Dyan in Burkina Faso

The Dyan have only been reported in Burkina Faso
Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

The Dyan, who can be recognized by their facial scars, live in the area around the town of Diebougou, west of Ouagadougou in southern Burkina Faso. The area's fertile soil is good for the economy, since agricultural sales are the main source of income. Further income arises from French army pensions and from contributions by villagers who work outside the area. For example, many young people leave the village to earn more money in Cote d 'Ivoire. Cauri shells are still a factor in their economic exchange, with 20 cauris equal in value to 5 francs CFA, the Burkinabe currency.

Some Dyan are multilingual in the languages of the surrounding ethnic groups. The trade language for southwestern Burkina Faso, Jula, has had some influence on Dyan. However, for the most part, the Dyan do not wish to learn their neighbor's languages. They keep to themselves, and prefer others to do the same. Many wish for a relative to be educated, since one person's advancement can have economic advantages for the whole family. However, because of economic constraints and few immediate results, most people receive rather poor schooling.

The social units of the community are the family, the clan and the village. Each of these units has its own head. The village chief is responsible for jurisdiction and for cultic matters concerning the village's spirit. Each village chooses a spirit to which it offers sacrifices. These spirits are considered to be the intermediaries between man and God and instruments of control and supervision. When problems arise, the causes are thought to be in the spiritual world, so people try to appease the spirits through sacrifices. A healer has a privileged role in this respect and is supposedly able to determine why a spirit is upset and what is needed for reconciliation.

There is a church among the Dyan, although it has grown very slowly. One pastor has been working among the people and trying to reach them for over twenty years.


Prayer Points

Scripture Prayers for the Dyan in Burkina Faso.


Profile Source:   Anonymous  

People Name General Dyan
People Name in Country Dyan
Alternate Names Dian; Djan
Population this Country 35,000
Population all Countries 35,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 4
Unreached No
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed
People ID 11666
ROP3 Code 102799
ROP25 Code 302249
ROP25 Name Dyan
Country Burkina Faso
Region Africa, West and Central
Continent Africa
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 20  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Sud-Ouest region: Bougouriba province, Dolo, near Diébougou; small areas in Boucle du Muhoun region: Bale province; Hauts-Bassins region: Houet provinces.   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Country Burkina Faso
Region Africa, West and Central
Continent Africa
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 20  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Sud-Ouest region: Bougouriba province, Dolo, near Diébougou; small areas in Boucle du Muhoun region: Bale province; Hauts-Bassins region: Houet provinces..   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Primary Religion: Ethnic Religions
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 5.00 %)
10.00 %
Ethnic Religions
70.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
20.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Dyan
Language Code dya   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Dyan
Language Code dya   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Dyan

Primary Language:  Dyan

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (2022)
Bible-New Testament No
Bible-Complete No
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Audio Recordings Oral Bible stories Story Runners
Map Source Anonymous  
Profile Source Anonymous 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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