either non-Bakweri or the descendants of slaves. Finally, the slaves made up the bottom rung. Chiefs and headmen sat at the pinnacle of this hierarchy in the past, though today such figures have very little power in their own right. Councils of [[Elder (administrative title)|elders]] and [[secret society|secret societies]] allow communities to decide important issues.<ref>Ngoh 26, 28.</ref>

===Language===
The Bakweri speak [[Mokpwe]], a tongue that is closely related to [[Bakole language|Bakole]]  and [[Wumboko]].<ref>"Mokpwe", ''Ethnologue''.</ref> Mokpwe is part of the family of [[Duala languages]] in the [[Bantu languages|Bantu]] group of the [[Niger–Congo languages|Niger–Congo]] language family. Neighbouring peoples often utilise Mokpwe as a [[trade language]], due largely to the spread of the tongue by early missionaries. This is particularly true among the Isubu, many of whom are bilingual in [[Duala language|Duala]] or Mokpwe.<ref>"Isu", ''Ethnologue''.</ref> In addition, individuals who have attended school or lived in an urban centre usually speak [[Cameroonian Pidgin English]] or standard [[English language|English]]. A growing number of the Bakweri today grow up with Pidgin as a more widely spoken language.<ref>"Pidgin, Cameroon", ''Ethnologue''.</ref> The Bakweri also used a drum language to convey news from clan to clan, and they also utilized a horn language peculiar to them.<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Ba-Kwiri}}</ref>

===Marriage and kinship patterns===
Bakweri [[inheritance]] is [[patrilineal]]; upon the father's death, his property is inherited by his eldest son. The Bakweri have traditionally practised polygamy, although with Christianisation, this custom has become extremely rare. In the traditional Bakweri society, women are chosen as future spouses when they are still children, and in some cases, even before they were born. The father or relative of the woman have been paid a dowry, thus the woman is considered as a property to the husband and his family. Upon the husband's death, the eldest surviving brother inherits the wife. A husband's prosperity was also intricately linked to the influence of his wife or wives. The wives tended his pigs, goats, cattle, arable land, so no one could trespass or exceed them, etc.<ref name="Guide touristique 94">''Guide touristique'' 94.</ref>

===Religion===
The Bakweri have been largely Christianised since the 1970s [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical]] denominations dominate, particularly the [[Baptist]] church.

Nevertheless, remnants of a pre-Christian [[ancestor worship]] persist. might be expected for coastal peoples, the sea also plays an important role in this faith. Traditional festivals held each year serve as the most visible expression of these traditional beliefs in modern times.<ref name="Guide touristique 126">''Guide touristique'' 126.</ref>

===Arts===
The Bakweri still practice arts and crafts handed down for generations. The Bakweri are known to be skilled [[weaving|weavers]] of hats and shirts, for example. They also construct armoires, chairs, and tables.<ref name="Guide touristique 94"/>

The greatest venue for Bakweri music and dance are the two major festivals that take place each year in December. The [[Ngondo]] is a traditional festival of the Duala, although today all of Cameroon's coastal [[The Sawa peoples of Cameroon|Sawa]] peoples are invited to participate. It originated as a means of training Duala children the skills of warfare. Now, however, the main focus is on communicating with the ancestors and asking them for guidance and protection for the future. The festivities also include armed combat, [[beauty pageant]]s, [[pirogue]] races, and traditional [[sport wrestling|wrestling]].<ref name="Guide touristique 126"/>

The [[Mpo'o]] brings together the Bakoko, Bakweri, and Limba at [[Edéa]]. The festival commemorates the ancestors and allows the participants to consider the problems facing the groups and humanity as a whole.