“City States & Civilisations” focuses on the Benin kingdom and the development of small chiefdoms into city states, some of which grew into kingdoms. In the documentary, the Oba, or king, describes his role as helping bring the Benin kingdom back to a place of respect and dignity globally. I was struck by how he connects his leadership to being a custodian of culture and heritage.

I was especially drawn to the complexity, beauty, and storytelling of the bronze castings. The painstaking detail involved in creating them shows artistic skill and technological knowledge. The documentary describes these pieces as works of intelligence that dispel stereotypes. They also pieces of functional art that tell the story of Benin.  The bronze casters are chroniclers of history, preserving stories that have been passed down orally.  

Many of the ancient bronze works were stolen when the British defeated Benin in 1897.  When the Oba was asked about the repatriation of that art, he said "We don't want or expect to get them all back.  We would even like some of them to be out there to serve as ambassadors for us because wherever they are seen, somebody will ask, Where is this wonderful work from?"  I love this view of artwork as a curiosity-sparker.  It makes me think about how we use provocations in the classroom to invite students to notice, wonder, and ask questions.

This history is important to know because it challenges reductive narratives and stereotypes about Africa. It also highlights the many ways history is preserved and communicated, challenging me as a teacher to look beyond written texts and recognize art and oral storytelling as meaningful sources of historical knowledge.