Preserving our heritage in Canada

Understanding the Somali Bantu Jareer/weyne Identity

The Somali Bantu Jareer/weyne are a proud people of Somalia with their own Bantu heritage, languages and traditions. For generations our community worked to be recognized and treated with equal dignity, and that strength continues to guide us today.

Most of Somalia's first ethnic Bantu people arrived as migratory agriculturalists from West and Central Africa thousands of years ago and settled in the uninhabited and arable Juba and Shabelle Rivers Valleys. Through every challenge, our community has maintained its rich cultural heritage while building new lives in Canada through resilience, unity, and determination.

• Cultural heritage preservation
• Advocacy for equality and recognition
• Community-centered support programs