The Yamari Tribe lives in the Aya-Kimani Plateau, located in a remote region of West Africa, between Nigeria and Ghana. These fiercely independent African Tribespeople avoid their westernized African brethren and have rejected both European colonialism and Islamic conquests. The Yamari Tribe keep to the ways of their ancient African ancestors and reject the trappings of modernity. This makes them absolutely fascinating to outsiders. The Yamari Tribe raises cattle and protect their livestock from lions, African wild dogs, cheetahs, jackals, leopards and hyenas just as their predecessors did eons ago. It's almost as if time means absolutely nothing to them.
Jean Bertrand Daumier is a Howard University-trained and overeager young Haitian-American Anthropologist determined to uncover the ways of the Yamari Tribe. This brother loves all things African and wants to make a difference in the world. It's about time that Black men and Black women working in the field of Anthropology made their presence felt on the global stage. Let the games begin. Everyone told Jean Bertrand that trying to make contact with the Yamari Tribe was a dangerous and foolish idea. Well, Jean Bertrand isn't about to let the level of difficulty associated with any task prevent him from carrying it out. Where's the fun in that?
King Umar, leader of the Yamari Tribe, and his Queen Rayana are not the easiest of people to deal with. The Yamari Tribe defends its land and resources from all outsiders and they're known for their ferocity. They've ruled the same stretch of Africa for thousands of years. When European anthropologists came with their cameras, they always refused them. The royal African couple made an exception for Jean Bertrand because he was a man of obvious African descent, and carried no cameras. The brother only carried a notebook and a pen. The royal African couple took a chance on Jean Bertrand and decided to show him the ways of the Yamari Tribe. It's all about learning new things in this life...
"I pledge to learn your ways," Jean Bertrand said to King Umar, who smiled and nodded. The tall, dark-skinned and muscular, silver-haired African King looked regal in a red toga. For twenty years now, King Umar has ruled the Yamari Tribe, which is thirty thousand souls strong. The Yamari Tribe controls the Aya-Kimani Plateau, one of the largest untouched expanses of African wilderness. This powerful African ruler is taking a chance by allowing Jean Bertrand into his kingdom and the young Haitian American man was most grateful for that.
"In this land, I am King, and my subjects must do as they are told," King Umar said to Jean Bertrand, who acquiesced. The tall, slender, brown-skinned and dreadlocked young Haitian American man was not about to challenge an authentic African King on his turf. Watching the exchange between her husband King Umar and their guest Jean Bertrand, Queen Rayana allowed herself a smile. The young Haitian American man was so nervous. This far from his homeland of Washington D.C. and his precious Howard University, he was like a fish out of water. Afro-Caribbean people and African Americans are quite different from their African brethren and it often shows.
"Play nice with our guest, dear husband," said Queen Rayana, and King Umar looked at her and smiled. Six feet tall, curvaceous, large-breasted, wide-hipped and big-bottomed, the dark-skinned and dreadlocked African Queen is downright Amazonian in stature. For more than twenty years, Queen Rayana has been the wife of King Umar and she's also the mother of adult twin daughters, Princess Ayana and Princess Shiba. In the Kingdom of the Yamari, King Umar is the official ruler but everyone knows that what Queen Rayana says goes. Even in deeply patriarchal, tribal Africa, where men rule, the matriarchy holds indomitable power. Fortunately for Jean Bertrand, Queen Rayana looks favorably upon him.
