INTRODUCTION

The Tiv are a dominant group in central Nigeria. Though they are found in large numbers in
Nassarawa, Plateau, Taraba and Cross River States, they are mainly in Benue where they are in
the majority. Their area of habitation falls roughly within 60 301 north latitude and 80 101 east
longitude. Tivland is predominantly woodland savannah, characterized by a tropical climate with
two distinctive seasons. These are a wet April to October season and a dry November to March
season. (Gundu, 1999).

Geologically, Tivland is a combination of the Precambrian basement comprising the lower and
upper cretaceous sediments in addition to some volcanic deposits (Pugh and Buchanan 1955).
The Tivland are predominantly farmers with an all year farming system based on the cultivation
of roots, tubers, grains and tree crops. Common crops include Diaspora spp (Yough) Pennisetum
americanun (Amine esculenta) Zea mays (Ikuleke) Oriza glabberima (Chinkapa). Others are
Manihot esculenta (Alogo) Ipomea butatas (Atsaka), Glycerine max (Suanbin), Sesamun
indicum (Ishwa) as well as a variety of beans, vegetables and the more recently introduced
tobacco, mangoes and citrus. Supplementary agricultural systems include the exploitation of tree
crops, especially Elaeis guineensis (Ivile), Antarias africana (Ten), Dracryodes edulis (Mzembe),
Irvingia gabonesis (Ive), Parkia biglobosa (Nune), Ceiba pentanda (Vambe) and livestock
especially poultry, goats, piggery and the dog. Hunting and fishing are also an important
subsistence component. Hence Benue State is known as the food basket of the nation.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Concept of Culture

Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing

language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts.

The Center for Advance Research on Language Acquisition goes a step further, defining culture
as shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs and understanding that are
learned by socialization. Thus, it can be seen as the growth of a group identity fostered by social
patterns unique to the group.
"Culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage,
music, what we believe is right or wrong, how we sit at the table, how we greet visitors, how we
behave with loved ones, and a million other things," Cristina De Rossi, an anthropologist at
Barnet and Southgate College in London, told Live Science. (Zimmermann, 2017).

Concept of Social Change

Social change refers to any significant alteration over time in behavior patterns and cultural
values and norms. By “significant” alteration, sociologists mean changes yielding profound
social consequences. Examples of significant social changes having long‐term effects include the
industrial revolution, the abolition of slavery, and the feminist movement.

Today's sociologists readily acknowledge the vital role that social movements play in inspiring
discontented members of a society to bring about social change. Efforts to understand the nature
of long‐term social change, including looking for patterns and causes, has led sociologists to
propose the evolutionary, functionalist, and conflict theories of change (discussed in the next few
sections). All theories of social change also admit the likelihood of resistance to change,
especially when people with vested interests feel unsettled and threatened by potential changes.

On the other hand, Social change may refer to the notion of social progress or sociocultural
evolution, the philosophical idea that society moves forward by dialectical or evolutionary
means. It may refer to a paradigmatic change in the socio-economic structure, for instance a shift
away from feudalism and towards capitalism. Accordingly, it may also refer to social revolution,
such as the Socialist revolution presented in Marxism, or to other social movements, such as
Women's suffrage or the Civil rights movement. Social change may be driven by cultural,
religious, economic, scientific or technological forces. Developmental psychology can play a
role in social change. Social change comes about with tangible/intangible resource inputs as
social investment.
IMPACT OF SOCIAL CHANGES IN THE TIV CULTURE OF DEATH

The earliest changes in the Tiv culture of death as argued by Gundu (2001) are directly tied to
cults. Prominent amongst these are girinya, budeli, ijov, ivase, naakaa, and nyamibuan. While
girinya stands out alone, all the others were cults against mbatsav. The knowledge of girinya
spread from Udam into Tivland and today the cult is widespread amongst the Tiv communties
that border the Udam of Cross River State especially amongst the Jechira people of Kunav and
Gaav. Elsewhere (see Gundu 1980) the historical background to the introduction of these cults
and the way its adherents are treated at death has been given. Essentially, the girinya is a head
hunting cult. Though women can be

The Impact of Social Change on the Tiv Culture

Communication was and is still one of the important aspects of the Tiv social setting as it has
impacted the culture of the Tiv people who used different ways to pass information from one
entity to another among the populace. Consequently, due to the importance of communication to
the people, technological innovations were drastically improved to invent better means or
devices of communication and Indyer was invented from the earlier Gbagede and Ilyu. The
Indyer was paramount among different means of communication among the Tiv people of
Vandeikya and as such any message coming from the beating of Indyer (Indyer í Tan or Kuhan)
was considered with grave seriousness. However, the advent of Christianity in Tiv land in 1911
waged war against this vital indigenous device for communication and despite the efforts of Tiv
Traditional Priests, Researchers and Tiv Indigenous Technologists to rekindle this practice, the
Indyer is almost extinct. Christianity forced the people to believe that their different indigenous
means of communication were aberrant and mundane thereby enticing them to derail from the
practice and the western colonial masters also failed to teach the people how to make the western
communication devices themselves. As a result, the essence of communication among the Tiv
people of Vandeikya seems to be abated. Essentially, this can constitute a hazardous
technological retrogression, moral decadence and maladministration of the Tiv society in the
near future if this is allowed to continue hence this study seeks to investigate the effect of Indyer
as a means of communication among the Tiv people of Vandeikya Local Government of Benue
State.
The Tiv people, wherever they may be found in the world, are people who share a common
ancestry or genealogy, language and general cultural values or norms (Agber, Ugbagir, Mngutyô
& Amaakaven, 2014). This therefore, suggests that the Tiv people of Vandeikya as an example
have the same ancestry or genealogy, language and general culture values or norms with the
other Tiv people wherever they are found globally. The Tiv people of Vandeikya are known to
be the Kunav people. Kunav is a mega clan of the Tiv from what is known as Jerchira. The
Vandeikya people are located in a geographical entity known as Vandeikya Local Government
Area of Benue State in Nigeria.

Rapid growth and expansion of communication technologies in recent years have led to the
glorification of change and have discounted and underplayed the continuity of the past and
present. The focal point of research is how modern media change or replace old ways of
thinking, behaving, or communicating. However, some elements of the old system remain and
continue to play a vital role in communication in many regions of the world today. The
implications of this continuity to development are not fully explored (Wang & Dissanayake,
1984).

CONCLUSION

This paper has attempts to reveal significant alterations in the political, social and cultural setting
of the Tiv people of Benue State. Overtime, social advancement tend to influence the way of life
of a particular people. From the analysis of the origins and development of Tiv ethnicity, it is
evident that the people have been involved in major cultural alteration resulting from social
changes.
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