EP 8 Empress Taytu Betul - Lioness of Adwa I Women And Resistance 🌍

In this conversation, Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji iginla explore the life and legacy of Empress Taytu Betul, a pivotal figure in Ethiopian history and the Battle of Adwa. The discussion highlights her military strategies, the importance of sovereignty and unity in the face of colonisation, and the significant roles women have played in warfare and leadership. 

Empress Taytu's emphasis on storytelling, economic independence, and cultural identity serves as a powerful reminder of the need for self-determination and pride in one's heritage. 

The conversation concludes with reflections on the legacy of Empress Taytu and the ongoing relevance of her contributions to contemporary discussions on leadership and resistance.

Takeaways

*Empress Taytu Betul played a crucial role in Ethiopian history.
*The Battle of Adwa was a significant victory against colonisation.
*Sovereignty and self-determination are vital for any nation.
*Unity among diverse ethnic groups was key to resisting colonisation.
*Women have historically played important roles in warfare and leadership.
*Storytelling is essential for preserving cultural identity.
*Economic independence is crucial for national sovereignty.
*Cultural pride and identity are important in resistance movements.
*Women must be recognised for their contributions to history.
*Legacy is built on the actions and sacrifices of individuals.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Empress Taitu Betu
02:02 The Legacy of Empress Taitu Betu
04:05 Military Strategy and the Battle of Adwa
06:09 The Importance of Sovereignty
08:40 Unity Against Colonization
11:01 The Role of Women in Resistance
13:34 Lessons from the Battle of Adwa
16:02 Documenting Our Own History
18:24 Economic Vision and Influence
20:42 The Significance of the Itegwe Taitu Hotel
31:10 Cultural Fusion in Ethiopian Architecture
31:31 Establishing Economic Sovereignty
32:14 Preserving Ethiopian Spirituality
33:15 The Legacy of the Bank of Absinia
34:24 Influence Beyond Titles
35:51 Defiance Against Colonial Powers
38:04 The Power of Storytelling
39:26 Raising Voices for Change
41:16 Preparation and Conducting Oneself
42:38 Leadership and Responsibility
43:27 Influence Beyond Biological Ties
44:39 The Importance of Language in Storytelling

Welcome  to Women and Resistance, a powerful podcast where we honour the courage, resilience, and revolutionary spirit of women across the globe. Hosted by Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji Iginla...

You're listening to Women and Resistance with Aya Fubara Eneli Esq and Adesoji Iginla—where we honour the voices of women who have shaped history through courage and defiance...Now, back to the conversation.

That’s it for this episode of Women and Resistance. Thank you for joining us in amplifying the voices of women who challenge injustice and change the course of history. Be sure to subscribe, share, and continue the conversation. Together We Honour the past, act in the present, and shape the future. Until next time, stay inspired and stay in resistance!

Transcript

Aya Fubara Eneli (00:00.622)
I always forget to...

Adesoji Iginla (00:05.782)
Yes. Yes, greetings, greetings, and welcome to another episode of Women and Resistance. And with me, as usual, is my sister from Another Mother in character today of Taito Beitu, the lioness of Adwa. How are you, my sister?

Aya Fubara Eneli (00:28.11)
doing fantastic. Thank you.

Adesoji Iginla (00:32.82)
Yes, today we are looking at the life and time.

Aya Fubara Eneli (00:37.068)
mother

Adesoji Iginla (00:40.586)
We're looking at the lives and times of Empress Tetu Betu. And for those who don't know who she is, could you give us a brief introduction as to?

who you are and why it's important that we be aware of your presence, not just in time, but in current context.

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:10.304)
I am one of the most important figures in the history of the struggle for the liberation of African people ever. I am one of the most important figures. And the fact that most people have never heard of me means that there's much work to be done.

because people like me with my legacy can languish in obscurity outside of Ethiopia because in my country I am very well known in my nation. But if who I am and what I was able to help accomplish can just be erased and not.

taught to every little boy and girl of African descent, we have a long way to go towards our ultimate liberation. So who am I? I am the lioness of Ado'a. I am a military strategist. I am a deeply spiritual woman. I am the mother of a nation.

Arguably, in fact, it's not even an argument, Ethiopia, as it is known today, is the only nation on the African continent that was not colonized. Don't bring up Liberia because Liberia, know, was for all intents and purposes a protectorate of the creation of the United States of America. And that should say something.

Adesoji Iginla (02:55.03)
creation, a creation.

Aya Fubara Eneli (03:04.192)
What is really instructive about my life is how we accomplished that and the lessons embedded in that victory that we have not heeded. So I was born into a family that can trace its roots to the Solomon dynasty. We were very deeply spiritual people. We were Christians.

not the Christian faith that many of you in the Western world and in other places now practice, but I would argue the original, we, we, we are that the origins of Christianity start with us.

I was very well educated, which unfortunately was not very common for my time. But being from the family that I was and the personality that I was, I was fluent in Amharic. I could speak and read it. And the same for Ga'ez, which is an ancient indigenous language in which all the original spiritual texts.

of our area we're written in. And so I could read it fluently. I understood the deep significance of our spirituality. And in fact, when you talk about the Battle of Adwa, because I know you will, we, in addition to some of the exploits which I'll go into detail about, also carried what would be considered the Ark of the Covenant onto that battlefield.

People don't know that story outside of certain areas of Ethiopia, but I played chess. I was a very creative individual. I played the beginner that you guys would harp, hearken it to like a harp. I sat at the feet of my father, my biological father who died in war.

Aya Fubara Eneli (05:20.002)
He too was a warrior and a military strategist. I sat at his feet and I learned. And after he died and my mother remarried, I also learned from my stepfather. And one of the most important lessons that I would share with your listeners, your viewers today is you don't wait.

for a reason to get prepared.

It's too late at that point. You get prepared ahead of time. Many of you are disregarding the talents of the young people around you because you shoo them away and you don't allow them to learn from you. I learned a great deal from

my family members from the conversations I heard adults having, serious strategic conversations. I also had an understanding of geography. I had an understanding of geopolitics.

I was a woman who by the time I married Emperor Melanick, he was actually my fifth husband. I had been married four times before him. I did not have any biological children, but that did not stop me from being a mother, not just to individuals, but obviously to a nation. I was very much aware of

Aya Fubara Eneli (06:59.478)
my gifts and my talents. And when I came to my husband's court, I came with my own court. I had my own advisors. I had, made sure that all the people who worked around me, we observed who we were as Ethiopians, what our traditions were. And my husband had the good sense.

to see me as a co-equal, to see me as an equal, and to consult me on many matters of the land. And anyway, I was the kind of woman who consulted or not I would share what I knew. And so some of you may have had the chance to read about a treaty. You know, that was the tactic.

that all the colonizers used in all across Africa, they would come with these treaties for us to sign. And we were used to with our neighbors working out agreements. And we came to these treaties with the same notion of how we worked things out indigenously. But you should always pay attention to who is across from you.

and understand beyond what they say. And I knew from what I was observing around us that the Italians were up to no good. And so they signed a treaty. It's the treaty of Wichita-Lay.

And the treaty was in two languages, Italian and Amharic. In the Amharic version of it, it said that we were opting to exercise if we so chose to work through Italy in terms of our foreign affairs.

Aya Fubara Eneli (09:14.114)
But in the Italian version, it essentially made us a protectorate of Italy. And this is the same kind of dubious activity that the colonizers used all across Africa, getting kings to sign and rulers and leaders to sign treaties.

that they did not totally understand. A lot of times they were signing it exclusively in the language of the colonizer and relying on interpreters. You may have heard of a one Jaja in the southern part of Nigeria. And he refused to sign a treaty because he had a young woman working for him, Emma Johnson.

who read it and said, what they're saying it's about is different from what they wrote. And he refused to sign that treaty. But the colonizers took those documents that leaders of numerous groups across Africa had signed. Many of them duped into signing one thing, thinking it was another. And that is what they used because they always have to have the guise of legitimacy.

That is what they used at the Berlin conference, the Scramble for Africa, to justify how they carved up the continent of Africa. Well, they met their match in me. Because I discovered the discrepancy between the Amheric version that we were about to sign and the Italian version.

which is what they would have taken to that Berlin conference. And I advised my husband and our leaders, do not sign that treaty. We must remain a sovereign nation. And I suppose they thought I was kidding in terms of the Italians. You know, these people have so much hubris that they think they can run circles around us.

Aya Fubara Eneli (11:36.79)
and that we do not have the ability to understand things. But they were soon to find out very differently. And so I said, we will fight. We will be a sovereign nation. And we began to consolidate efforts that we had already been working on prior to this time. Remember I told you,

prepare before there is a need. So one of the reasons that it was so easy for Africa to be colonized in the way it was is that there were very few regions that had huge kingdoms or that where you had multiple, as they will call it now, ethnic groups under one leader. So you can do that whole divide and conquer and you have smaller groups that you can very easily overcome with their weapons and stuff.

What we did, I was the military strategist and having this conversation with the leaders, my husband and the leaders, is we began to consolidate a lot of different ethnic groups that previously maybe have had skirmishes, but to understand that we had one common enemy and the only way we could maintain our sovereignty was to unify. Remember that word.

unify. And so by the time the Italians thought that they could come and just walk in and take over us, they thought it was a done deal. They did come with about 17,000 troops and understand what they do. Do you know that some of those troops were Eritrean? We call them Ascaris. Those are the

Adesoji Iginla (13:33.494)
Mm.

Aya Fubara Eneli (13:36.622)
Indigenous people who had for some reason thought that it made sense to throw in their lot with their oppressors as though that would somehow free them. so they came with their 17,000 troops, but we had consolidated power, bringing together multiple groups.

And we put some historians say a hundred thousand on the field. Now, really it wasn't that many, but they had to conflate that number to justify how soundly they were beaten. And that battle did not even last a day.

It was over in mere hours. They came in and they had this idea of they will march in three columns and they were going to overwhelm us. Well, in addition to military strategy, I had helped to recruit soldiers and there were women. I want to use that word soldiers, women warriors as well. But the other thing that I did

was I brought and made sure that we had women who would serve as nurses, women who would assist with the supplies. And I'll tell you one of the things that we did. We dammed up some of the waterways in the areas that we knew that the Italian forces would be. And so they did not have the resources that they needed. Of course, where this was taking place,

where the battle took place was our terrain. It was a mountainous area. We understood the terrain. We were trained for it. So they were at that disadvantage, but they had the advantage of weapons. And so again, preparing in advance, and because these colonizers, they are so greedy, so money hungry, that if we study them, we will know how to defeat them.

Aya Fubara Eneli (16:00.71)
because we got arms from Russia and from France. We were planning ahead of time. And so we didn't just go with our traditional weapons. We were armed with knowledge of the terrain. We had some strategy in terms of cutting off supplies to them, which we knew that they needed. And we also gave ourselves an additional advantage of getting armed

with some of the same weapons that they would turn on us. And it was a bloodbath. It was a bloodbath. We killed over 4,000 of their soldiers and we also were able to capture another 3,000 or so who were brought back to Addis Ababa. And Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia.

Adesoji Iginla (16:55.766)
Thank

Aya Fubara Eneli (17:00.172)
because I suggested it, I helped set it up. And of course it remains the capital today. And guess what? Those colonizers, they had to pay us a ransom to get some of their soldiers back. And the money at that time, they paid over 10 million Lira.

Adesoji Iginla (17:21.799)
soldiers.

Aya Fubara Eneli (17:29.76)
And so you can do the math of what that is equivalent to in your day to day. There's so much more that I can say about myself, but let me pause in case you have any questions at this time.

Adesoji Iginla (17:45.223)
Okay, so why do you think at that time it was important to maintain your sovereignty? Because you highlighted the fact that sovereignty played a key role in determining the psychology of the place. Why do you think it was important to maintain your sovereignty as opposed to being a protectorate of Italy?

Aya Fubara Eneli (18:10.22)
Well, I-

No, no, no, no, no. I was raised as a proud woman. I saw my people do the work to govern ourselves. What self-respecting people would willingly give up their own freedom and their right to self-determination to some foreigners whose ways are not our ways?

who will completely disrupt who we are and what we are about. We had our own language, our own culture, our own forms of spirituality, our own ways of doing things. Why would anybody, even you ask that question, why would anybody who is a self-respecting person willingly bow down to someone else for what? We had absolutely no reason to do so. We were living and

existing and advancing in the ways that we wanted to. Why would we give that up for some other people? Why? Because they want to come and rule us. Not to mention, of course, we were not ignorant of the barbarism of these people. We knew they did not mean us well. that was not even a consideration in my mind. Now, were there people that we had to convince? Yes.

But that is one of my strong suits. I was absolutely a diplomat, very strident, very assertive, but I was a diplomat. And I knew how to talk to people and how to explain information and how to get people to understand what was at stake. And the message in addition that I would share is you must pay attention. I was paying attention. I understood.

Aya Fubara Eneli (20:07.512)
things that were happening beyond our confines. Because even back then, we were trading. There were many ships and foreigners and all of that who would come in and you listen and you learn and you pay attention to what seems to be coming down the pipeline so that you can prepare. And it was very clear to me after seeing what Italy was doing, particularly in the area now known as Eritrea,

that it was just a matter of time, but they would try to come and lord over us. And that was not something that we were going to allow happen. So with Emperor Menelik, we were able to organize the Amhara, the Oromo, the Tigray, and the Sean warriors, all of us coming together, unifying, unifying, unifying.

for one cause, and that was our sovereignty. And today, there is not a child in Ethiopia that you can talk to that does not understand that we were the only country.

Aya Fubara Eneli (21:21.93)
in Africa that was able to resist the Europeans, the colonizers. We did it through strategy, through unity. It can be done again. It must be done again. And we were willing to fight for our liberation. Across Africa, people thought they could just sign a document.

someone else saying, now you're permitted to be sovereign. No, they don't respect you under those circumstances. We were willing to put blood on the ground for our sovereignty and we did that.

Adesoji Iginla (22:04.448)
So it was said that you were a very good motivator, especially when it came to laying siege at the fort during the Battle of Adwa. And you said you inspired the men. I draw strength, I'm drawing comparison now with the lady that we previously did on this series, where you said you brave men have been

Aya Fubara Eneli (22:17.386)
What have you heard?

Adesoji Iginla (22:34.218)
boasting of your determination to change the fort but slowly slowly dies the pride of man are what that guides the river and if you were guiding heaven's gate for without water is a fort and a prison you who have volunteered will be honored essentially saying you know if you have the patience enough to fight for your freedom you will be rewarded in the end

Aya Fubara Eneli (23:03.756)
Yes.

Adesoji Iginla (23:04.606)
Now, what was it that you saw within the immediate confines of that war setting? And also, like you said, you study what is around in terms of that time, you're talking about colonialism. What was it that you saw there that you said, this will not happen to my people. And as a result, I must use words to inspire them to maintain our freedom. What was it you saw?

Aya Fubara Eneli (23:33.934)
I saw the degradation of African people. Even though we did not, at that time, consider ourselves one people of one continent, our oppressors saw us that way. And I was born in 1851. By the time that this battle was waged in 1896,

Adesoji Iginla (23:47.968)
Hmm.

Aya Fubara Eneli (23:59.67)
you could see, you could hear there was evidence of what was happening all across Africa in other places. And that definitely informed me of what would befall us if we did not stand up and fight. And that was the message that I tried to impart and of course succeeded in imparting to

our warriors, to our men and our women who all contributed to ensure the sovereignty of Ethiopia. And as we know, there was now a new treaty, the Treaty of Addis Ababa in 1896 that was signed that recognized our sovereignty.

Adesoji Iginla (24:52.438)
Okay, having your sovereignty now recognized, what would you say is part of the legacy of that battle? One, mean, I'm just putting out ideas now. One was that that was probably the first time that men and women fought to defend the honor of a place and

Aya Fubara Eneli (25:19.63)
As far as we know, yes.

Adesoji Iginla (25:22.024)
Yes. And that was one of the first time that a woman actually led the battle or co-led a battle. Yes.

Aya Fubara Eneli (25:31.212)
Well, that is true because I led battalions. In fact, I had the rear guard. So once the Italians rushed in, we had our troops, our warriors that they were rushing towards. And then my troops that I was leading, we brought up the rear. So we hemmed them in. But I would have to consider the dates because of course we know

Adesoji Iginla (25:53.814)
Hmm.

Aya Fubara Eneli (25:59.63)
Queen Amina of Zaria also led men and women into battle, not against the Europeans, not against the colonizers, but I don't believe necessarily that that was the first time that African men and women fought together. But of course, what made this battle of Adwa particularly unique is who the opponent was.

Adesoji Iginla (26:25.065)
unique.

Aya Fubara Eneli (26:29.536)
and of course the outcome of the battle. And you know, it really brought shame upon Italy. They tried to use some different propaganda and come up with excuses and reasons for why they were not just beaten, but soundly beaten. This battle did not last a full day. But I believe that also what this battle

the significance of the battle in addition to, of course, the sovereignty of Ethiopia, which is in and of itself a huge deal, is the message it sent to the oppressors, the message it sent to other African leaders, and how you see that in songs, in prose, that other revolutionaries down the line of

African descent still call upon this battle of Adwa. They still see it as a reason for pride and a motivator for what they need to do. And so the significance continues to reverberate, yes.

Adesoji Iginla (27:35.091)
Adio.

Adesoji Iginla (27:52.822)
Okay, so you mentioned the reverberation of the notion of that victory at Battle of Adwa. Now, in terms of how this story is recounted now in our modern times, what would you say is the lesson that can be learned? I.e. do we allow somebody else to tell the story of what's...

transpired or do we lead with the narrative? And the reason I say that is one of the oldest newspapers in the world, a New York Times actually wrote a story of that battle as the conquer of Adwa. It was only later that they published a retraction that indeed Italy had been defeated at the Battle of Adwa. So

Aya Fubara Eneli (28:49.294)
you

Adesoji Iginla (28:50.314)
How would you say we document our own victories or?

Aya Fubara Eneli (28:56.342)
Well, you've heard that proverb that until the lion learns to write, the story of the hunt will always be told from the perspective of the hunter. So yes, going back to education, going back to...

Adesoji Iginla (29:06.838)
the haunted. Yeah.

Aya Fubara Eneli (29:15.554)
having pride in who we are. We must tell our own stories because no one can tell your story for you. And everybody who tells a story is going to try and make themselves look good. And so it is imperative on us. We cannot expect other people. It is actually not even their responsibility. If you have a father, if you have a mother, you tell the story of your family. You don't expect me to come and tell that story.

And if I do, there are definitely things that I'm going to leave out either because I don't know them or particularly if they could make me look bad, then I'm going to leave them out. so, you know, in more recent years, there are now books being written by Africans about this battle of Adwa. I believe you know one of such men who has written a book. If you want to share his book with us.

with your audience.

Adesoji Iginla (30:13.6)
Yes, that would be the good brother Milton Alimadi. wrote a book in Love and War, The Battle of Adwa. And he also in his book, How Manufacturing Hates, he chronicles how the New York Times actually reports the Battle of Adwa. So that framework of

telling the lie that indeed Ethiopia has been subdued was a lie first told by the New York Times, which they later retracted, knowing fully well that the war did not go as they planned. Because for them, was a fog.

Aya Fubara Eneli (30:58.446)
And was that retraction as big as the original article? No, of course not. Of course not.

Adesoji Iginla (31:02.546)
And no, no, no, you know that would not be the case. You know that would not be the case. So speaking of retractions, so how would you say you challenged Western narratives of African females' passivity in resistance movements? Because if any time the stories are told in the Western media,

The women don't often get that kind of a mention.

Aya Fubara Eneli (31:34.316)
You know, I'm really at this point not so much concerned about what the West says and how they treat their women. I am concerned about what my people have forgotten. And one could argue that had I been subdued because of my gender,

Adesoji Iginla (31:43.403)
Hmm.

Aya Fubara Eneli (32:01.89)
that things may have turned out a little differently, maybe a lot differently with that battle because I brought, first of all, with the treaty because I was the one who noticed the discrepancy. And so I could care less about the oppressors. They've never meant us any good. But for my people across the continent of Africa,

and beyond wherever we are in the world, understanding that it is hard to move forward when you're also simultaneously holding back one half of your people. You are missing out on some of the very elements that if they unify, if everybody is allowed to come to their full selves regardless of gender,

and unify, we have ideas, have insights, we have the physical power to overpower all of our adversaries. And to the extent that we are so consumed with also

holding women back in so many of our societies across the continent now. If you are fighting and you have to use one hand to hold someone back and only one hand to resist, you've already quote unquote handicapped yourself. And so that would be more so my concern is, and which is why I'm grateful for all of the women that you are shining a light on.

people like me. In fact, I will ask your viewers, your listeners, and you people call it a chat, in the chat, ask them, before today had they ever heard of me?

Aya Fubara Eneli (34:03.914)
Before today, had they ever heard of me? How are we teaching liberation and living out the women who bring forth all of humanity to begin with, the women who nurture humanity and holding them back? I'm very grateful for one of my sons, Haile Gerima, because he did a documentary

Adesoji Iginla (34:20.905)
Yeah.

Aya Fubara Eneli (34:34.094)
which is again us telling our stories. That documentary came out in 1999 and it was called Adwa, an African Victory. He focused not just on the Battle of Adwa, but he gave me my flowers, which sometimes even when we tell the story, we want to just talk about Menelik, a great man. I don't marry men who are not of substance.

And if they cannot live up to the substance I thought I saw in them, I can leave, which I did many times before I married Emperor Menelik. And of course, I stayed married to him until his death. I want to talk about some of the other things that I was able to do when we talk about the significance of women. And while I say that, may I just spit on the grave?

of Prime Minister Francisco Crispi, who thought that he was going to just walk in and walk all over my people. So did your people answer? Do they know me? Do they know who I am? I am very curious to know.

Adesoji Iginla (35:45.078)
No, in the negative at the moment.

Aya Fubara Eneli (35:49.642)
Wow, wow, wow. Well, so let me tell you some more of what I did in not just in war times, but in peace times. When we talk about having economic vision and industry influence, I was at the forefront in Ethiopia helping to bring together artisans. I noticed that

when we had foreigners who came to trade that many of them had to just find accommodations with, you know, maybe someone they were trading with and all of that. So with my husband's support, I established the first hotel in the continent that was run by and completely owned by African people. And in that hotel, we spoke Amheric.

You ate our food. It wasn't just these establishments that the colonizers came to our countries, set up for themselves, only use us as servants. And we were excluded from actually being able to go into the place and be served as everybody else. And so this became the seat of diplomacy, if you will, even. So whenever...

Foreign governments or people wanted to come and meet with us. They met with us on our grounds in our hotel We had it all set up. So that was one of the things that I did I organized Artisans, know to make sure that the curtains and and everything was set up in a in a very excellent manner We started, you know understanding the world trade I would negotiate

with foreign entities and get skill sets from them to help us improve our own industry. Candle making, of course we use those candles in our churches and so on and so forth. Helping women to further solidify their role as healers. So like I said, on the battlefield, we had women who were there immediately to assist with the wounded.

Aya Fubara Eneli (38:13.378)
which helped to cut down on our casualties. I advocated for economic self-reliance. I was very skeptical of European motives. And I consistently, even after the Treaty of Addis Ababa, I consistently pushed back against foreign control, not only in politics, but in trade and business. Something that most African countries seem to have abdicated at this time. We just fall.

for whatever they want to do. They bring in their goods in whatever way they want to. So I supported land owners. I showed them from my own example of the land that I owned, how to cultivate the land, how to make sure that you were being productive, managing farms and livestock, creating trade networks with efficiency. I was recognized for my power, my vision for urban planning.

And that is how Addis Ababa was established, not just as a political capital, but as a cultural and a commercial hub. And in all of these ways, having influence. So that hotel is still in existence. It was established in 1907. It's called Itegwe Taitu Hotel. Itegwe is empress.

Adesoji Iginla (39:38.569)
Mm.

Aya Fubara Eneli (39:41.87)
in our language. And it was my direct initiative to set that up. It's located in the heart of Addis Ababa in Piazza. You can still go and see it today. Until then, like I said, there was no formal lodging. I insisted that we not just be sovereign in name and on paper, but that we project strength and dignity and

What people will now say may be modernity, but every group is growing unless they are interrupted in their progression, which is what has happened across most of Africa. Of course, this was unheard of of women at that time, but it should not continue to be unheard of today. We hosted our receptions there, our negotiations were there. Those are some of the things that we did.

What the hotel did as well is that it fused Ethiopian architectural elements with some of the European influences showcasing our cultural flair and our grounding and our pride in our culture, even though it also had some of the amenities that the foreigners were more used to. There are other things that I did as well.

Aya Fubara Eneli (41:12.472)
When we talk about banking, one of the things that I did was it wasn't a bank in the traditional sense that we have right now, but I said we must have a system in place where people can borrow money to begin trades and where they can then pay back that money. And that is something that I got started to protect.

Ethiopian financial autonomy, especially from Italy and from France. I was very much against economic control because when they control you economically, then they can almost control you in every other way. So we worked to ensure that we had Ethiopian controlled economic institutions. And for those of you who want to learn more about me,

If you travel to Ethiopia, you want to go to the Institute of Ethiopian Studies, the National Museum of Ethiopia, the Entoto Meriam Church Museum. Entoto Meriam Church is a church that my husband and I, Emperor Melanick and I, actually helped to build. We were very generous supporters of the faith.

the Christian faith. In fact, I worked very hard to keep the Catholics out of Ethiopia because they come with their own religion and form of spirituality and they kill off everything else. And so when you go to Ethiopia today, we are practicing the spirituality of our forebears, not this thing that you people, whatever you are doing here with, yes.

And so even our holidays are different from your holidays, the Christian church. But the Entoto Maryam Church has a museum. And my husband and I are actually buried at the Entoto Maryam Church.

Aya Fubara Eneli (43:27.038)
If you trace the history of the Bank of Absinia, which was opened in 1906, you would trace it back to some of the ideas that I began to implement in terms of us holding on to our own economic sovereignty as well. So my life as a whole was one of preparation.

discipline.

Aya Fubara Eneli (43:57.684)
self-confidence, the ability to know when my time was up in a certain place, even while maintaining diplomatic ties. I was always a builder, someone who connected people. That's one of the reasons why Menelik was attracted to me and married me. You know I was four years older than Menelik? That was unheard of in those days. But I was simply irresistible.

what is not to like. And of course, I helped to solidify his reign. Unfortunately, in spite of my contributions, when he got sick, he had a series of strokes and he got sick and he eventually died. I tried to keep the regency together. I tried to maintain

that what we had worked on, but that was not to the liking of some of the men. And so I was ultimately removed from that position. But here's another lesson.

Who says you need a title to make a difference? Because with or without being the empress, although that gave me some access.

After the death of my husband, after I was pushed out of the spotlight, if you will, of the political realm, I continued to have an influence. I continued to make a difference amongst my people. And that is why I am valorized all across Ethiopia. In fact, when I talked about the whole bank part, it was during Melanick's regime and my regime with Melanick.

Aya Fubara Eneli (45:54.744)
that we started to produce our own coins and we had our own language written on the coins. We didn't have any coins with some white queen or some, you know, king or some, no, we didn't do that. That was for other African countries who were allowing other people to.

begin to impress on the minds of their people, their inferiority. Why are you using money with the face of someone who doesn't know you, doesn't know your language, doesn't care about you, actually only came to oppress you? We resisted all of that in Ethiopia. I would like to read something that is attributed that I said. I cannot tell you that these were.

Adesoji Iginla (46:23.22)
Mmm.

Aya Fubara Eneli (46:46.87)
my exact words, but they were very close to this. This was right after we found out about the deception of the colonizers, the Italians. And I said this, if it is your wish, start the war next week. Why could I say that? Because we were already prepared. We were not going to be caught unawares.

Adesoji Iginla (46:50.794)
Please do.

Adesoji Iginla (46:58.998)
Treaty of Wichita.

Aya Fubara Eneli (47:15.578)
If it is your wish, start the war next week. Nobody's afraid. We will see when you turn into action. Don't ever think that we are not willing to sacrifice our comfort and die for our country. Giving one's life for the country is an honorable death. I do not want to keep you here. It is getting dark. I am sure you have a lot of things to do to put your threats into action.

And I went on to say, I am a woman. I do not like war. However, I would rather die than accept your deal. That's why we need more women in positions of, of helping to shepherd our communities. I'm not saying lead in the way, cause this is, it's almost like

this power in you, you just crush other people. No, to shepherd, to nurture. I do not like war. I am a woman, but I will die rather than accept your faith of me essentially being a slave to you. And when I spoke with this power in front of the oppressors, you can imagine how that invigorated the spirits.

Adesoji Iginla (48:18.987)
Hmm.

Aya Fubara Eneli (48:43.638)
of the warriors that we would call upon because they did not see me cower in fear.

In what ways are you standing up to the oppressor and in what ways are you prepared to back up your words? These were the words that I spoke when the Italian advisor to the emperor Antanoli tore apart the translation of the revised Wuchale Accord that in effect declared the agreement of the Italians

to discard what at that point was Article 17. So there is nothing we are facing today, my children. There's African people are facing today anywhere in the world that we have not seen before and that actually we have not been able to overcome before. They will not tell those stories.

because that will invigorate us and deflate them. We must go and unearth these stories and then we must tell them and tell them again and tell them again until they become.

Adesoji Iginla (49:50.922)
Yeah.

Aya Fubara Eneli (50:06.08)
the nursery rhymes, as you people call them, they become the songs that the little children are singing. That they're not singing God bless America or singing, you know, how great the queen is or the king is of some foreign land, but they're singing about the courage and the vision of their people. They're singing about their own indigenous ways of doing things.

And that is what I attempted and mostly succeeded at doing during my time before I left the face of this Earth.

Adesoji Iginla (50:50.238)
Before you left the face of the earth, you've proven that resistance comes in different form. And sometimes it's just by raising your voice. Because wait, did you not raise your voice? That treaty would have been signed, and the course of history would have been changed. So would it be wise to say women in

times now be not afraid to raise their voice and even when they are wrong to at least know that yes they've said something and they can learn from whatever that was said or whatever mistake that transpires thereafter.

Aya Fubara Eneli (51:37.838)
I would say everybody raise your voice, but I will also say this.

Adesoji Iginla (51:41.076)
Mm.

Aya Fubara Eneli (51:44.928)
Your reputation precedes you.

Aya Fubara Eneli (51:51.35)
The reason in that moment, that very tense moment where other advisors to my husband had said, this is what it says in I'm Harry, could we go ahead and sign the treaty? The reason why my husband would give me ear, the reason why the other leaders would say, wait a second, what is she saying? Let's figure it out before we hastily sign anything is because of how I had already been conducted.

So don't be someone out here who is very inconsistent, who lacks discipline, who does not show that they are dependable in any way, who has cried, what is your story, cried wolf, is that what you say? One too many times? Who is overly dramatic, you know? Don't be someone that people...

Adesoji Iginla (52:38.505)
of the

Aya Fubara Eneli (52:48.47)
when they see you coming or hear you talking, immediately tune you out or shut you down. Now, there are some people who would try to do that anyway, but depending on how you've conducted yourself, on how you've prepared yourself.

you will have some who are going to say, a second, hold on, we need to give that ear. In fact, there's an African proverb in another language, but all of our countries, all of our people, all of our groups, you find similar concepts, similar ideas, similar values. But in this particular language, the translation is, if a child washes their hand well.

Adesoji Iginla (53:37.238)
to the kings, to the elders.

Aya Fubara Eneli (53:37.986)
They can eat with the elders, with the leaders, yes. But if a child just comes from playing in the dirt and immediately tries to put their hand in the pot of soup of the, yeah, you're gonna be, your hand beaten and shooed away. And the next time they see you coming, there will be a barricade before you come and do that nonsense and spoil the soup for everybody. But the child that the elders have watched and said, that one, very studious, that one.

Adesoji Iginla (54:05.526)
of well, yeah.

Aya Fubara Eneli (54:07.95)
takes their training seriously. That one thinks before they speak. That one brings unity. That one is industrious. So what I will say to men and women, but particularly to my women folk, prepare ahead of time.

carry yourself in a way that engenders that respect.

And also, if you're in a place where they won't respect you, where you cannot thrive, that might mean it's time to find somewhere else. Can you imagine those who might want to say four husbands? Can you imagine if I stayed with my second or my third or my fourth husband? And I was not by the side of Emperor Melanick during this very important time in not just the history of my people,

but the history of Africa and the history of the world.

Aya Fubara Eneli (55:11.818)
It will be a very different story right now. So prepare yourself, conduct yourself in a manner that is becoming of the voice you want to have and then use that voice and then don't just speak. Lead with your actions. I did not recruit people and sit back in my palace.

Adesoji Iginla (55:15.217)
Le Mat Sao.

Aya Fubara Eneli (55:36.192)
or in my court like I could have if I wanted to and no one actually would have probably faulted me. I was out with my sword, with my armor on the ground leading the people. They could see me willing to put my life on the, put my life at risk. You know, the thing is so many leaders today think,

Adesoji Iginla (55:58.068)
on the right.

Aya Fubara Eneli (56:03.522)
that it is the job of the people to take care of them. The people work for them. A real leader works for the people.

Now, yes, you don't send yourself out to die prematurely because then your people might be scattered and not. But a real leader puts themselves on the line. You work for your people. And people could follow me because I led by example.

Adesoji Iginla (56:24.889)
Yeah.

Adesoji Iginla (56:35.188)
much so. Very much so.

Aya Fubara Eneli (56:36.116)
And for women who don't have children and they tell you your only values if you have children, evoke my name. No biological child. But I am absolutely one of the most influential people in terms of African liberation, whether I am recognized for it or not.

But when you hear those songs about Haile Selassie, there would be no Haile Selassie and Rastafari Aolo, there would not be any of that if Ethiopia had fallen.

Aya Fubara Eneli (57:22.188)
So you go behind the story and go behind the story and you speak my name. Tell them now, you know who tie it to, but tell this.

Adesoji Iginla (57:36.808)
Yes, yes. And yeah.

Aya Fubara Eneli (57:39.806)
they're asking for books. Are there any books you want to share? There are increasingly more books being written about me. If you read any book on the Battle of Adwa, they might mention me. Some do, some don't. But the Battle of Adwa, African Victory in the Age of Empire by Raymond Jones, it's one that you can read Empress Taito and the Battle of Adwa.

by R. Greenfield is another one. Of course, my brother shared one, Manufacturing Hate. And there many historical and academic texts as well. Some of them written in Amharic, but I think with this new thing, people have some type of intelligence. You might find that soon.

Adesoji Iginla (58:33.856)
Chargivity.

Aya Fubara Eneli (58:38.478)
more of these texts will be interpreted, translated. But let me tell you, very good, very, very important lesson.

study African languages because if some other machine that was powered by something or somebody else interprets our original texts, how do you know that the interpretation is accurate if you don't know the language?

Adesoji Iginla (59:11.808)
True?

Aya Fubara Eneli (59:15.746)
You see, so just like they gave one version in Italian, one version in Amharic, what is to say that if we leave the translations of our words, like Medunetja, you see where all these white Egyptologists want to claim us and claim our work. And when you get African Egyptologists into the mix,

then they have a different understanding like no that's not what it is so we must not rely on foreigners to tell our stories we must love ourselves enough to tell the stories ourselves so learn the language learn the language if you can learn all these other languages you can learn your own language one or two you can do that

Adesoji Iginla (59:45.92)
Thank you.

Adesoji Iginla (01:00:06.454)
Yes, again, thank you for coming through. We have come to the end of another episode of Women and Resistance.

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:00:19.08)
hold on. Somebody said, I am from ancient kingdom of Aksum, Ethiopian Orthodox Christian. Wow. Welcome, my child. Welcome, welcome. Thank you.

Adesoji Iginla (01:00:34.816)
Wow, you see, the world is getting smaller as if it's not already small enough. let's say, you know, you're only six degree, there's only six degree of separation from someone who is acquainted with your story, your life, your background. And so Africa is just one big village and extended to the world. are far and beyond.

Like I said, we have come to the end of another episode of Women and Resistance. But as usual, we'll tell you who we're looking at next week. Next week, we're looking at Florence Griffin Joyner. So I believe those in the United States, not just those in the United States, the world over would know her nickname, Flo Joe.

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:01:20.092)
my.

Adesoji Iginla (01:01:33.59)
So we'll be looking at the lives, the life and times of Florence Griffin-Joyner next week. And if you don't know who she is, wait until next week anyway. And, but again, thank you all for coming through. If you liked what you've heard or will be listening to in the course of the week, because you will have an audio version of this on all your podcast platforms, do like share.

subscribe and yeah, each one bring one. And again, we must thank our sister for taking the time out to do the research. It's not easy on the eyes, the reading, the sitting, the discipline.

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:02:18.382)
There's someone in your chat too. can't read everything that she's saying because I don't have my glasses on. Karen, what did she say? She said there's a book. Can you read that?

Adesoji Iginla (01:02:30.624)
She said, there's a book that's particularly looking forward to that will have a snapshot of this amazing woman. that you are due to, so you're being given an assignment, you should write a book. Okay. So, yes, it's not easy on the eyes, know, reading, having to change glasses in the course of, yeah. So.

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:02:42.166)
You

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:02:47.854)
you

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:02:52.814)
Can we talk like, okay, not tattoo, but just off mic a little bit here with everybody just for a couple of minutes. I mean, clearly these women are just incredible. And the truth is I had not heard of tattoo until I was 2000. And I have a master's in

African black black studies African and African American history never heard heard of her and so like we do have a lot of work to do and this has absolutely been something that I I think that if I Totally thought through all the time that it would take I would have told that they showed you to go to hell quite frankly because Those of you who know me personally know my schedule is kind of full already but

It has been an absolute joy every week to go back to my notes. So many of the women we've covered so far, I had already started reading and writing on them, but some of those notes are like years old. But to go back to now get more books, some weeks I'm like literally getting through three books on whoever we're going to talk about, watching documentaries all the time. I have no idea what's on TV.

because if I have a free moment, I'm watching a documentary on someone. And it's been absolutely...

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:04:28.244)
life changing in the sense that I can see myself moving differently in my own life. Like I'm more courageous. I'm more intentional. And I am some would say less tolerant of BS, you know, but it's just knowing that these women came

before us dealt with so much, had fewer resources. If you were here for polymory, literally malnutrition, all the kinds of things that so many have gone through and still found a way to add value. How dare I not? And so I'm really excited about, I'm in my 50s already, but God willing, I live another 20, 30, 40 years.

Adesoji Iginla (01:05:09.162)
Yeah.

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:05:25.634)
I'm really excited about these latter years because now I'm coming to them with such a clearer perspective on who I am as an African, who I am as an African woman and the work that we must do. So I really, I'm very grateful to all of you who've watched, who've shared, who've given any encouragement. But even if you weren't watching, Adesoji, thank you so much for pushing.

to do this series because it is bringing me so much clarity and joy.

Adesoji Iginla (01:06:04.468)
I mean, it's hard to look away because if you look around you, women constitute 65 % of the world's population. No, do. Yeah, yeah, 60.

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:06:14.732)
No we don't. Are we 65? I thought it was almost 50-50. Really? wow. Yeah, yeah.

Adesoji Iginla (01:06:21.278)
No, no, no. It's about 60. In Africa, it's even, in Africa, it's it's borderline 70 now. And so here's the thing.

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:06:30.955)
then we have to go to polygamy then. The numbers, the math ain't math-ing.

Adesoji Iginla (01:06:33.974)
So, well. So, I mean, so in that, in that guy is alone. You have almost like a blind side if you do not focus their stories. Sankara would say mothers are, women are the mothers of revolution.

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:06:49.646)
Mm. Yeah.

Adesoji Iginla (01:06:59.644)
Every story here has a unique perspective of their contribution to the very existence of the human family. And so once people come in contact with it, it stretches their imagination, their ideals, or it pushes the boundary of what is considered to be real or unreal. And the more you do it, the more people

perspective widens, widens. And then eventually you are able to conceptualize so many things. One of the reasons why Kamala Harris was unable to attain or the woman before her, Hillary Clinton, was unable to attain is because in that polity called the United States, men still don't see women as an essential part of their society. They see them as, you know, the others.

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:07:53.623)
Mm-hmm.

Adesoji Iginla (01:07:58.48)
and of all the so-called Western democracies, the United States remains the only one that has not had a female leader, which is quite shocking.

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:08:10.261)
and we're going further backwards.

Adesoji Iginla (01:08:12.687)
And it's, you know, so I say that to say this, this series in itself is just laying the groundwork. And eventually when that book you promise comes out as well, and, know, then that registers itself as a permanent record that people can build on because we're never going to finish whatever it is started here. It's just a stepping stone.

We have to be honest about that. Saying that you're going to finish anything, it's almost losing sight of what is before you. So that's not going to happen. And in continuation of that, next week, we're looking at Florence Griffin joiner. Exactly. So again, discipline, preparation, and execution. So we'll see how all of that comes into play. And yeah.

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:08:43.224)
Yeah.

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:08:46.84)
Yeah. Yeah.

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:08:58.712)
Laurence Griffith, join it.

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:09:06.231)
Mm-hmm.

Yes.

Until next week. Not at all. I'm just really grateful for everyone who's watching and encouraging and learning. And I know that it's also making a difference in your life. So thank you and just share the word. Share it and let those who want to hear hear.

Adesoji Iginla (01:09:12.5)
Any final thoughts?

Adesoji Iginla (01:09:30.102)
Yeah, yeah, share, share, share, share, read. yeah, reading can be lonely at times, I must be honest, but find groups in twos and threes. You don't have to be 20, two threes. Just take a book, you know, one of these women that we've talked about and learn, learn a bit more. That way you enrich your own understanding of who they are. And also,

You know, be able to synthesize it with what is happening around you. mean, we've dealt from revolution, environmentalists, lawyers, doctors, writers, the whole gambit, you know? So exactly. And this evening we talked about royalty. mean, next week we're talking about a, a super athlete. Exactly. So.

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:10:01.166)
Yeah.

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:10:12.264)
Ancient or ancient warriors. Yeah

Adesoji Iginla (01:10:26.868)
We continue next week. And that said, until next week, it's good night and God bless.

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:10:28.856)
Thank you so much.

Aya Fubara Eneli (01:10:36.482)
bless. Thank you all for watching.

Adesoji Iginla (01:10:38.614)
Bye bye.