DECOLONIZING THE ASSEMBLAGES OF CARE: THE VIBRANT MATERIALITY AND THERAPEUTIC GEOGRAPHIES OF TRADITIONAL PSYCHIATRY IN KASAR HAUSA, NORTHERN NIGERIA
July 3, 2026 Muazzim Safuwanu Ibrahim
Traditional mental healthcare in Hausa land remains a primary resource for psychological distress, yet Western models often dismiss these practices as superstition. This conceptual review maps three core psychiatric tracks: Prophetic medicine, indigenous herbalism, and spirit possession frameworks. It shows that recovery is mediated through tangible objects like botanical extracts, ink-washed wooden slates, leather talismans, and the garaya lute, which act as active physical agents co-producing mental stabilization. The analysis argues that Hausa traditional psychiatry relies on spiritual diplomacy and kinship networks navigating medical sectors, advocating for recognition of indigenous African psychiatric lineages in global mental health.